th

THE 9 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ADVANCED TOPICS IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

May 7-9, 2015
Bucharest, Romania

Some Important Effects of the Water Jet and Laser

Cutting Methods on the Magnetic Properties of the
Non-oriented Silicon Iron Sheets
Veronica Manescu (Paltanea)1, Gheorghe Paltanea1, Horia Gavrila1, Senior Member IEEE
1
POLITEHNICA University of Bucharest, Electrical Engineering Department, Bucharest, Romania
veronica.paltanea@upb.ro, gheorghe.paltanea@upb.ro, horia.gavrila@upb.ro

Abstract- Nowadays it is very important to use non-oriented
electrical alloys, which must have a very good quality and must
be cut through a proper method that leads to a minimum energy
loss value. The manufacturers of the electrical machines want to
minimize the damage of the magnetic properties during the
cutting process, in order to produce high efficiency motors or
generators. In this paper are presented two non-conventional
cutting technologies, which are used in the prototype production
of the magnetic cores. These two methods have significant effects
on the area near the cut edge; the water jet produces important
burs and oxidation of the material and the laser cutting
generates high local thermal stresses that increase the total
energy losses of the magnetic core. There were tested steel
samples of fully processed non-oriented alloys (NO FeSi) grades,
M400-65A and M800-65A, with an area of 300 × 30 mm2. The
magnetic properties were measured with a laboratory single
strip tester in the range of frequency from 10 ÷ 400 Hz at 1 T
peak magnetic polarization.
Keywords: non-oriented electrical steel, cutting technologies,
laser, water jet, magnetic properties
the water jet pressure, or the abrasive parameters. One
important advantage of this method is that during the cutting
process it does not appear thermal or deformation stresses, as
in the case of the other conventional methods. Water jet is a
cold cutting process and common problems like slag, dross or
change in the material properties are not usually met [6].
The laser cutting technology uses a coherent beam that has
a highly intense heat energy, which causes a sudden rise in
temperature in the contact point with the material. If the
temperature is high enough, the input heat generates a hole in
the material through melting and vaporization phenomena.
There are not observed any burs, because this process is a non
contact cutting technology. The local heating of the material,
until the molten and evaporated stage, determines
microstructural changes and thermal stresses, which affect the
magnetic properties of the alloy [7-11].
II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

I. INTRODUCTION The samples have been characterized between 10 Hz and

400 Hz using a laboratory Single Strip Tester that has a
Today the decrease of the electrical energy consumption is digital control of the sinusoidal magnetic flux waveform
of great importance, because there are saving energy and according to IEC 60404-3 [12]. The form factor of the
environmental protection policies, which must be respected in secondary voltage is, for all frequencies, in the interval
the European Union. Electrical machines are used in many 1.1102 ± 0.4%. The primary winding (173 turns) was
industrial or home devices, thus it has become important to supplied by a NF HSA4101 power amplifier, driven by an
reduce their total energy losses. The cutting technology has a Agilent 33210A arbitrary function generator. The secondary
principal influence on the physical properties of the magnetic winding (101 turns) was made around the surface of the
core and there are taken into account in the design of the samples.
electrical machines, through the building factor parameters. This device can perform accurate measurements, offer an
The most used and investigated cutting procedure is the AC frequency characterization and provide the hysteresis
punching technology, which brings plastic deformations in cycle, the relative magnetic permeability and the total power
the zone near the cut edge that imply an increased value of loss data. The values of the magnetic properties, used in the
the roughness coefficient. The variation of the sheets’ cross graphical representations, have been calculated by averaging
section profile affects the air gap of the electrical machine two experimental sets of data.
with an increased magnetizing force as a direct consequence
[1 – 5]. TABLE I
The water jet cutting technology uses high pressure water PHYSICAL AND GEOMETRICAL PROPERTIES OF M400-65A SAMPLES
flow of about 100 – 400 MPa in combination with air injected Cutting Mass Density Length Width Thickness Resistivity
Method [g] [g/cm3] [mm] [mm] [mm] [ȍm]
abrasive particles. The effective cut is made by erosion,
Water 41.94 0.625
shearing, micro-machining effects or dislocating flanks from 7.65 300 30 47.7×10-8
Jet 43.97 0.642
the sheet, with a good cut quality on the upper side and some 43.81 0.638
Laser 7.65 300 30 47.7×10-8
important burrs on the lower side. The cutting rate can be 42.56 0.631
adjusted by controlling the feed rate, the standoff distance,

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 TABLE II
PHYSICAL AND GEOMETRICAL PROPERTIES OF M800-65A SAMPLES
Cutting Mass Density Length Width Thickness Resistivity
Method [g] [g/cm3] [mm] [mm] [mm] [ȍm]
Water 44.53 0.638
7.8 300 30 30.8×10-8
Jet 44.87 0.632
44.63 0.635
Laser 7.8 300 30 30.8×10-8
44.46 0.639

