A new austenite measuring process, developed by Dr. Brockhaus Messtechnik, Lüdenscheid, Germany, makes use of the fact that the austenite content in steel cannot be magnetized. The principle is a follows: When a steel with an austenite content is subjected to an external magnetic field that is strong enough to reach the magnetizing peak, i.e. beyond which the magnetizing curve does not rise anymore, the so called saturation polarization is reached. Subjecting an austenite-free steel to the same magnetic field will provide a different peak value, which -compared with the previous value- provides information about the austenite content in the steel.

The Brockhaus austenite measuring system MPG AUST is based on well proven standard components. It consists of measuring equipment for determining the magnetic material properties, including a high-capacity amplifier for creating the magnetic field in a sensor. The steel sample is inserted into this sensor, which has been specifically adapted for this measuring task. A dedicated analysis software on a PC calculates the austenite content based on the degree of magnetization, i.e. the saturation polarization value. The system can be supplied in a desk or cabinet-type version.