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Fraunhofer IPA and Imprintec develop robot-assisted inline quality assurance for 3D-printed components.
June 19, 2024 | News
Imprintec’s i3D Technology Enables Detailed Weld Characterization
Bochum, Germany – Imprintec GmbH is providing new solutions for the analysis of welded joints. A new procedure, the i3D Imprint Test according to DIN SPEC 4864, allows for a detailed pointwise analysis of mechanical properties in welds. This enables a deeper understanding of welding characteristics and provides crucial data for quality assurance and component simulation.
Traditionally, weld characterization has relied on hardness testing, which offers limited information about parameters like yield strength and tensile strength. Conventional tensile tests are also unsuitable for analyzing individual welding zones due to sample size constraints.
The i3D Imprint Test, however, addresses these limitations by determining plastic stress-strain curves and key mechanical properties, including yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility, with high precision. This is achieved through 3D optical measurement of hardness indents combined with FEM simulations.
Applications in Welding Analysis
The Schweißtechnische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt Halle has utilized the Imprint Test in their research on the static dimensioning of resistance spot welds, including both steel-steel (DC01) and aluminium-steel (AlMg3 and DC01) joints. The results demonstrate the technology’s ability to provide detailed mechanical parameters across weld zones and in transition areas.
Benefits of the i3D Imprint Test
The i3D Imprint Test offers several advantages over traditional methods in welding technology:
- Determination of local plastic stress-strain curves for detailed FEM model development
- Effective quality assurance of spot-weld joints during production
- Pointwise quality assurance based on yield strength, tensile strength, and ductility
- More comprehensive data on material strength, including transition zones
- Support for FEM welding simulation and elastoplastic-deformation simulation for optimization purposes
- Potential to reduce or replace destructive component testing
