Sounding very similar to the Delorean’s Flux Capacitor, this article has nothing to do with time travel, brave teenagers, or a crazy scientist who is badly in need of a haircut. You will probably find it, none the less, interesting and informative as magnaflux is a quirky term given to a very important aspect in any welding or manufacturing product. I’ll try to explain…
Many of our Earth’s elements, such as Iron and Nickel, exhibit a behavior known as ferromagnetism, which simply means these elements have magnetic properties. Magnetic particle testing allows testing for magnetism in materials without destroying the materials (many other testing procedures are destructive). This type of non-destructive testing is often used in steel factories and radiology labs and can usually be completed in less than eight hours. The process can detect flaws, such as inclusions and cracks, just under the surface of the element being tested.
Dictionary.com tells us that magnaflux is “a test of ferrous metals involving the dusting of a magnetized sample with magnetic powder, or the application of oil containing magnetic particles in suspension, to detect surface cracks and defects. “ More simply put, the trademarked term magnaflux is a verb meaning: the act of performing a magnetic particle test (i.e. we are going to magnaflux these gears).
Permanent magnets can be used to magnaflux but it is a difficult process and usually not recommended. More modern inspection equipment, such as those that can be purchased from MXI (mxindustrial.com), one of the leading distributors and service companies for magnaflux, can generate a magnetic field electrically, in one of two ways:
- The material being tested is subjected to a direct high amperage current that passes through the material being tested to generate magnetic flux, or
- A current is sent through a coil that encircles the material being tested.
This testing equipment can save companies a pretty penny by detecting flaws and defects early in the manufacturing process. In my review of magnaflux testing equipment, I was impressed by the vast array of quality testing equipment the company offers at affordable pricing, not to mention, an impressive 98% same-day ship rate. From Demag Units to Yoke Kits (used in the secondary testing method mentioned above), MXI has a complete source of magnetic particle testing equipment, essential to any industry.
The everyday person probably isn’t even aware of how important this testing is to our lives. Magnaflux is used to find defects early on in common equipment such as hooks, bolts, nuts, valves, pumps, gears, lifting devices, billboards, railroads, ships and automobiles. I don’t know about you, but I feel a lot safer knowing that manufacturers utilize magnetic particle testing in their materials to detect any flaws or impurities before using those materials on the automobile I’ll be driving, the ship I’ll be cruising on, or the billboard I’ll be driving under. Even the chair I’m sitting on probably has numerous components that went through magnafluxing before being shipped to my home. The importance of industries using Magnetic Particle Testing equipment, such as that sold by MXI, simply cannot be overstated.