M. Brauss, J. Pineault, M. Belassel, R. Drake, Proto Manufacturing Incorporated, Ypsilanti, MI, Canada
Quantitative residual stress characterization of surface treatments in actual aerospace structures and materials is critical to the understanding of structural behavior. Residual stresses due to surface treatments are important in the prediction of fatigue life, in assessing the potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and in the optimization of the surface treatment applied. It has been common practice in the past to assume certain levels of residual stress. However, because of important advances in the state-of-the-art of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and residual stress (RS) measurement technologies this is no longer necessary. More importantly, robust XRD systems and appropriate components are currently available that enable the quantification of RS in aerospace materials and structures in situ, i.e. in the assembled state.
The challenges put forth by aerospace engineers, OEMs, users and maintainers have led to significant developments and numerous advancements in XRD RS technologies. These challenges are best reflected by such equipment characteristics as “smaller, faster, lighter, more accurate, more reliable, more rugged and more portable.” These characteristics have been translated into current technology that exhibits greatly improved accessibility to increasingly tighter and more confined locations in aerospace structures. Evolutionary technological improvements have been applied where appropriate but more revolutionary concepts have also been implemented to achieve the required levels of miniaturization.
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