Black Diamond Equipment Reinvents the Auto-Locking Carabiner
Revolutionary Magnetron Technology™ to debut at Outdoor Retailer
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Black Diamond Equipment, a leading global innovator in climbing, mountain sports and freeride ski equipment, is pleased to announce the debut of their new patent-pending Magnetron Technology™, available on its forthcoming Magnetron RockLock and Magnetron GridLock carabiners. The carabiners, which use magnetic fields to allow for a revolutionary auto-locking closure system, will be on display at the 2011 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, UT, from August 4-7.
“For too long, carabiner development has been stuck in an existing paradigm,” states Bill Belcourt, Black Diamond Equipment’s Climbing Hardgoods Category Director. “Magnetron Technology shatters that paradigm.”
While other locking carabiners rely solely on spring-based technology, Magnetron carabiners do not incorporate springs. RockLock and Magnetron GridLock carabiners feature an innovative locking method: when the two locking arms are depressed and the gate is retracted, magnetic repulsion keeps the arms apart. Upon release, however, magnetic attraction between the two arms and a steel insert on the carabiner nose ensures a safe, automatic locking closure. This design allows for easy, single-handed symmetrical operation with the convenience and safety of an auto-locking carabiner.
The debut of Magnetron Technology comes on the heels of the GridLock, an award-winning belay-specific carabiner that Black Diamond Equipment introduced to the market this spring. The GridLock’s, uniquely shaped gate ensures proper carabiner orientation, thereby eliminating the possibility of dangerous crossloading while belaying. The integration of Magnetron Technology™ into GridLock carabiners will be a further advance in the climbing category.
“With each new product, we aim to push the standards of design, ease-of-use and security, and Magnetron Technology does all three,” says Peter Metcalf, CEO of Black Diamond Equipment. “BD was founded on a passion for innovation, and that tradition lives on today.”
The Magnetron RockLock and Magnetron GridLock carabiners will be available to consumers in July 2012, in advance of the summer and fall climbing seasons. They will be on display throughout the 2011 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market at the Black Diamond Equipment booth #7015. To view a video of Bill Belcourt discussing the concept and design of Magnetron Technology, go to: BlackDiamondEquipment.com/Magnetron_US
About Black Diamond Equipment
Celebrating its 21st Anniversary, Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. is a manufacturer of equipment for climbing, mountain sports, and freeride skiing. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain/canyon environment, Black Diamond Equipment has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond Equipment visit:BlackDiamondEquipment.com.
