Open University establishes world lead in weld testing for safety-critical applications

摘要

To assist research into optimal procedures for welding aero engine fan blades, nuclear pressure vessels and other safety-critical fabrications, a new material testing capability has been developed at the Open University in Milton Keynes, UK. The digital image correlation-based technique uses digital images to measure spatially-resolved deformation of test samples at elevated temperatures under vacuum. This method allows material property data of rapidly oxidising materials to be obtained at temperatures up to 900℃. The data can then be used to predict in-service deformation behaviour.