Company Overview

MagCanica, Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures wireless torque sensors and rate-of-change-of-torque (ROC) sensors for high performance applications such as automotive racing powertrains, and turboshaft engines and associated rotorcraft transmissions. MagCanica is a product-focused technology company formed in early 2000 with offices in San Diego, CA and Pittsfield, MA. Drawing on the high energy level and extensive technical background of a group of talented Stanford, MIT, and UC-Berkeley mechatronics engineers, world-renowned inventor Ivan J. Garshelis leads MagCanica's technical team. With expertise in magnetomechanics, mechatronics, sensors and control systems, MagCanica has distinguished itself by solving some of the most challenging torque measurement problems facing the automotive racing and aerospace industries. Presently, MagCanica supplies products and provides engineering services to various racing teams throughout the world across all the major series (Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, and American Le Mans), and to the US Navy's Air and Sea Systems Commands.

MagCanica's core competencies are primarily in the following areas of technology development and low-volume manufacturing:

• Torque, ROC, speed, and power measurement on rotating machinery
• Magnetoelastics and characterization of magnetic properties of functional steels
• Torque sensor packaging for harsh environments
• Signal conditioning circuit design
• Mechatronics and systems integration involving concurrent mechanical, magnetic, and electronic design
• Analysis of dynamic torque and ROC data on automotive and rotorcraft powertrains

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MagCanica, a leader in Magnetomechanics

The name "MagCanica", short for magnetomechanics, reflects MagCanica's dedication to the advancement, development, and proliferation of new devices based on magnetomechanical sensors of various kinds. Magnetomechanics is the specific branch of applied science that concerns itself with the natural interactions that occur in many materials between their mechanical and magnetic properties. Thanks to its naturally wireless mode of operation, magnetomechanics is a technology ideally suited for the development of sensors used to instrument rotating machinery. MagCanica is at the forefront of this exciting field, developing sensors to measure torque, rate-of-change of torque, speed, and power as well as systems to nondestructively detect damage for the automotive, energy, and aerospace industries. MagCanica provides a wide range of wireless measurement solutions across for clients worldwide.

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MagCanica's Interdisciplinary Engineering Approach

The name "MagCanica" also reflects the uniquely interdisciplinary nature of our company's approach to engineering and product development. Our design philosophy views the various engineering disciplines in the broadest of terms, without excessive regard for the delineations and classifications often imposed by many educational systems. Rather, we follow a systems-based approach even at the detailed component level, striving to understand and harness nature's laws at every stage. With strong expertise in areas as diverse as mechanical design, magnetics, metallurgy, electronics, signals and systems, mechatronics, and control systems, MagCanica is uniquely equipped to successfully solve the most challenging problems across a variety of industries. Furthermore, our team members have a base of knowledge and experience that is marked by a unique balance between theory and practice, analysis and design, evolution and innovation. Working closely as a small but highly focused and intense group, MagCanica can leverage this "skunk works" approach to help its clients achieve significant benefits that in many other development environments would otherwise be unattainable.

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Careers and Recruiting

MagCanica offers exciting full-time and summer internship opportunities for mechanical, electrical, and aerospace engineers to carry out a variety of challenging engineering projects while gaining high levels of responsibility early in their careers. For a detailed job announcement and description click here.

More generally, below is an outline of the types of projects that MagCanica carries out and the areas in which we are involved:

Torque Sensing and Control

• Motorsport Application Engineering: Formula 1, IndyCar, NASCAR, ALMS
  1. Driveshaft (halfshaft) torque
  2. Clutch shaft (transmission input shaft) torque
  3. Secondary shaft (mainshaft) torque
  4. KERS Motor-Generator Unit (MGU) torque
  5. Engine and transmission dynamometer torque
• Aerospace Application Engineering: Engines, Rotors
  1. Turboshaft and turboprop engine torque
  2. Helicopter main rotor torque
  3. Helicopter tail rotor torque
• Research & Development
  1. Metallurgy
  2. Signal conditioning electronics and signal processing
  3. Experimental testing
  4. FEA and analytical modeling

Rate-of-Change (ROC) of Torque Sensing and Control

• Formula 1 Clutch shaft (transmission input shaft) ROC sensor development
• Formula 1 KERS Motor-Generator Unit (MGU) application engineering
• CNC Machine tool monitoring: signal processing
• Oil drilling preventive failure detection: hardware design and algorithm development

Mechatronic System Development

• Design of a Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) scanner system based on the Drag Force Method of detection
• Design of precision magnetizing equipment
• In-house speed dynamometer development and test engineering

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