Measurements of the magnetic parameters have been

performed on eight non-oriented silicon iron sheets NO FeSi
M400-65A and M800-65A industrial grades, cut through
water jet and laser technologies. The physical properties of
these steel alloys are listed in Tables I and II.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In Fig. 1 are presented the normal magnetization curves for
the two industrial grades M400-65A and M800-65A,
measured at 50 Hz. The experimental curves were generated
as the loci of the intersection points of the up-going and
down-going parts of the measured minor hysteresis loops.
The evaluation of the normal magnetization curve allows one
to know the value of the magnetic polarization J at every
value of the magnetic field strength H. This information
ensures the proper application of the correct material for the
typical and useful zone of the magnetic appliance (from zero
to knee of magnetization curve).
In the case of water jet technology it can be observed, that
the normal magnetization curve variation for the M400-65A
FeSi NO grade points out a faster magnetization processes,
than in the case of M800-65A alloy, because it can be
obtained higher values of magnetic polarization at lower
excitation fields.
For laser cutting procedure the normal magnetization curve
figures have almost the same shape in the case of the two
electrical steel samples.
One of the most important magnetic characteristic of the
soft alloys is the relative magnetic permeability. A high value
of the magnetic permeability gives the material the ability to
reach higher magnetic induction levels without using a large
Fig. 2. Relative magnetic permeability as a function of the applied field at
industrial frequency of 50 Hz.
amount of electrical current. This results in dimensionally
small magnetic devices and important energy savings.
The relative magnetic permeability variation as a function
of the applied magnetic field strength at industrial frequency
is shown in Fig. 2. The cutting technology has an important
effect in the range of low magnetic field (0 – 500 A/m) with
higher values for water jet method and M400-65A grade
steel. The laser technology reduces the relative magnetic
permeability in the case of M400-65A grade and its values
are comparable with those obtained for M800-65A, cut
through water jet technology. Above 500 A/m are not
significant differences between the steel grades or the cutting
technologies.
In Fig. 3 is presented the variation of the relative magnetic
permeability as a function of the frequency. It can be noticed
that the magnetic permeability has the highest values in the
case of M400-65A grade, cut through water jet technology.
The maximum value for this quantity is 9000. The highest
value of the relative magnetic permeability, obtained for
M800-65A is almost 6000 and it was measured for the
sample, cut also through water jet method. Lower maximum
values (4000) are determined in the case of laser technology,
in both cases of electrical steels.

Fig. 1. Normal magnetization curve in the case of two industrial steel grades
at f = 50 Hz. The samples of 300 × 30 mm2 were cut through laser and water Fig. 3. Relative magnetic permeability as a function of the frequency in the
jet technologies. case of peak magnetic polarization Jp = 1 T.

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Fig. 4. Real (full lines) and imaginary (dotted lines) part of the relative Fig. 6. Total energy losses as a function of the frequency at peak magnetic
magnetic permeability as a function of the frequency in the case of peak polarization Jp = 1 for the two types of industrial grades.
magnetic polarization Jp = 1 for M400-65A grade steel.
In both cases (Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) the real part curves of the
In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are presented the variations of the real
complex permeability have similar behavior for the two
(ȝr’) and imaginary (ȝr”) part of the relative magnetic
cutting methods, with small differences for frequencies lower
permeability in the case of the two types of electrical steels.
than 100 Hz.
The most important differences can be observed for the
In Fig. 6 are presented the total energy losses versus
imaginary part, which tends to have lower values in the case
frequency. It can be noticed that the laser cutting technology
of the samples cut through laser technology. The imaginary
leads to higher values of the losses, because of the local
part curves of complex permeability have a single maximum,
melting, followed by a rapid recrystallization of the affected
which can be associated with the relaxation phenomenon.
zone that induces thermal stresses.
Fig. 4 shows that in the case of water jet cutting method the
Fig. 7 shows the variation of the hysteresis losses as a
maximum value of the imaginary part is approximately 7000
function of the frequency. In the case of M400-65A for the
at 55 Hz and for the laser method the maximum is equal to
water jet technology the values of the hysteresis losses are
2500 at 150 Hz. In the case of M800-65A alloy (Fig. 5) for
much lower than those, obtained by laser cutting, because
the water jet cutting method, the maximum value of the
M400-65A is a material, which has a reduced content of
imaginary part is approximately 5250 at 25 Hz and for the
impurities. The M800-65A alloy has a so increased percent of
laser method the maximum is equal to 3000 at 60 Hz.
impurities that the hysteresis losses values are approximately
A possible mechanism that may describe this phenomenon
equal for both types of cutting methods.
can be associated with the phase lag of domain wall motion
The excess energy losses (Fig. 8) were calculated as a
(bowing or movement), which are hindered by the pinning
difference between the total energy losses, classical losses,
sites. This phenomenon is direct connected with the density
which are due to eddy currents and hysteresis losses [13-17].
of the pinning sites. The laser cutting technology determines
The excess energy losses are usually linked to the micro eddy
an increase of the relaxation frequencies in both types of
currents, formed in the vicinity of the domain walls.
steels in comparison with the water jet procedure.

Fig. 5. Real (full lines) and imaginary (dotted lines) part of the relative Fig. 7. Hysteresis energy losses as a function of the frequency at peak
magnetic permeability as a function of the frequency in the case of peak
magnetic polarization Jp = 1 for the two types of industrial grades.
magnetic polarization Jp = 1 for M800-65A grade steel.

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The work was supported by Project SOP HRD –
PERFORM/159/1.5/S/138963.

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