Parametric study of non-contact magnetic cutting

Non-Contact Magnetic Cutting is a potential manufacturing process that uses repeated, low-energy magnetic pulses to produce and direct fine cuts in metal plates or foils. The process is based on the magnetic saw effect which, when not controlled, can lead to failure in high-field pulsed conductors. By limiting energy and pulse duration, the authors have produced controlled cuts with kerfs as fine as 0.013 mm. These promising results motivated a systematic study of the parameters that govern the quality and reproducibility of magnetic saw cuts.This paper reports on a series of simulations and experiments to identify the best conditions for applying the NCMC process to cutting 1100 aluminum plate. In the simulations, three parameters were varied: the location of the drive coil relative to the plate cut, the duration of the magnetic pulse, and the thickness of the sample. Joule heating and magnetic forces were computed in the simulation. The simulated conditions were used in the experiments, scaled in magnitude so that the pulses were at the minimum level that produced magnetic saw cuts. The results provided some insights into the relative importance of melting and fracture in the cutting process.