Hybrid Magnetic Levitation System for Thin Steel Plate by Electromagnets and Permanent Magnets

(Experimental Consideration on Levitation Performance at Optimized Arrangement of Permanent Magnets)

Abstract

　In thin steel plate production lines, contact conveyance by rollers is used, so scratches on the surface of the plates and plating defects are problems. Therefore, non-contact magnetic levitation conveyance of thin steel plates using the attractive force of electromagnets has been proposed. We studied a magnetic levitation system for thin steel plates that uses both electromagnets and permanent magnets. We investigated the effect of a permanent magnet arrangement optimized by a genetic algorithm on the levitation performance of steel plates. As a result, it was confirmed that the levitation performance of steel plates changes depending on the permanent magnet arrangement.