Lesson 5: Current Requirements (Circular Magnetization)
Lesson 5: Current Requirements (Circular Magnetization)
Lesson 5: Current Requirements (Circular Magnetization)
THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT WILL VARY WITH THE SHAPE AND PERMEABILITY OF THE MATERIAL BEING TESTED. A
TEST SPECIMEN WITH A TYPICAL INDICATION IS A GOOD METHOD TO ASSURE THAT ONLY ENOUGH CURRENT IS
USED TO SHOW THE INDICATION.
TOO MUCH CURRENT WILL BURN THE PART OR MAY CAUSE HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF IRON
PARTICLES.
TOO LITTLE CURRENT MAY NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FLUX LEAKAGE TO ATTRACT THE IRON PARTICLES.
TO USE THIS RULE ON ARTICLES OF GREATER THICKNESS, JUST MULTIPLY THE 800 AND 1000 BY THE NUMBER OF
INCHES OF ARTICLE THICKNESS.
WHAT AMPERAGE RANGE IS REQUIRED TO CIRCULARLY MAGNETIZE THE BAR SHOWN IN THE HEAD SHOT BELOW?
WHAT WOULD THE AMPERE RANGES BE FOR THE THREE PARTS SHOWN ON THE CENTRAL CONDUCTOR BELOW?
WHEN A COIL IS USED TO PRODUCE LONGITUDINAL MAGNETIZATION, THE EFFECTIVE FIELD IT CREATES IS
DETERMINED BY THE PRODUCT OF THE NUMBER OF AMPERES AND THE NUMBER OF TURNS IN THE COIL.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CURRENT OF 800 AMPERES THROUGH A FIVE TURN COIL CREATES A MAGNETIZING
FORCE OF 4000 AMPERE TURNS.
THE AMOUNT OF CURRENT NEEDED FOR LONGITUDINAL MAGNATIZATION WITH A COIL IS CONTROLLED BY THE
FORMULA:
45000
¿=
L
RATIO
D
I = CURRENT IN AMPERS
N = NUMBER OF TURNS IN COIL
L = LENGTH OF ARTICLE
D = DIAMETER OR THICKNESS OF ARTICLE
THE FIGURE 45000 IS A CONSTANT FOR ALL COMPUTATIONS.
L/D IS THE LENGTH TO DIAMETER, OR THICKNESS, RATIO OF THE PART.
NI IS THE AMPERE-TURNS
WHEN THE NUMBER OF AMPERE TURNS IS FOUND USING THE ABOVE FORMULA THE NEXT STEP IS TO DIVIDE THE
AMPERE-TURNS BY THE NUMBER OF TURNS IN THE COIL. THIS WILL DETERMINE THE MAGNETIZING CURRENT
NEEDED MOST COILS TYPICALLY HAVE THREE TO FIVE TURNS.
WHEN USING THE FORMULA BELOW THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS ARE MADE:
45000
¿=
L
RATIO
D
1. AN ARTICLE GREATER THAN 18 INCHES REQUIRES MORE THAN ONE COIL SHOT.
2. THE CROSS SECTION OF THE ARTICLE IS NOT GREATER THAN ONE TENTH THE AREA OF THE COIL
OPENING.
3. THE ARTICLE HAS AN L/D RATIO OF BETWEEN 2 AND 15.
4. THE ARTICLE IS PLACED AGAINST THE INSIDE WALL OF THE COIL, AND NOT IN THE CENTER WHERE THE
FLUX DENSITY IS ZERO.
PROD MAGNETIZATION
PRODS ARE CURRENT CARRYING CONDUCTORS (USUALLY COPPER) WHICH ARE USED TO MAGNETIZE LOCALIZED
AREA AS SHOWN BELOW.
CAUTION: THE USE OF PRODS MAY BE RESTRICTED FOR SOME APPLICATIONS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BURNS
AT THE POINT OF CONTRACT.
A GUIDLINE FOR DETERMINING HOW MUCH DIRECT CURRENT AND WHAT PROD SPACING ARE BEST FOR ANY
GIVEN TESTING PROBLEM IS SHOWN BELOW.
WHEN HALFWAVE DIRECT CURRENT (HWDC) IS USED THE FIELD STRENGTH PER AMPERE IS ABOUT THE SAME AS
WITH DIRECT CURRENT (DC) AT TYPICAL PROD SPACINGS (6 TO 8 INCHES).
