Electrical Steel
Lamination is not only used for printing, glass, fabrics and other building materials. It is also applicable to steel and electrical engineering. Electrical steel, or laminated steel is produced to contain magnetic properties and high permeability. Magnetism is the phenomenon where particles use electrical currents acting on other particle currents which causes movement. Permeability refers to a material that can support a magnetic field within itself.
Electrical steel is supplied in two forms. One of them is grain oriented electrical steel, and the other is non-oriented electrical steel. Grain oriented steel is energy efficient in transformers, and is also used in large high performance generators. A transformer is a device available in various sizes, used to transfer energy between two or more electrical circuits. A generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. Non oriented electrical steel is used in small transformers, rotating machines of all sizes, and other electromagnetic applications. A rotating machine uses a spinning apparatus that generates, converts, transforms or modifies centrifugal power.
Both grain and non-grain oriented steels are composed of iron-silicon alloys. Oriented electrical steel provides low core loss and high permeability. They are available in different grades and can be used as transformer cores. Non oriented steel has its magnetic properties run in the same direction as the steel composition.