Maximizing the Lifespan of Your Solenoid: Tips and Techniques

With the rapid development of industry and the progress of science technology, the life of all products has been improved. For example, the working cycle of textile equipment is calculated in tens of thousands per hour. Obviously, the matching components also need to achieve the same or high standard, if not, the user has to face the pain of replacing accessories regular. As an electronic accessory, the team of Drsolenoid are also constantly making progress and working hard on how to improve the life of DC Solenoid and Solenoid Valve.

Based on our strong R * D team with  17 years electromagnet/DC solenoid and solenoid manufacturers,   the pursuit of higher solenoid lifespan has always been our mission. For example, the electromagnets of embroidery machines produced by our company move twice per second and need to work up to 7,200 times per hour. If they work 24 hours a day and work for half a year, the life is: 24*7200*180=31.1 million times. Unfortunately, because of such a high working frequency, the push-pull solenoid that made by some solenoid factories can only reach half of lifespan. Therefore, for textile products, electromagnets have become a consumable part and need to be replaced frequently. When some more conventional solenoid can only achieve 300,000 to 500,000 times, it is even more difficult to promote the development of industry. Drsolenoid has summarized some challenges in the application of the DC Solenoid products. In terms of how to improve the service life of DC solenoid and Solenoid valve, we suggest that  we should take measurement from multiple aspects from DC solenoid design, material selection, manufacturing process, application and maintenance. The following are some specific suggestions:

Part One : Optimized Design

1.1 Reasonable selection of best parameters: According to the specificationrequirements, accurately calculate the magnetic field strength, current, number of turns of the solenoid coil and other parameters of the electromagnet to avoid the solenoidbeing subjected to excessive electromagnetic force, thermal stress, etc. during operation due to unreasonable parameter design, which affects the service life of the DC solenoid products.

1.2Heat dissipation design: Fully consider the heat dissipation problem of the electromagnet during operation, and design a suitable heat dissipation structure, such as adding heat sinks, optimizing ventilation channels, etc., to reduce the working temperature of the electromagnet and reduce the damage of high temperature to insulating materials and magnetic materials.

1.3 Mechanical structure design: Ensure that the mechanical structure of the electromagnet is stable and can withstand electromagnetic force and other external forces during operation, and prevent component damage or short circuit due to mechanical vibration, looseness, etc., which affects the service life of the DC Solenoid or AC solenoid.

Part two : Choose the right material

2.1 Hosing Magnetic material: Choose magnetic materials with high magnetic permeability, low coercivity and low loss, such as high-quality silicon steel sheets, etc., which can improve the performance and efficiency of the solenoid, reduce energy loss and heat generation, and thus extend its life.

2.1 Insulation material: Use insulation materials that are resistant to high temperature, moisture and aging, such as polyimide film, epoxy glass cloth, etc., to improve the insulation performance of the electromagnet and prevent faults such as short circuit and leakage.

2.3 Wire material: Copper wires with low resistivity and good conductivity are preferred to reduce the heat generated by the wire resistance and the temperature rise of the electromagnets. At the same time, the mechanical strength and flexibility of the wire must be ensured to avoid breakage during winding and use.

2.4 The plunger of the solenoid should not rub against the bobbin as much as possible, so we add bearings or copper tube at both ends of the slide plunger and the top plunger, as shown in the figure below:

2.5 The concentricity of the slide rod and the top rod of the solenoid must be ensured to be within 0.05 mm, the more concentric the better.

2.6 The material of the slide plunger is made of materials with better magnetic conductivity and good demagnetization, and the possibility of product magnetization is slower and smaller.

2.7    The copper wire of the solenoid coil should have a higher copper content. Some manufacturers use copper wires with more aluminum or impurities to save costs, which damages the life of the solenoid product.

2.8   The surface treatment of the slide plunger of the solenoid uses materials with better lubricity and adhesion.

2.9   The slide bar and the iron core use harder and stronger materials to prevent constant impact from causing product deformation and thus affecting the life.

2.10   The structural design of the DC solenoid or Solenoid valve, assembly clearance, and parts accuracy are all key factors affecting the lifespan of the product.

Part Three : Improve the manufacturing process

3.1 Solenoid coilWinding process: Use advanced winding equipment and processes to ensure that the wire is wound tightly and evenly to avoid problems such as short circuits and looseness between turns. At the same time, during the winding process, pay attention to controlling the tension to prevent the wire from being overstretched or damaged.

3.2 Insulation treatment: Perform good insulation treatment on the electromagnets, such as varnishing, potting, etc., to improve the insulation performance and moisture-proof performance, prevent moisture and impurities from invading, and cause insulation damage.

3.3 Assembly process: Strictly assemble the electromagnets/solenoidin accordance with the assembly process requirements to ensure the installation accuracy and matching clearance of each component, and avoid abnormal vibration or friction of the electromagnet during operation due to improper assembly.

Part Four : Correct application and maintenance

4.1 working conditions control: Strictly use it according to the rated parameters of the solenoid to avoid long-term overload, overvoltage or overcurrent operation. At the same time, control the temperature, humidity and dust of the working environment to avoid using it in harsh environments.

4.2 Regular inspection and maintenance: Regularly inspect and maintain the solenoid product, clean the dust and debris on the surface in time, check the insulation performance, wire connection and wear of mechanical parts, and deal with problems in time.

4.3 Prevent mechanical collision: During installation and application, pay attention to prevent the electromagnet from mechanical collision and impact, avoid damage to magnetic materials or deformation of parts, and affect the performance and life of the electromagnet.

4.4 Reasonable start and stop: Avoid frequent start and stop of electromagnets, because at the moment of start and stop, the electromagnet will be subjected to large current shock and electromagnetic force changes, which may cause damage to the equipment.

Part Five : Summary

Improving the life of solenoid product should start from design, material selection, manufacturing, application and maintenance, which are summarized as follows:

5.1 Optimize design: Reasonably select parameters such as magnetic field strength and current, do a good job of heat dissipation design, add heat sinks, etc., to ensure that the mechanical structure is stable and can withstand electromagnetic force and external force.

5.2 Select suitable materials: Magnetic materials should be selected with high magnetic permeability, low coercive force and loss, such as high-quality silicon steel sheets; insulating materials should be resistant to high temperature, moisture and aging, such as polyimide films; wires should be copper wires with low resistivity and good conductivity.

5.3 Improve manufacturing process: winding should be tight and uniform, and tension should be controlled; insulation treatment should be done well, such as varnishing and potting; assembly should be carried out according to process requirements to ensure installation accuracy and matching clearance.

5.4Correct applicationand maintenance: Using according to rated parameters, control the temperature, humidity, dust and other conditions of the working environment; regularly check and maintain, clean up dust and debris, check insulation and other conditions; prevent mechanical collisions; avoid frequent start and stop.

The above are some experiences and suggestions summarized by  Dr solenoid professional solenoid manufacturers through continuous experiments and tests. As a user, price may be one thing, but a stable quality can improve the quality of one's equipment and efficiency, which seems to be a better choice.