As electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and energy efficiency requirements become increasingly stringent, traditional magnetic materials are facing performance limitations. Vacuumschmelze (VAC) addresses these challenges with its VITROPERM® nanocrystalline and VITROVAC® amorphous cores, offering high-performance solutions through exceptional low-loss characteristics and a wide permeability range (from approximately 700 to over 100,000). This article examines the technical attributes, applications, and value of these advanced magnetic cores in modern electronic design.

Core Material Properties and Technical Advantages

VAC's magnetic core products are based on two cutting-edge soft magnetic materials:

• VITROPERM® (Nanocrystalline Alloy): Primarily iron-based nanocrystalline alloys, renowned for their high permeability and excellent high-frequency performance. Specific variants include:
  • VITROPERM 500 with 1.24 T saturation flux density
  • VITROPERM 550 HF for enhanced high-frequency applications
  • VITROPERM 712 F offering ~12,000 permeability and 1.23 T saturation
  • VITROPERM 250 with 3,000-5,000 permeability for applications requiring balanced performance
• VITROVAC® (Amorphous Alloy): Cobalt-based amorphous alloys providing high permeability with up to 1.0 T saturation flux density, featuring F, R, and Z-type hysteresis curves for optimized loss characteristics across operating conditions.

These materials deliver significant advantages:

• Broad permeability selection for varied inductance and impedance requirements
• Superior low-loss performance enhancing energy efficiency
• High saturation flux density enabling compact designs or higher power density
• Stable temperature characteristics for reliable operation across wide thermal ranges
• Multiple encapsulation options (epoxy coating to 120°C or plastic core boxes to 130°C)

Key Application Scenarios

VAC's nanocrystalline and amorphous cores demonstrate significant value in critical applications:

1. Common Mode Noise Suppression

• Effective noise suppression in frequency converters and automotive drive systems
• Compliance with AEC-Q200 standards and IATF 16949 production requirements
• Customizable core stack assemblies for high-power applications handling 10A-100A transient currents

2. AC/DC Residual Current Measurement

• High-precision detection using fluxgate principles
• Applications in residual current circuit breakers (RCCBs)
• Comprehensive support from design to production

3. Current Transformers in Electronic Energy Meters

• Minimal amplitude error even under DC bias
• Consistent power error across load conditions

Standard Products and Custom Solutions

VAC offers an extensive range of standard cores with outer diameters from 11mm to 389mm and customized stack assemblies for specific high-power applications. These solutions address challenges in power converters, wind turbines, and other demanding environments.

The combination of VITROPERM® nanocrystalline and VITROVAC® amorphous cores provides engineers with advanced tools to meet evolving EMC and energy efficiency requirements across multiple industries.