Eddy Current Sensor System for Tilting Independent In-Process Measurement of Magnetic Anisotropy

Modern production equipment is based on the results of quality control as well as process parameters. The magnetic anisotropy of materials is closely connected to internal mechanical stress by the Villari effect, and also to hardening effects due to plastic deformations, and could therefore provide an interesting basis for process control. Nevertheless, the analysis of anisotropic properties is extremely sensitive to sensor and workpiece misalignments, such as tilting. In this work, a novel eddy current sensor system is introduced, performing a non-contact measurement of the magnetic anisotropy of a workpiece and realizing a separation and correction of tilting effects. The measurement principle is demonstrated with the example of two samples with different magnetic anisotropy values induced by cold forming. Both samples are analyzed under different tilt angles between the sensor axis and the surface of the workpiece. In this work, digital signal processing is demonstrated on the acquired raw data in order to differentiate the effects of tilt and of anisotropy, with the use of preliminary results as an example of two prepared samples.