Oxford UK, February 26, 2007 - Vector Fields has released a 3D version of its electromagnetic modelling software for simulating permanent magnet characteristics. Believed to be unique, the package offers a powerful dedicated tool for developers of magnetic components and a very broad range of electrical and other equipment.

Called DEMAG, the solver allows designers to optimize equipment designs by accurately simulating both the magnetization process, and the subsequent demagnetization effects that might be encountered.

Permanent magnets are usually magnetized in a fixture comprising an electromagnet driven by a capacitor discharge circuit, iron former and the un-magnetized material. DEMAG can be used to model complete processes like this, including the capacitor discharging into the electromagnet, eddy currents induced in the formers and magnets, and non-linear saturation of the materials.

This is critical as many large scale users - particularly of ferrites - create the finished magnets during equipment production, often after they are assembled into the final product. By being able to accurately simulate the real-world characteristics created by such processes, including the effects of eddy currents on magnetic distribution in the component for example, users have a powerful design optimization tool.

The solver includes the ability to model the recoil behaviour of magnets, and further demagnetization as a function of field and temperature history, factors that can have a significant impact on the service performance of devices.

DEMAG represents permanent magnet materials by interpolation from actual measured BH (magnetic induction, and applied field) characteristics, and can be configured to simulate any magnetic material. Rather than using a theoretical magnetization distribution, the true distribution is calculated from the properties of the magnetizing fixture. The performance of permanent magnets is therefore predicted with great accuracy.

DEMAG runs as a module within Vector Fields' Opera computer aided engineering (CAE) package. The CAE software provides a complete 3D design-model-optimize toolchain to speed the design of components and systems incorporating electromagnetic materials.

Once the calculated magnetization of the model is available, it can then be used in all other Opera modules - such as solvers for the design of rotating machines or linear actuators - to study and optimize the performance of the overall equipment itself.

This allows designers to simulate and study the effects of service factors such as fault currents and high operating temperatures, for example. Elevated temperatures in particular can be a particular problem when trying to employ advanced magnetic materials such as neodymium iron boron.