Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Welding
While working on a frame for the arcade machine, I noticed that I could not only feel the transformer inside the main unit from quite a distance, but also felt through the MIG gun itself. Depending on how well I was laying the bead, the sensation intensified and changed. This is the first good example I have come across for an implant giving an occupational advantage: a welder could use their magnetic sense to give them information about the quality of their weld. With practice, I'm certain I could use the sense to help adjust the heat and wire feed speed to an ideal setting and tell if the bead was laying smoothly.
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3 comments:
Other that welding and the obvious electrician uses, have you noticed any other sensations that could have more "practical" applications? Personally, I think a whole other sense is pretty practical in of itself :)
I found a few interesting points in this abstract from: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0889540606007086
"Rare earth magnets have been used in orthodontics, but their corrosion tendency in the oral cavity limits long-term clinical application. The aim of this project was to evaluate several; magnet coatings and their effects on magnetic flux density. Methods: A total of 60 neodymium-iron-boron magnets divided into 6 equal groups—polytetrafluoroethylene-coated (PTFE), parylene-coated, and noncoated—were subjected to 4 weeks of aging in saline solution, ball milling, and corrosion testing. Results: A significant decrease in magnet flux density was recorded after applying a protective layer of parylene, whereas a slight decrease was found after applying a protective layer of PTFE. After 4 weeks of aging, the coated magnets were superior to the noncoated magnets in retaining magnetism. The corrosion-behavior test showed no significant difference between the 2 types of coated magnets, and considerable amounts of iron-leached ions were seen in all groups. Conclusions: Throughout the processes of coating, soaking, ball milling, and corrosion testing, PTFE was a better coating material than parylene for preserving magnet flux density. However, corrosion testing showed significant metal leaching in all groups."
The decrease in flux density in the Parylene is obviously not optimal, but the metal leaching could be a concern in long term use.
Very interesting. I read a similar article in which orthodontic conditions were recreated through ball milling, which puts crushing forces on the magnet. The milling ultimately compromised the coating, exposing the magnet below. I can only assume that this caused the 'metal leaching' described in the abstract. Thanks for the info!
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