Online magazine for design and development

Here you will find everything that the designer needs for his design and the development engineer for his new development, from the draft to quality assurance in production, such as new products, their applications, new technologies or research results. Company reports as well as topics on technological and megatrends in all industrial sectors complete our range of industry news. Let's start with the news.

Company News

Ebm-Papst wants to sell industrial drive technology to Siemens
The Ebm-Papst Group has announced that it will sell its Industrial Drive Technology (IDT) division to Siemens AG. Both sides have signed a corresponding agreement.
Jumo's new Sensilo plant construction is progressing
Jumo is building a factory in the technology park for the production of temperature and pressure sensors with a production area of ​​around 13 m². At around 000 million euros, the new building is the largest investment in the company's history.
3DExperience Word 2024 in Dallas
At 3DExperience World 2024 in February in Dallas, Texas, Dassault Systèmes celebrated the event's 25th anniversary. The annual user meeting supports the global community in the development of future-proof products and processes.
Michael Koch GmbH moves into a new workshop
There is now more space available in Michael Koch's “Factory” for the assembly of customer- and machine-specific safe braking resistors. The new, modern hall was recently “taken by storm” by the employees.
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI for profit-making
Elon Musk files a lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of breach of contract because the company, which was originally designed as a nonprofit, is now operating for profit.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Industry news for your design and development from the specialist areas

communication technology

communication technology

World's first Omlox testing laboratory put into operation

The first Omlox testing laboratory in the world has been launched. The PI granted the Fraunhofer Institute Lemgo approval as a PI test laboratory for Omlox.

To the post

switch cabinet

switch cabinet

On to the intelligent drive train for predictive maintenance

The Roba-brake-checker module or the torque-measuring shaft coupling from Mayr ensure intelligent safety in smart production.

To the post

plastics

plastics

The first 100 Igus bikes hit the streets

The first 100 Igus Urban Bikes hit the streets and an in-house production facility with a capacity of 10.000 bicycles is set up in Cologne.

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Couplings

Couplings

Torque measuring shaft coupling

The smart steel multi-plate coupling Roba-drive-checker from Mayr can do more than just transmit torque and compensate for shaft misalignment.

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INDUSTRY SPECIALS

Industry news for your design and development from the branches

food technology

food technology

Lubrication and sealing-optimized linear guide

Schaeffler presents linear guides for food technology with optimized seals, wipers and long-term lubrication units.

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Mobile Machinery

Mobile Machinery

Flexible, customizable gateway for agricultural technology

IFM Electronic is presenting the Isobus Gateway at the Hannover Messe, which is designed for agricultural equipment and can be specifically adapted.

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Energy Technology

Energy Technology

All Electric Society – vision of the future of connectivity

At the Hannover Messe Preview, Harting gives an outlook on the Hannover Messe and draws the future picture of an “All Electric Society”.

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Inverter

Inverter

Certified servo controller with Profisafe interface

At Logimat, Wittenstein is presenting a safety-certified servo controller with a Profisafe interface and integrated safety card for AGVs.

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EXHIBITION SPECIALS

Industry fair news

Hannover Messe promotes energy for sustainable industry
As a networked industrial ecosystem, the exhibitors demonstrate how climate neutrality can be achieved through the use of electrification, digitalization and automation under the guiding theme of Energizing a sustainable Industry.
Control Fair 2024 | The industry is already looking forward to Stuttgart
Control 2024, the important international trade fair for quality assurance, will take place from April 23rd to 26th in Stuttgart. The trade fair places a particular focus on automation and digitalization.
SPS Nuremberg: Now in 16 halls!
The SPS – Smart Production Solutions from November 14th to 16.11th. 2023 will see significant growth in the trade fair compared to the previous year and is on the way to pre-Corona levels.

In our contribution to Materials testing we highlight the latest trends and developments in the areas of destructive and non-destructive material testing. Learn how to use these methods in industry, from quality control to Research. We answer key questions and show how modern technologies such as generative Artificial intelligence increase efficiency and precision in material testing.

ZwickRoell materials testing

Contents

Materials testing 2024 – The most important things in brief

Materials testing is a crucial step in product development and Quality Assurance. The leading testing methods include non-destructive testing such as ultrasound and X-ray testing, as well as mechanical testing of stresses such as tensile strength and hardness.

The advantages of materials testing are manifold. Through precise analysis you can Material defects detected early and resolved, resulting in improved product quality. Materials testing also enables production processes to be optimized, which leads to cost savings and more efficient production.

