82 the axial load is a compressing load resulting in a decrease from a length 88 to a length 90 and an increase in a diameter 92 to a diameter 94 the compressive stresses are applied until plastic deformation occurs such that the desired stresses on the ring material 84 will remain after the load 96 is removed the magnetic field generated by the torque element is proportional to the magnetostrictive properties of the ring material additionally the magnetocrystalline properties also affect the amount of hysteresis that will be observed within the sensor under torque electroplating a nickel iron material has essentially a nanocrystalline morphology thus is a magnetocrystalline anisotropy that is extremely small the magnetostriction of the material is determined by the alloy percentages of the ring the preferred material configuration of the magnetoelastic material includes 45 55 nickel such benefits are provided by the plating process utilized by the method of this invention and provide for the fabrication of the favorably reliable and accurate torque sensor referring to fig7 a torque sensor 100 fabricated according to this method includes the magnetoelastic torque element 102 that is plated with a ring material 108 the ring material 108 provides a circumferential easy magnetic access such that a magnetic field 110 is disposed circumferentially about the shaft 102 within the ring 108 a magnetometer 104 is disposed around the shaft 102 and specifically about the ring 108 a torque 112 applied to the shaft 102 will distort the magnetic field 110 which will in turn be detected.