OUT WITH THE OLD

Founded in 1954, Custom Engineering (Erie, PA), specializes in medium-to-heavy fabrication and contract machining, and is recognized as a leader in manufacturing and refurbishing heating platens for hydraulic presses. The firm employs more than 150 people in a 140,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and has earned a solid reputation for completing custom jobs on time and on budget.

Dedicated to continually improving operations in a safe and productive workplace, supervisors began searching for a solution to maintain efficiency and improve safety after realizing that employees in the materials management crew were frequently suffering from back injuries. They began closely observing the employees at work.

To move heavy steel plates, the operators utilized a manual-locking magnet suspended from an overhead crane. To turn this magnet on or off, they were often forced to reach across plates or climb on top of them ? a practice that was obviously a factor in the back injuries.

That's not all. To activate this style of magnet, the operators also had to place their foot or hand on the magnet and pull back the attached lever. This method placed them at risk for injuries that sometimes occurred when the lever propelled back at them. The supervisors determined that this sort of magnet needed to be replaced with something better.

To answer to this problem, materials manager Darin Hayes turned to another manufacturer that was literally down the street, Eriez Magnetics®, which offered innovative equipment and solutions for magnetics, vibratory and inspection applications. Custom Engineering was already aware of Eriez because of its close proximity to their facility and because they already turned to them for all their magnetics needs.

After looking carefully at the situation and considering the application needs, Eriez recommended SafeHold® APL Series permanent lifting magnets. "At the time, they came to us for help with their issues from their old-fashioned lifting magnet," explains Dan Zimmerman, Eriez' metalworking market manager, "and we were preparing to introduce this new series. The timing was perfect since the APL-154, which has a lifting capacity of 3600 lb, was an ideal solution to their steel handling challenges."

The APL-154 is ideal for loading and unloading steel sheets from burn tables or anywhere that limits operator access. They can lift and transfer steel and iron without slings, hooks or cables, and without marring the surface. They require fewer operators and helpers, and when properly installed and operated, provide greater safety than many other mechanical material-handling devices.

These magnets, which can be used singly or in multiples on a spreader beam, turn on and off automatically to provide smooth operation for hundreds of lifting-positioning applications. Since they don't require any electricity, there's no chance of power failures interrupting operation.

Hayes explains that he was pleasantly surprised with just how smoothly the APL-154 operated right from the start. "Considering that our APL-154 was literally the first of its kind to come off the production line, we expected a few minor bugs and glitches," he said. "However, here we are years later and we have yet to have any issues with this fantastic magnet."

Immediately after replacing the old magnet with the new model, Custom Engineering began to see an increase in production and a decrease in injuries. Nobody is more appreciative of the ease of operation that the new magnet affords than the individuals who work with it every day ? typically 7 hours of their 8-hour shifts. Mike Monroe, a burner programmer, explains, "In this industry, everybody's battling back pain, anything to reduce it is a Godsend."

Besides reducing their back pain, operators have also noticed a significant reduction in the amount of time it takes to move the scrap and parts with the APL-154. "With the old magnet, we had to measure out the material precisely to place the magnet on the center of the load. With this new magnet, it's much easier to balance the load. We're able to just estimate the center of the load, lower the magnet into place and quickly lift material," said Monroe.

Zimmerman explains that the new magnet was designed to have a bigger footprint exactly for this reason. In addition, it offers capabilities not possible from older style magnets. "Even if the material to be lifted is an odd shape or has holes, the APL-154 provides more surface contact and is strong enough to lift most of our parts," says Hayes. "With this magnet, operators can lift materials effortlessly that would have been impossible to lift with the old unit."

Due in part to the great success they have had with the APL-154, Custom Engineering decided to replace the lifting magnets in other areas of their operation as well. Two years ago the company purchased seven EPL Series lifting magnets. There are eight models in the EPL and similarly designed XPL series, ranging in lift capacity from 300 lb to 10,000 lb. To suit their particular needs, Custom Engineering purchased seven EPL 123 models, which each have a lifting capacity of 2,000 lb.

EPL lifting magnets offer many of the same benefits as the APL Series. EPL magnets require no power supply and enable users to lift, move or position materials quickly and easily without slings hooks or cables.

These magnets, which won't mar surfaces, are ideal for carrying semi-finished products with flat surfaces such as machine parts, press molds for forming and steel plates. Their internal on-off changeover mechanism eliminates possible scratches on the work surface that can occur from loading and unloading. These small and lightweight magnets feature an incredibly powerful magnetic force.

Like the APL operators, those individuals who utilize the EPL magnets are grateful that the company made an upgrade. Bill Ward, a fitter/welder who has been an employee for more than 30 years says, "Using the new magnet makes the day easier and the work go by faster." Staff using the EPL magnets also benefit from the EPL's safety features. Charlie Smith, a fitter, adds, "The safety lock on these Eriez magnets works much better than on the old ones." Smith describes the safety hazards of the older magnets, "People used to get their fingers smashed because of the unreliable safety lock on the old magnets. With this one, once it's locked down, it stays down."

Production rates have improved in the areas that utilize the new EPL magnets. Injuries are down in those areas too. The problems caused by old fashioned lifting magnets have been eliminated, and the company is confident that the Eriez magnets will operate reliably for many years to come. "My experience with these products tells me these magnets will operate smoothly for the foreseeable future," predicts Hayes.

Custom Engineering Company, 2800 McClelland Avenue, P.O. Box 10008, Erie, PA 16514-0008, 814-898-2800, Fax: 814-898-2825, www.customeng.com.

Eriez Manufacturing Company, 2200 Asbury Road, P.O. Box 10608, Erie, PA 16514-0608, 814-835-6206, Fax: 814-838-4960, www.eriez.com.