About EMFWELD

EMFWELD can perform assessments of the magnetic field strength for the following processes:

Arc welding

• Manual Metal Arc (MMA) - AC, DC
• Metal Inert/Active Gas (MIG/MAG) - DC, pulsed
• Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) - AC, DC, pulsed
• Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) - AC, DC

Assessments can be made on both manual and mechanised processes for a range of specified cable geometries.

Resistance welding

• Single Phase AC
• Medium Frequency

Assessments can be made on current loop (e.g. gun jaw) sizes in a range from 50x250mm to 2000x2000mm.

Induction heating

Coil based systems (either fixed coil or wrapped cable) on a coil diameter from 50mm to 2000mm.

Magnetic particle inspection

• Coil based systems on a coil diameter from 50mm to 2000mm
• Handheld yoke equipment

Capacitor discharge stud welding equipment

Users purchase licences in order to perform assessments and produce reports. Licences can be purchased securely from within EMFWELD using a credit or debit card. The cost of licences varies depending on the number purchased in a single transaction.

Licence packs are available in the following sizes and costs:

Users are also able to purchase a single assessment licence as a one-off for €30. This allows users to try out EMFWELD without needing to purchase one of the more expensive multi-licence packs.

Each licence allows the creation of a single assessment report on the combination of process, equipment, geometry, current and operator location and orientation.

Reports can be downloaded to the user’s own computer but are also stored within the user’s EMFWELD account.

All purchases are charged in Euros and VAT is charged in certain countries.

Assessment reports contain a range of different information including tables, charts and advice. They contain data about the magnetic field exposure scenario assessed, so each report can be uniquely matched to a piece of welding equipment and a welding setup.

An example exposure scenario is shown below.

The report possesses an assessment based on the input operator position. In many cases, this will provide a simple assessment that the action levels or exposure limit values have not been exceeded. However, if the assessment shows that the relevant levels have been exceeded at that point, it offers guidance on what to do next. An example of this results table is shown below.

The report also provides a more extensive assessment of the magnetic field around the pieces of equipment in three dimensions. This is in the form of three “field maps” which each provide information about a different orientation of the magnetic field map around the equipment. These show the positions around the equipment where the magnetic field strength is above the action level. An example of one of these maps is shown below.

The EMFWELD software is based on several factors. These include the shape of the magnetic field generated around a current loop of a given size, the magnetic field strength generated for a given current within that current loop and the frequency components of the current waveform for any given process variant. These factors are either taken as input from the end-user or calculated from information collected during the development of the software, in order to provide an assessment of the magnetic field strength using the “weighted peak method (filtering in time domain)” as required by EU Directive 2013/35/EU.

The EMFWELD software was produced by a consortium, incorporating:

European Federation for Welding Joining and Cutting

Council of European Employers of the Metal, Engineering and Technology-Based Industries

Swantec

TWI Ltd

INACEINOX

LinkMicrotek Ltd

Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola

The EMFWELD project has received funding from the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme managed by REA-Research Executive Agency under grant agreement no. FP7-SME-2012-2-315382-EMFWELD.