Advances in Magnetic Measurements and Externally Applied Magnetic Fields for Vacuum Arc Remelting Process Monitoring and Control

While known to affect metalMetals quality, yield, and processProcess efficiency, the metalMetals vapor plasma arc behavior in vacuum arc remeltingVacuum arc remelting has remained elusive to reliable measurements and controls. Due to the unpredictable nature of the arc, complete processProcess automation and quality control has been limited in its success to prevent defectsDefects. However, the application of magnetic sensorsMagnetic sensors in the early 2000s illuminated the behavior of the arc through analysis of the measurements with predictive models. Since then, we have pushed the technologyTechnology to not only measure the position and distribution of the arc at the gap, but also to measure the vertical position of the arc gap, side-arcs, the concentricity of the electrode, and to provide feedback for active magnetic control, in order to optimize metalMetals quality and yield.