Analysis of stress influence and plastic strain on magnetic properties during the forming process

The aim of this paper is to analyze the relation between magnetic and mechanical properties during and after forming processes. For this purpose, several tensile tests were carried out on sheet metal samples up to a defined plastic strain. The specimens were left in the clamping device in order to relieve the force in several steps until the specimen was completely relieved. As a consequence, the gradual relief leads to a reduction of internal stress states. During the forming process, the initial magnetic relative permeability and magnetic anisotropy of the sample were measured several times. Both properties are related to the mechanical states in the material through the effects of magnetic embrittlement and magneto-elasticity. The plastic strain of the specimens was determined by optical measurements and the stresses in the measurement range during the tensile test was determined with the help of a subsequent numerical simulation. This made it possible for the first time to measure the magnetic properties of samples with different plastic strain and different stress states. The evaluation shows that there is a strong correlation between permeability and plastic strain as well as anisotropy and stress. Based on these findings, it has been confirmed, that the determination of the plastic strain by a soft sensor is possible.