Residual Stress
Analysis

Product reliability and lifetime are important issues that affect the consumer and the company that produces these products. During the manufacturing process, stresses are introduced into parts which can determine whether these parts will work as intended. Making sure that a product has beneficial stresses and will safely work for the expected lifetime is a vital part of the Residual Stress Analysis provided by Materials Testing. Mechanical systems, consumer goods, and – most importantly – the safety of those who use them rely heavily on dependable, accurate testing. Analysis using the right techniques helps to maintain industry standards that allow for uniform quality, strength, and reliability under normal operating conditions.

Residual Stress
Manufacturing imparts various levels of stress on the products it creates, whether through heat-treating, grinding, welding, electro-plating, shot peening, or other process. The resulting residual stress can be compressive, neutral or tensile. In most cases, compressive residual stresses act to keep a part “pushed together” and are beneficial for the integrity of the part. Tensile stresses, on the other hand, are stresses that are “pulling apart” a part, and can significantly reduce its life and reliability. These tensile residual stresses are often associated with failures such as fatigue, stress corrosion cracking, dimensional stability, and overload failures even when the loads on the part are less than it can normally bear. These failures can be costly whether they occur during the manufacturing process or after the product is in service. In the worst case, these stress-related failures can adversely affect the safety of the part in use. By measuring residual stresses at different stages of the manufacturing process and even during service life, you can greatly improve the chances of having manufactured goods that work safely for the expected lifetime.

High Quality Testing

Our Residual Stress Analysis methods are known throughout many industries across the world for their speed and accuracy. Our systems have been used to test all types of common engineering materials and are designed for compact portability. In the field and in our A2LA-accredited laboratory, our experience guarantees the best analysis and insight. We uphold the most stringent quality standards while also delivering rapid results, even when you need to meet an unexpected deadline.

A Reputation for Knowledge and Customer Service
At TEC Materials Testing, we have dedicated ourselves to improving the quality of manufactured products through the application of advanced scientific methods in our products and services.

Since 1982, TEC has designed and manufactured x-ray diffraction (XRD) systems to provide superior testing of metal and ceramic commercial engineering components. One thing our customers know about TEC Materials Testing is that our systems and services have set an industry standard for residual stress and retained austenite measurements.

Our decades of work with manufacturers across a wide range of industries have given us unparalleled knowledge of and experience in stress analysis applications. We understand how important it is that your components are built to endure even the most extreme environments. Our use of the latest technologies and mastery of current analysis techniques make us the natural choice for your materials testing needs.

Technology You Can Rely On
Our products are built for faster, more convenient testing in the field and in the lab. Our x-ray diffraction solutions, which have been in continuous use throughout the world for more than 30 years, are engineered to be compact and portable, delivering results at the speed you need. Serving the automotive, aerospace, power generation, infrastructure, medical components and heavy machinery industries, we provide assistance on site or from our Knoxville, TN-based laboratory, where our A2LA-accredited lab (1033.01) provides mechanical testing that meets the requirements of ISO-IEC 17025: 2005. All testing is done in accordance with ASTM and SAE standards.

Our team of engineers and qualified staff, having more than 75 years of combined experience and are eager to meet your measurement needs guaranteeing rapid results. Today we are the knowledge leader and trusted partner to industrial customers providing simple solutions to complex materials testing problems across a variety of industries worldwide.