Simulation of the HAZ and magnetic properties of laser cut non-oriented electrical steels

Abstract An attempt has been made to simulate the heat-affected zone observed in laser cut samples in order to investigate the influence of laser cutting on the magnetic properties of electrical steels. The thermal cycles, after experimental calibration, are calculated from the Rosenthal modeling. The cycles have been reproduced in massive samples in order to characterize both the microstructure and the magnetic properties of high- and low-alloyed silicon steels. Results show the harmful effect of the bainite and the thermal stresses on the magnetic properties.