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Application of amorphous magnetic parts of switching power supply circuits for digital copying machines

In 1981, Toshiba Materials Co., Ltd. has the world's first commercialized amorphous alloys, regarded as one of the most potent new materials, as the magnetic parts (saturable cores) of switching power supply circuits. At first, they were only applied to power output control elements, but later, some other applications were found. "Spike killer®" and "Amobeads®," which recover switching noise and considerably reduce output noise, were also commercialized. Moreover, GS-series delaytors were also developed and applied to cases where standby power needed to be reduced.

These amorphous magnetic parts of switching power supply circuits were made of alloys that contain a large amount of cobalt. We have also minutely developed the most suitable alloy materials both from the viewpoint of alloy constitution and of the manufacturing process. Cobalt-rich amorphous alloy is the most desirable soft magnetic material, or those magnetically saturated instantaneously when they are brought into a magnetic field. However, even a little swelling on the surfaces of the amorphous alloy ribbon will damage the saturation process because its magnetic properties are too distinguished. We have overcome this problem and made it possible to obtain amorphous ribbon with optimally smooth surfaces and succeeded in manufacturing the magnetic parts of switching power supply circuits that have sufficient rectangularity (easiness of magnetization), high permeability and low loss by controlling the alloy constitution and optimizing the manufacturing process.

The most recent application was the case where amorphous magnetic parts were applied to the switching power supply circuits for digital copying machines.
In this case, applying the amorphous saturable cores to power output control, the power supply unit was miniaturized and attained both high efficiency and high reliability. The power supply unit has multi outputs of 24 v, 5 v and 3.3 v at a working frequency of 150 kHz and contributes to the miniaturization of digital copying machines whose power supply has increased because they now have multiple functions.

Minimal power consumption and size miniaturization are vital sales points for digital equipment under circumstances where it becomes an essential commodity.

Toshiba Materials' magnetic parts (saturable cores) for switching power supply circuit, which have excellent rectangularity, high permeability and low loss, have contributed to making power supply units smaller when their capacity was enlarged.

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