Developments in materials testing have made enormous progress in recent years. This enables more accurate and efficient analysis of materials, resulting in improved product quality and safety. With the help of Generative AI Testing procedures can now be optimized and accelerated.

nondestructive material test

There are currently these technological advances in non-destructive materials testing:

  • Digital radiography as improved X-ray technologies for more detailed and faster imaging for more precise examination of material defects and defects.
  • Ultrasonic phased array enables more precise and flexible ultrasonic testing by electronically controlling the angle of the sound beam to detect cracks, voids and other defects.
  • Terahertz imaging uses terahertz radiation to inspect multilayer structures and composite materials.
  • Drone technology for inspecting structures that are difficult to access such as bridges, Wind Turbines or high voltage lines.
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning improve data analysis and error detection through algorithms.

Destructive material testing

There are also advances in destructive material testing such as:

  • High speed testing for dynamic load tests to analyze material behavior under extreme conditions.
  • Nanoindentation enables the measurement of mechanical properties on the micro and nanoscale.
  • Automated testing systems increase efficiency and accuracy through fully automated test processes.
  • Environmental simulation with advances in test chambers that can simulate extreme environmental conditions such as high/low temperatures, humidity and corrosion.
  • 3D Print and additive manufacturing where new materials and structures require the development of specific test procedures.

Generative AI in a practical example

The application of generative AI in materials testing procedures provides more efficient, accurate and cost-effective materials testing. This is particularly true in industries with high safety standards such as aerospace and other industries Automotive industry is of great importance. A practical example of optimizing and accelerating material testing procedures through generative artificial intelligence (AI) is its application in automated error detection in non-destructive testing (NDT) using ultrasonic testing.

Situation: Ultrasonic testing uses sound waves to examine materials for internal defects such as cracks or voids. Traditionally, this requires experienced examiners to manually analyze ultrasound images, which can be time-consuming and prone to human error.

Generative AIApplication: A generative AI can be trained to automatically analyze ultrasound images and identify irregularities. This is done by training a deep learning model with a large number of ultrasound images that show both normal and defective material states.

Process:

  1. Data collection: First, a large database of ultrasound images containing various types of material defects is collected.
  2. Training: The AI ​​is trained on these images, learning to recognize patterns and features that indicate specific material defects.
  3. Optimization: The model is continually optimized with new data to improve its accuracy and reliability.

Result: AI can now analyze ultrasound images much faster than a human examiner and identify defects with high accuracy. This results in a significant acceleration of the testing process while increasing the reliability of the results as the AI ​​works consistently and is not influenced by human factors such as fatigue.

Additional benefit: AI can also help identify trends and patterns in the data that are not obvious to human reviewers, leading to a deeper understanding of material behaviors and potentially the discovery of new relationships.

new developments and applications

Both non-destructive and destructive materials testing benefit greatly digital technologies, which enable more efficient and accurate testing methods, as well as the development of new materials and manufacturing techniques that bring new challenges and opportunities for materials testing. Below we will introduce you to new products and application examples from the industry:

Material testing for hydrogen applications of metal and plastic

18.01.2024/XNUMX/XNUMX | In the wake of the increasing importance of Hydrogen as an environmentally friendly energy source, the Austrian Scioflex Hydrogen GmbH attaches great importance to the precise testing and certification of hydrogen products.

The use of advanced Zwick Roell Testing machines in the testing laboratory enable realistic and reliable material tests. These tests are critical to address challenges such as hydrogen embrittlement and maintain material integrity Hydrogenassess the influence accurately.

“With the Zwick Roell testing systems we can perfectly characterize the material properties under application conditions. This allows us to open up a completely new field of material characterization under the influence of hydrogen,” commented Dr. Bernd Stepsesser, Managing Director of Scioflex Hydrogen GmbH.

Two material testing machines – several test methods

Scioflex Hydrogen uses this in its testing laboratory Creep testing machine Kappa 100 SS-CF and the servo-hydraulic Zwick Roell HA100 for comprehensive material testing. These state-of-the-art testing machines are used for a wide range of tests on metals and plastics.

This includes metals Hollow sample tests, tensile tests and fatigue tests on thread samples, as well as fracture mechanics investigations on CT samples 1/2'. To the exams Plastics include tensile tests, dynamic mechanical characterizations, fatigue tests and various fracture mechanics investigations.

The combination of these machines allows a wide testing spectrum of frequency and load. In terms of testing speed, they complement each other from slow with the Kappa 100 SS-CF to fast with the servo-hydraulic testing machine HA100.

