3MA-X8 System for Fast Materials Characterization nondestructively

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Situation of Steel manufacturing and steel processing industries

Steel manufacturing and steel processing industries require nondestructive testing methods for quality control. For this purpose hardness, case depth, strength, and residual stresses are major quality features in demand. Ferromagnetic steels and cast iron show a distinct correlation between magnetic behavior und mechanic-technological materials characteristics. Hard-magnetic materials – viz. materials that are difficult to magnetize or to degauss – mostly show mechanical hard and brittle characteristics, while soft-magnetic materials like pure iron use to be mechanical ductile. Equally, residual and load stresses exert a comparable influence on magnetic processes. Hence, in many cases these nondestructively gaugeable magnetic properties can be used to analyze mechanical material behavior and stress states.

Case depth determination by 3MA-X8

3MA Nondestructive Solution for Steel Inspection

3MA is an integrated NDT Technology, which is the accronym for “Micromagnetic Multiparameter, Microstructure and stress Analysis“. Within fractions of a second, Fraunhofer IZFP‘s 3MA inspection systems measure how hard- or soft-magnetic a material is. Moreover, a multitude of different magnetic parameters are determined which are correlated to different material properties or residual and load stresses. By a predefined set of calibration samples the 3MA method identifies the correlation between magnetically measured parameters and the target values as required by the customer (e.g. hardness, case depth, tensile strength, yield strength, residual stresses). This is realized by mathematical-statistical tools like pattern recognition and regression analysis. Finally, the calibration can be used to inspect calibrated types of assemblies, components or semifinishes.
The 3MA-X8 inspection system is a 3MA variation especially zeroing in on easy calibration, high measurement velocity and variable sensor shaping. Additionally, the parallel operation of up to 8 sensors in one device is possible, thus allowing to deal with multiple measuring positions at same time or to accelerate area scans.

8-channel sensor carrier for sheet inspection and inspection results with colorized o.k. (green) and n.o.k. areas (orange)

Applications of 3MA-X8 System

  Determination of hardness, case depth, tensile strength, yield strength, breaking elongation, residual and load stresses
  Test for mixed-up components
  Determination of dross in cast materials
  Area scans with up to 8 sensors and concurrent detection of local material property deviations
  Inspection of assemblies and components parallel at several positions
  In-line real-time measurements in production processes

Easy calibration including visualization of o.k. and n.o.k areas

For More details, please contact LAB GAGES directly.

Features & Specifications

Test method: 3MA with variants of Analysis of upper harmonics, Analysis of eddy current impedance,Analysis of eddy current incremental permeability.
Number of sensors: 8 sensors per device maximal, 3 sensors per device by default, parallel operation
Magnetization frequency: 10 Hz – 1000 Hz
Eddy current test frequency: 100 Hz – 20 kHz
Measuring velocity: identical with magnetization frequency (e.g. 100 measurements per second in case of 100 Hz magnetization frequency)
Support for different sensor dimensions (inter alia huge sensors for sheet inspection or miniature sensors for microscopic applications)
Easy calibration for o.k. / n.o.k. distinction
Port for incremental position sensor
Digital and analog I/O optional
3MA-X8 sensors at hand can be used with an adapter

For more details, please contact LAB GAGES directly.

For more details, please contact LAB GAGES directly.