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Magnetoelastic Sensors - Status, Commercial Readiness, and Outlook

Magnetoelastic sensors are a commercially viable alternative to strain gauges for measuring torque and loads. They have inherent advantages like robustness and lower costs that make them suitable for high-volume production applications. Recently, magnetoelastic sensors have been used in over 1 million e-bikes, demonstrating their technical and commercial readiness. Developments in coating non-ferromagnetic metals now allow the use of magnetoelastic sensing on a wider range of materials.

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Aakash Chopra
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40 views2 pages

Magnetoelastic Sensors - Status, Commercial Readiness, and Outlook

Magnetoelastic sensors are a commercially viable alternative to strain gauges for measuring torque and loads. They have inherent advantages like robustness and lower costs that make them suitable for high-volume production applications. Recently, magnetoelastic sensors have been used in over 1 million e-bikes, demonstrating their technical and commercial readiness. Developments in coating non-ferromagnetic metals now allow the use of magnetoelastic sensing on a wider range of materials.

Uploaded by

Aakash Chopra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DOI 10.5162/etc2014/10.

Magnetoelastic Sensors - Status, Commercial Readiness,


and Outlook
Jens Müller, NCTE AG, Inselkammerstrasse 4, D-82008 Unterhaching, Germany
jens.mueller@ncte.de

Abstract
Torque / load sensors will play an increasingly important role in many applications, provided that
functional requirements and cost targets for serial production are met. They enable critical benefits
such as efficiency improvements, weight savings, operational safety, enhanced productivity, and cost
savings. Magneto-elastic sensors, being truly non-contact based, have inherent advantages over
traditional solutions based on strain gauges regarding robustness and cost structures. Recently, they
have emerged as a viable, commercially proven alternative in a number of industry sectors with
demanding requirements. The technical and commercial readiness level of magneto-elastic sensor
technology is presented and discussed in this presentation. Also, an outlook is presented regarding
recent developments in making magneto-elastic sensor technology applicable to non-magnetic metals.

Key words: torque sensor, mechanical force, shear, magnetoelastic, strain gauge

Introduction the cost targets of an OEM component in


Force sensors (torque, shear force, load) are volume production. Also, mechanical fixation of
key components in many industries like e.g. strain-gauges tends to have durability
automotive or aviation. Initially, they were limitations in demanding environments, e.g.
primarily used in research & development, i.e. when exposed to extreme temperature cycling,
for testing and evaluation purposes rather than shock, or being submerged in aggressive fluids.
in serial products “on-board”. The significance As a result, strain-gauge systems are widely
of force sensors has been constantly increasing used in protected laboratory environments and
because of more stringent requirements re. test equipment, including test vehicles and
weight savings, efficiency gains, safety certain price-insensitive niche applications, but
maximization, cost savings across a variety of their usage “on-board” serial products is
industries. extremely limited.

Historical Background Magneto-elastic Sensors: Concept and


Advantages
Traditionally, strain-gauge systems have been
the preferred approach for measuring Against this background, magneto-elastic
mechanical forces along moving components. sensors have evolved as a viable alternative to
Strain gauges represent without any doubt a strain-gauge systems, especially with regard to
well-developed, advanced solution for accurate employment in volume production of more
measurements, and a mature landscape of price-sensitive equipment. The underlying
established industry players has evolved magneto-elastic effect, or “magnetostriction”,
around this technology. However, several was discovered close to 200 years ago; only
reasons have prohibited strain gauge systems recently have they entered the marketplace.
from entering volume markets of serial OEM The compelling advantage from a technology
products. perspective is that magneto-elastic sensors
feature cost structures that make them
From a technological perspective, moving compatible with mass production. An existing
components present challenges for power component, e.g. a shaft, is converted to the
supply and signal transmission to and from the primary force sensor only by magnetic
strain gauge. As wiring is typically not an encoding. This process step does not add any
option, either slip rings or telemetry solutions material cost, but merely represents a
must be employed. Slip rings have lifetime processing step which can be done within
limitations especially under harsh operating seconds. As a result, there is typically no extra
conditions or in challenging environments; material cost associated with the primary
telemetry solutions are mostly incompatible with sensor. The secondary sensor consists of a

etc2014 - 34. European Telemetry and Test Conference 177


DOI 10.5162/etc2014/10.1

number of magnetic field detectors and a small from R&D and testing applications into volume
printed circuit board for signal processing. This and mass production.
short description explains why the cost
structures of magneto-elastic force sensors are
attractive for OEM use: overall system
complexity, part count, and number of handling
steps are extremely low. This sensor principle is
easy to integrate into demanding OEM
products. An existing component (which is
required anyhow for the mechanical function) is
converted into the primary sensor within
seconds, avoiding the costly application of
strain gauges and associated telemetry
circuitry. These attractive cost structures make
magneto-elastic force sensors ideal for volume
applications, such as torque sensors for the
drivetrain of pedelecs (“E-bikes”). In this
segment alone, over 1 million magneto-elastic
torque sensors have been sold into a highly
price-sensitive end-user market. Such volume
markets are inaccessible by strain-gauge
systems.
Magneto-elastic Sensors: Limitations and
Outlook
The underlying working principle of magneto-
elastic sensors requires that a permanent
magnetic encoding be present on the surface of
the component to be measured. The magnetic
field strengths employed are typically on the
order of 1 mT, which is roughly comparable to
the earth`s magnetic field. Since the
magnetization needs to last for several
decades, the selection of suitable metals is
somewhat limited. Many steel alloys commonly
used for mechanical parts of e.g. gearboxes or
driveshafts fulfill these requirements. Non-
ferromagnetic materials today represent a
hurdle towards the use of magneto-elastic
sensing – which recently has been overcome
successfully by application of a suitable coating
on the surface. By this approach, it is now
possible to use non-ferromagnetic materials
(e.g. titanium) as a substrate to be converted
into a magneto-elastic force sensor.
Conclusion
Magneto-elastic sensors have emerged as a
commercially viable alternative to strain-gauge
systems for measuring torque, shear, and other
loads. Their very low system complexity, the
ease of integration into OEM products, and
inherently low cost structures make them ideal
for volume production. With over 1 million such
sensors in actual use in end-user environments,
they have successfully entered the market and
proven technical and commercial readiness.
Magneto-elastic sensors have enabled
sophisticated force measurement to now move
down the value chain in many large industries –

etc2014 - 34. European Telemetry and Test Conference 178

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