Improving Inductive Welding System Performance with Soft Magnetic Composites

Inductive welding is a popular method for making tubes used in a variety of industries. There is a growing demand for heavy-walled small diameter tubing and AHSS tubing, requiring lower frequencies and higher magnetic flux densities to maintain weld quality in these systems. The ferrite tubes traditionally used in these systems have low saturation flux density which places limitations on these heavy-walled systems. This new situation creates an opportunity to improve the system performance using soft magnetic composite materials with higher saturation flux densities.

In this study, computer models will be used to show the various sources of magnetic flux in the system. A comparison will be made between impeders designed using soft magnetic composites and traditional ferrite impeders for use in challenging tube welding applications.

New high magnetic field, high frequency loss data will be used in coupled models showing that with proper thermal management, the soft magnetic composite materials can operate reliably under these conditions and lead to improved tube welding system performance.