HOWEVER, SINCE HWDC CONSUMES LESS POWER AND PRODUCES LOWER HEATING EFFECTS AT THE
PROD CONTACT POINTS. IT IS OFTEN RECOMMENDED HWDC ALSO PRODUCES BETTER POWDER MOBILITY THAN
DC.
THE PRODS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE PART SO THAT THE RESULTANT CIRCULAR FIELD IS AT 90 DEGREES TO THE
SUSPECTED DISCONTINUITIES.
DEMAGNETIZATION
A RESIDUAL MAGNETIC FIELD MAY NOT BE DESIRABLE IN THE PART FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
1. RESIDUAL FIELDS WILL AFFECT MAGNETIC COMPASSES OR CREATE PROBLEMS WITH DELICATE
INSTRUMENTS.
2. RESIDUAL FIELDS IN ROTATING PARTS WILL ATTRACT METAL PARTICLES CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR OR
BINDING.
3. PARTS ARE ALSO DEMAGNETIZED SO THAT ALL MAGNETIC PARTICLES CAN BE REMOVED FOR FURTHER
PROCESSING.
4. RESIDUAL FIELDS CAN CAUSE “ARC BLOW” WHICH DEFLECTS THE MOLTEN METAL DURING DC WELDING
OPERATIONS.
REVIEW OF RESIDUAL MAGNETISM
WHEN THE SECOND FIELD APPLIED IS NOT STRONGER THAN THE FIRST FIELD THEN A COMBINATION CIRCULAR
LONGITUDINAL RESIDUAL FIELD WILL RESULT.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHETHER A CIRCULARLY MAGNETIZED BAR IS DEMAGNETIZED BECAUSE THE FLUX LINES
DO NOT NORMALLY LEAVE THE BAR.
ON THE OTHER HAND IT IS EASY TO TELL IF A LONGITUDINALLY MAGNETIZED BAR IS STILL MAGNETIZED OR
DEMAGNETIZED.
EACH TIME THE MAGNETIZING FIELD IS REDUCED AND REVERSED THE RESIDUAL FIELD IS REDUCED.
ANY MATHOD OF DEMAGNETIZATION WILL COMBINE ONE OF THE METHODS TO REDUCE THE MAGNETIZING
FIELD WITH ONE OF THE METHODS TO REVERSE THE MAGNETIZING FIELD.
THE REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL MAGNETISM BY SIMUTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY REDUCING THE STRENGTH AND
REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF A MAGNETIC FIELD.
DEMAGNETIZATION PROCEDURES
TO COMPLETE THE DEMAGNETIZATION PROCESS THE PART IS PLACED IN THE REVESING MAGNETIC FIELD
AS SHOWN BELOW AND THE CURRENT IS SLOWLY REDUCED WHICH REDUCES THE STRENGTH OF THE
MAGNETIC FIELD.
REDUCING THE MAGNETIZING FIELD IN AN AC COIL DEMAGNETIZER CAN ALSO BE DONE BY SLOWLY MOVING THE
ARTICLE AWAY FROM THE COIL.
2. DEMAGNETIZATION USING DIRECT CURRENT
WITH DC THE CURRENT IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY REVERSED. IT IS THEREFORE NECESSARY TO HAVE SOME
MECHANICAL MEANS TO REVERSE THE CURRENT.
BECAUSE DC IS MORE PENETRATING THAN AC, IT IS USED ON LARGE PARTS.
THE MAXIMUM DEGREE OF DEMAGNETIZATION CAN BE OBTAINED WITH DC WHEN THE FIELD IS
REVERSED AT A FREQUENCY OF ONE REVERSAL PER SECOND.
A RULE OF THUMB FOR DEMAGNETIZING SOFT IRON: AT LEAST 10 REVERSALS BUT NOT OVER 30.
WHEN AN ARTICLE IS DEMAGNETIZED THE EARTHS FIELD WILL LEAVE A SMALLER AMOUNT OF RESIDUAL
MAGNETISM IN THE ARTICLE IF THE DEMAGNETIZING FIELD IS ALSO IN A NORTH SOUTH DIRECTION.
THERE IS NO SATISFACTORY METHOD BY WHICH THE MAGNETIC FIELD CAN BE MEASURED INSIDE THE ARTICLE
WITHOUT DESTROYING IT.
THERE MUST BE A LEAKAGE FIELD IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE ARTICLE IS MAGNETIZED.