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Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

Posted December 03, 2009 12:52 PM

From Gizmodo:

You need to cut up some chunks of steel. Mechanical tools are prone to wearing out and lasers are just too expensive, so what do you use? Fast-cutting electromagnetic pulses, what else. Researchers have figured out that they can modify existing electromagnetic pulse technology and use it to cut hard steels about seven times faster than with a laser and at only a fraction of the cost of other methods. That's not even the crazy part though: The impact pressure [of the pulse] on the steel is approximately 3,500 bar, which equates to the weight of three small cars on a single fingernail. Three cars on a single fingernail. Three cars. One fingernail. Forget cool buzzing sounds from mechanical tools and the pewpewpew of lasers. That description alone makes this the coolest cutting method I've heard of today.

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#1

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/03/2009 2:43 PM

Sorry - if there's no youtube video, I just can't believe it.

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#2

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/03/2009 2:47 PM

Is this simular or related to EDM?

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#3
In reply to #2

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/03/2009 3:48 PM

Hi phoenix911,

Is this similar or related to EDM? I don't know; maybe. The article was pretty vague.

Here's what I gathered it to be; a specialized solenoid:

When the coil is pulsed, the plunger punches through the plate. Old technology, unless I'm missing something.

What do you think?

Mike

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#4

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/03/2009 4:04 PM

There's this link to the full article:

http://www.physorg.com/news178914974.html

The cut is made by the EMP field hitting the steel. It's an extension of " EMPT" previously used to work aluminum tubes - I'd never heard of it. Volkswagon is one of the partners in the research.

It's pretty amazing... I'd like to see video too.

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#5

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/04/2009 7:18 AM

I would like to see how they can focus the field to make narrow cuts. It sounds a bit of a stretch of physics to me.

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#6

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/04/2009 9:27 AM

The Fraunhofer Institute is not to be discounted as a research institute...

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Anonymous Poster
#7

Re: Electromagnetic Pulses Cut Through Steel in Milliseconds

12/08/2009 8:45 AM

dear sir,

u r right there only not the steel is easy to cut but u can also optain a good power from electromagnetic system and and it can work to many projects and matelisation from this u can connect the sensor and also a earth magnetic work from this u can work as easy as another system with too many electro system . its can use in car metalized and power working and aircoled unit cutter unit and also in diamond cutting tools .. its work in many way if we do search we get many think optain from this way too..

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