The Effect of Geometric Enhancement on the Magnetic Saw Effect

This paper proposes that in some instances, the magnetic saw effect is purely a melt phenomenon and describes a series of experiments where the magnetic saw effect was studied by varying the submillimeter radius of the enhancement point on a set of highly controlled samples. The magnetic saw effect is an instability that can occur when high currents are required to make sharp bends, thereby greatly enhancing the magnetic field and current densities. These sharp bends generally occur at joints, cuts, or other flaws and can cause failure of high-current conductors. The magnetic saw effect has also been proposed as a possible metal-cutting mechanism for manufacturing purposes. Due to the very small length scales of the features associated with magnetic sawing, it is difficult to make samples that are controlled enough to get reproducible experimental results for systematic studies. In these experiments, printed circuit board technology was used to accurately make samples with very fine enhancement features. The conditions for the magnetic saw effect were modeled using an electromagnetic code to establish the important parameters that predict the onset of damage.