Both testing machines can be used to work in the range of low strain rates Slow Strain Rate Tests (SSRT) to carry out investigations and to implement fracture mechanics or fatigue experiments up to a frequency of 20 Hz. Thanks to various force sensors, different load ranges up to 100 kN can be covered and an optional temperature chamber can be implemented for measurements in the temperature range -40° to 100°C.

Hardness test | according to Vickers, Rockwell, Brinell & Co.

November 14.11.2023, XNUMX | Especially when it comes to metals, this is the most common Hardness Testing used when the material needs to be tested mechanically. In our current article we present the latest advances in the field Vickers, Knoop- And Brinell-Hardness test procedure. We also answer your questions about this area of ​​materials science.

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Material testing and simulation for offshore wind turbines

20.10.2020 | Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) has developed a materials testing process and simulation method for elastomeric materials that improve the performance and life of components offshore Wind Turbines let improve. The material simulation analyzes how the materials behave over the lifetime of a turbine.

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Pendulum impact tester for the notched impact test on metals

28.11.2018/XNUMX/XNUMX | Of the Notched bar impact test is a method of material testing with which the toughness of materials can be determined comparatively quickly and with little effort. With the new Pendulum HIT450P for notched-bar impact bending tests on metals, Zwick Roell presents a device that has been optimally tailored to the test.

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Material testing with computed tomography under real conditions

April 04.04.2018, XNUMX | Industrialists Computed Tomography (CT) has long been established as a standard procedure for non-destructive testing of materials. Thanks to the ability to precisely analyze, check and measure complex internal and external features, CT continues to grow in popularity. The process provides particularly valuable information when the workpiece can be examined under realistic operating conditions, as it is Diondo realized with “in situ CT”.

Climate chambers, which can generate and maintain defined temperatures (or temperature curves), are an integral part of today's quality assurance and are used to demonstrate storage or aging processes as well as the functionality of components in a certain climate. These findings make a significant contribution to increasing product lifespan and user safety. In-situ CT combines these two methods for component testing. The computed tomography system has an integral, large climate chamber.

Those in the course of Electromobility The Li-ion batteries used present the automotive industry with safety-related questions, especially because of their enormous energy density: How does the temperature affect the internal structure and geometry of the material? How do the materials behave at long-term high or low temperatures or strong temperature fluctuations? The in-situ CT provides a high-resolution look inside the battery at temperatures between -72° and +180°C. Because of the combination of high density and the comparatively large dimensions of such Batteries A 600 kV high-performance X-ray tube is used.  

FAQ 

What is non-destructive materials testing?

Non-destructive material testing (NDT) is a procedure for examining materials for properties, defects, irregularities or other material parameters. without the workpiece itself to damage or impair its future usability.

What are the destructive material testing procedures?

Destructive material testing methods include:

  • Bending test determines the bending strength and stiffness of materials.
  • Pressure test determines the compressive strength and behavior of materials under pressure.
  • Fatigue test measures resistance to repetitive stress or cyclic fatigue.
  • Hardness Testing measures the resistance of the material to penetration or deformation (e.g. Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell).
  • Notched bar impact test determines the toughness and fracture energy of materials, especially at low temperatures.
  • Creep test investigates the long-term behavior of materials under constant load at high temperatures.
  • Tensile test measures the tensile strength, elongation and deformation behavior of materials.

What is a destructive test?

Destructive materials testing is a procedure in which materials, components or parts until failure be tested to determine their physical properties such as strength, elongation, hardness and toughness. This type of component testing leads to damage or destruction of the test object.

Which procedure is part of non-destructive materials testing?

Non-destructive material testing methods include:

  • Computed Tomography (CT) uses X-rays to create detailed cross-sectional images of the interior of an object, which, when combined, reconstruct a three-dimensional model of the test object.
  • penetrant testing (Dye Penetration Process) makes surface defects visible by applying a colored or fluorescent liquid to the material.
  • magnetic particle inspection enables the detection of surface cracks in ferromagnetic materials through the application of a magnetic field.
  • X-ray and gamma radiation testing uses ionizing radiation to examine the interior of materials and detect defects.
  • ultrasonic testing uses high-frequency sound waves to detect internal defects in materials.
  • Visual inspection assesses material samples or the component visually or with aids such as a magnifying glass or endoscope.
  • eddy current testing uses electromagnetic fields to detect surface and subsurface defects in conductive materials.
  • Thermography uses infrared cameras to detect heat differences that can indicate potential material defects.

Source: This article is based on information from the following companies: Diondo, Freudenberg, Zwick Roell.

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Author information
Angela Struck

Angela Struck is editor-in-chief of the development scout and freelance journalist as well as managing director of Presse Service Büro GbR in Ried.