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.

THE FOLLOWING RULE IS USED TO DETERMINE THE CURRENT NEEDED.

800 – 1000 AMPERES PER INCH OF ARTICLE THICKNESS OR DIAMETER.

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 WOULD BE USED ON THE FLLOWING PART?

STEEL BAR 10 X 3 X 2 INCHES THICK

ANSWER 1600 TO 2000 AMPS

WHAT AMPERAGE RANGE IS REQUIRED TO CIRCULARLY MAGNETIZE THE BAR SHOWN IN THE HEAD SHOT BELOW?

ANSWER: 800 – 1000 FOR FIRST SHOT

2000 – 2500 FOR SECOND SHOT
THE RULE OF USING 800 -1000 AMPERES PER INCH OR THICKNESS ALO APPLIES TO CIRCULAR MAGNETIZATION
WITH A CENTRAL CONDUCTOR.

ARTICLE THICKNESS IS TAKEN FROM THE OUTSIDE DIAMETER OF THE ARTICLE.

WHAT WOULD THE AMPERE RANGES BE FOR THE THREE PARTS SHOWN ON THE CENTRAL CONDUCTOR BELOW?

ANSWER: 800 – 1000 FOR 1 – INCH NUT

1600 – 2000 FOR 2 INCH RING
2400 – 3000 FOR 3 INCH SPACER

CURRENT REQUIREMENTS (LONGITUDINAL MAGNETIZATION)

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.

WHAT MAGNETIZING CURRENT WOULD BE NEEDED

FOR A PART 16 INCHES LONG WITH A DIAMETER OF
2 INCHES, USING A FIVE TURN COIL?

ANSWER: 1125 AMPERES

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.

PROD MAGNETIZATION CREATES A CIRCULAR MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE PART.

IN THE SKETCH ABOVE CAN YOU USE THE LEFT HAND RULE TO DETERMINE ID THE CURRENT IS FLOWING FROM A
TO B OR FROM B TO A?

A GUIDLINE FOR DETERMINING HOW MUCH DIRECT CURRENT AND WHAT PROD SPACING ARE BEST FOR ANY
GIVEN TESTING PROBLEM IS SHOWN BELOW.

PROD SPACING, INCHES SECTION THICKNESS, INCHES

UNDER ¾ INCH ¾ INCH AND OVER
2 TO 4 200 TO 300 AMPERES 300 TO 400 AMPERES
OVER 4 TO LESS THAN 6 300 TO 400 AMPERES 400 TO 600 AMPERES
6 TO 8 400 TO 600 AMPERES 600 TO 800 AMPERES

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

1. THE RESIDUAL FIELD IS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE MAGNETIC FIELD.

2. THE RESIDUAL FIELD IS WEAKER THAN THE MAGNETIZING FIELD.
3. THE ORIGINAL MAGNETIZING FORCE CAUSES THE RESIDUAL FIELD.
4. WHEN AN ARTICLE HAS BEEN MAGNETIZED IN MORE THAN ONE DIRECTION.
THE SECOND FIELD APPLIED COMPLETELY OVERCOMES THE FIRST FIELD.
HOWEVER, THIS IS ONLY TRUE IF THE SECOND FIELD IS STRONGER THAN THE FIRST.

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.

THEREFORE, IT IS OFTEN RECOMMENDED THAT A CIRCULARLY MAGNETIZED PART BE LONGITUDINALLY

MAGNETIZED AND THEN GO THROUGH THE DEMAGNETIZATION PROCEDURE.

DEMAGNETIZING A PART THAT HAS BEEN LONGITUDINALLY MAGNETIZED

EACH TIME THE MAGNETIZING FIELD IS REDUCED AND REVERSED THE RESIDUAL FIELD IS REDUCED.

REVERSING THE MAGNETIC FIELD

1. REVERSING THE PART IN THE MAGNETIC FIELD.

2. REVERSING THE CURRENT THROUGH THE COIL.
3. REVERSING THE COIL (TURN THE COIL 180˚).
REDUCING THE MAGNETIC FIELD

1. REDUCE THE MAGNETIZING CURRENT.

2. MOVE THE PART AWAY FROM THE COIL.
3. MOVE THE COIL AWAY FROM THE PART.

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.

DEMAGNETIZATION IS DEFINED AS:

THE REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL MAGNETISM BY SIMUTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY REDUCING THE STRENGTH AND
REVERSING THE DIRECTION OF A MAGNETIC FIELD.

DEMAGNETIZATION PROCEDURES

1. ALTERNATING CURRENT COIL METHOD:

ALTERNATING CURRENT IS ELECTRICAL CURRENT FOLLOWING THROUGH A WIRE, FIRST IN ONE
DIRECTION THEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
EACH TIME THE CURRENT REVERSES DIRECTION, THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE COIL REVERSES. (THIS
MEETS ONE OF THE TWO REQUIREMENTS FOR DEMAGNETIZATION).

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.

A RHEOSTAT IS OFTEN USED TO REDUCE THE CURRENT THROUGH THE COIL.

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.

IN DC DEMAGNATIZATION THE MAGNETIZING FIELD SHOULD BE REDUCED FIRST THEN REVERSED.

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.

WHERE COMPLETE DEMAGNETIZATION IS REQUIRED THE DEMAGNETIZATION FIELD MUST BE PLACED IN

A EAST WEST DIRECTION (THE COIL OPENING FACING EAST AND WEST).

LEAKAGE FIELD INDICATIONS

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.

THE FIELD INDICATOR:

1. COMPARES THE STRENGTH OF THE EXTERNAL FIELD

OF THE ARTICLE WITH A FIXED FIELD INSIDE THE
INDICATOR.
2. IS USED MORE TO LOCATE FLUX LEAKAGE THAN TO
MEASURE FIELD STRENGTH.
3. IS USED TO SHOW WHEN THE PART IS DEMAGNETIZED.