Technology of Yesterday and Today - Retrofitting Aged Lift Magnets

While the longevity of a MagnaLift & Power-Grip lift magnet is one of the largest positives to both brands, there are precautions that users of the lift magnets should take when hanging onto older lift magnets, involving retrofitting to modern parts.

Through the advancement of technology over the past 75+ years during which these historic lift magnets have been produced, the spare parts inside the early models could have changed or been obsoleted altogether, causing a new part to be retrofitted into the magnet.

Not only have the parts themselves changed, but the lift magnet models could have gone through changes as the ownerships of the MagnaLift & Power-Grip brands changed hands over the years.

While many of the names have stayed the same, the year that the lift magnet was produced could be a major factor in spare part purchasing. Some of the current models that we have available are in their 4th or 5th generation, with all the generations sharing the same name.

With this, many customers have ordered spare parts and decided to make the fix themselves. While this happens, we will never recommend it due to the changes mentioned above. We cannot provide a warranty on any spare parts for lift magnets that are not installed by one of our technicians.

Lift magnets can be a big liability in shops due to their nature of use. Ensuring your magnet is equipped with the correct parts and having trained technicians make repairs is imperative to maintaining a safe shop environment for all. If you have any questions about your MagnaLift or Power-Grip lift magnets, let us know.

Obsidian Manufacturing Industries, Inc. is a Rockford, Ill., manufacturing company and is the OEM for Magna-Lock USA workholding, MagnaLift & Power-Grip lift magnets, and Arter Precision Grinding Machines, as well as providing surface grinding services. They are located at 5015 28th Ave. in Rockford, Ill., with a phone number of 815-962-8700. Check out more at obsidianmfg.com/brands.