Project Goals

Easi-stress-scheme1 Neu1

© DTI

Residual stresses are of key importance across all industrial sectors where metals are used e.g. within the transportation and energy sectors. This includes various industry segments with widest applicability in advanced materials and advanced manufacturing and processing where the new techniques can be used to qualify new materials or processes to reduce the time-to-market.

Our goal is to

• develop synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction-based residual stress characterization tools for industrial use

• develop European-wide characterization standards, protocols and data exchange procedures to facilitate the industrial use of the characterization tools, e.g. through traceability and comparability

• strengthen European industrial uptake of the characterization tools through open access to data and protocols, development of a test bed service and collaboration/synergy/standardization activities

• secure a competitive advantage across European industrial sectors through optimised component design, reduced material use through reduced safety factors (material savings of around 15%) and an estimated cost-reduction of 5% in a EUR 350 billion market through shortened time-to-market, and increased lifetime

EASI-STRESS_robot1

© CETIM

…to put it more simply:

• Neutrons and synchrotron x-rays can penetrate metals and determine bulk stresses directly and non-destructively.

• EASI-STRESS will remove the barriers for industry to adopt the techniques into their quality control systems and to validate materials simulation models.

EASI-STRESS_robot2

© cetim

Results from synchrotron and neutron-based diffraction techniques will be validated and documented by:
• Benchmarking results with more widespread techniques such as hole drilling and contour mapping
• Round robin samples to compare results in-between facilities.

measurement tool

© Pixabay

Together with leading synchrotron/neutron facilities and standardisation bodies, we will develop and implement protocols/good practice guides for
• Sample preparation/requirements
• Setup calibration and validation
• Data acquisition
• Data reduction and analysis
• The project will reopen CEN WG10
on diffraction in TC 138 (NDT) and start work towards standardizing the techniques

computer screens binary code

© Pixabay

To maximize impact from the results we will ensure that the data are in a format that can be used directly to validate commercial modelling and simulation tools leading to

• Optimisation of component design with reduced material usage
• Better life-time assessment
• Optimised process parameters

collaboration

© Pixabay

• You will always get a value out from a measurement. But what does this value mean?
• What is the link between the measurement and material properties?
• How does the measurement correlate with component lifetime and resistance to fatigue?
• The consortium brings together leading experts at large facilities, universities and service providers to answer these questions