Electrical steel and it’s applications
Electrical steel is an alloy made to produce specific magnetic properties. When the regular steel is magnetized it absorbs energy, this steel is especially designed to reduce this power loss. Electrical steel is preferred in many situations over regular steel. There are two types of electrical steel:
Grain orientated electrical steel:
Steel when alloyed with iron and silicon is called grain orientated electrical steel(GOES). This steel is developed to have low core loss and high permeability. This is grain orientated material is made overall magnetic flux is increased by 30% in the direction the material is rolled. This also reduces magnetic saturation.
GOES is mostly used in high efficiency transformers, generators and motors.
Non-orientated fully processed electrical steel:
This electrical steel has uniform magnetic flux in all directions. It has lower silicon percentage in the alloy, this provides the steel with magnetic permeability and thermal conductivity. It has better performance because of it’s properties of high frequency and low losses.
This type of electric steel is used in magnetic circuits in motors, transformers, electric system housing. This steel has difficulty in punch ability as it is fully processed. Extra organic coating is added to use as lubricant in punch process.
Non-orientated semi processed electric steel:
Non-orientated semi processed electric steel have a major difference that it has no silicon alloy. This steel is annealed at low temperature after final cold rolling. Although while using the user has to stress-relief anneal to the steel varying on the application. The organic coatings done to the fully processed electrical steel is not required as punch ability in semi processed steel is much higher.
This steel is used in small rotors, stators and small power transformers.
Electric steel has advanced magnetic properties and are very commonly used in the following systems.
Electrical vehicle driving motors, Hermetic motors, Alternating current (AC) motors , Intermittent service motors
Power and distribution transformers, Reactors and magnetic amplifiers, Welding transformers, Audio transformers, Current transformers, Magnetic switches and relays, Electrical ballast.
Here are few advantages of electric steel:
It’s cost is very low compared to others. It also reduces the cost of many other processes like lamination. It also give low power loss per cycle, low core loss and high permeability compared to regular steel.
Motors and motor parts prefer electric steel because of it’s magnetic properties. Electric steel reduces torque and energy consumption. Electric steel is safe and reliable that is a very preferred choice.
Electric steel is available in wide range of grades. Coils or sheets are made available according to the applications of electric steel. At JSWMI we are one of the best steel processing center and produce electric steel.