Alliance, Ohio-based Winkle Industries has announced a new line of magnet controllers that, according to the company, achieves significant improvements in the productivity and life-cycle cost of lifting magnets by replacing traditional contactors and discharge resistors with solid state controls.
Winkle Industries President Joe Schatz says the “OptiCon” line of solid state magnet controllers is designed for use with any magnet or magnet system. “Customers have been asking us for a new approach to magnet controllers,” he said. “I’m very proud that our engineering team has come through again to develop technology that will enable our customers to operate their businesses more profitably.”
OptiCon magnet controllers use solid state IGBTs (integrated gated bi-polar transistors) that provide true control of electrical current to magnets, according to a press release from the company, as opposed to traditional contactor-type controllers, which simply switch DC voltage on and off. OptiCon controllers can optimize the power delivered to the magnet for maximum lifting capacity while minimizing excess heat, according to Winkle.
The solid state design also means the controller has no moving components, so there are no wear parts to service, align or replace.
OptiCon controllers also eliminate the occurrence of damaging voltage spikes, so the lifting equipment’s complete electrical system receives an extra level of protection against unscheduled service and downtime.
According to Rich Edling, the lead engineer behind Winkle’s development of the OptiCon line, heat reduction is a significant benefit to every aspect of a lifting magnet’s performance. “Heat is a detriment to efficient magnet operation,” he says. “Every degree of excess heat reduces the lifting capacity and lifecycle of a magnet or magnet system. An added benefit to our controller is electrical current savings. This controller will cut energy costs as well.”
The OptiCon line includes three models rated for 150 amp, 250 amp and 350 amp service that meet a variety of voltage requirements.
Enclosures for the solid state controllers are more compact than contactor-type controllers, so OptiCon units are easily installed into new equipment or retrofitted into existing equipment, according to Winkle.
More information is available at www.winkleindustries.com.