Micron-Scale Residual Stress Measurement by Micro-Hole Drilling and Digital Image Correlation

This paper reports a new technique, namely the incremental micro-hole-drilling method (IμHD) for mapping in-plane residual or applied stresses incrementally as a function of depth at the micron-scale laterally and the sub-micron scale depth-wise. Analogous to its macroscale counterpart, it is applicable either to crystalline or amorphous materials, but at the sub-micron scale. Our method involves micro-hole milling using the focused ion beam (FIB) of a dual beam FEGSEM/FIB microscope. The resulting surface displacements are recorded by digital image correlation of SEM images recorded during milling. The displacement fields recorded around the hole are used to reconstruct the stress profile as a function of depth. In this way residual stresses have been characterized around a drilled hole of 1.8microns. diameter, enabling the profiling of the stress variation at the sub-micron scale to a depth of 1.8 microns. The new method is used to determine the near surface stresses in a (peened) surface-severe-plastically-deformed (S²PD) Zr₅₀Cu₄₀Al₁₀ (in atomic percent, at.%) bulk metallic glass bar. In plane principal stresses of -800 MPa ± 90 MPa and −600 MPa ± 90 MPa were measured, the maximum compressive stress being oriented 15° to the axis of the bar.     

Precision of Hole-Drilling Residual Stress Depth Profile Measurements and an Updated Uncertainty Estimator

Background

Measurement precision and uncertainty estimation are important factors for all residual stress measurement techniques. The values of these quantities can help to determine whether a particular measurement technique would be viable option.

Objective

This paper determines the precision of hole-drilling residual stress measurement using repeatability studies and develops an updated uncertainty estimator.

Methods

Two repeatability studies were performed on test specimens extracted from aluminum and titanium shot peened plates. Each repeatability study included 12 hole-drilling measurements performed using a bespoke automated milling machine. Repeatability standard deviations were determined for each population. The repeatability studies were replicated using a commercially available manual hole-drilling milling machine (RS-200, Micro-Measurements). An updated uncertainty estimator was developed and was assessed using an acceptance criterion. The acceptance criterion compared an expected percentage of points (68%) to the fraction of points in the stress versus depth profile where the measured stresses ± its total uncertainty contained the mean stress of the repeatability studies.

Results

Both repeatability studies showed larger repeatability standard deviations at the surface that decay quickly (over about 0.3 mm). The repeatability standard deviation was significantly smaller in the aluminum plate (max ≈ 15 MPa, RMS?≈?6.4 MPa) than in the titanium plate (max ≈ 60 MPa, RMS?≈?21.0 MPa). The repeatability standard deviations were significantly larger when using the manual milling machine in the aluminum plate (RMS?≈?21.7 MPa), and for the titanium plate (RMS?≈?18.9 MPa).

Conclusions

The single measurement uncertainty estimate met a defined acceptance criterion based on the confidence interval of the uncertainty estimate.

     

Two-Dimensional Mapping of In-plane Residual Stress with Slitting

This paper describes the use of slitting to form a two-dimensional spatial map of one component of residual stress in the plane of a two-dimensional body. Slitting is a residual stress measurement technique that incrementally cuts a thin slit along a plane across a body, while measuring strain at a remote location as a function of slit depth. Data reduction, based on elastic deformation, provides the residual stress component normal to the plane as a function of position along the slit depth. While a single slitting measurement provides residual stress along a single plane, the new work postulates that multiple measurements on adjacent planes can form a two-dimensional spatial map of residual stress. The paper uses numerical simulations to develop knowledge of two fundamental problems regarding two-dimensional mapping with slitting. The first fundamental problem is to estimate the quality of a slitting measurement, relative to the proximity of a given measurement plane to a free surface, whether that surface is the edge of the original part or a free surface created by a prior measurement. The second fundamental problem is to quantify the effects of a prior slitting measurement on a subsequent measurement, which is affected by the physical separation of the measurement planes. The results of the numerical simulations lead to a recommended measurement design for mapping residual stress. Finally, the numerical work and recommended measurement strategy are validated with physical experiments using thin aluminum slices containing residual stress induced by quenching. The physical experiments show that two-dimensional residual stress mapping with slitting, under good experimental conditions (simple sample geometry and low modulus material), has precision on the order of 10 MPa. Additional validation measurements, performed with x-ray diffraction and ESPI hole drilling, are within 10 to 20 MPa of the results from slitting.     

Repeatability of the Contour Method for Residual Stress Measurement

This paper describes the results of a residual stress measurement repeatability study using the contour method. The test specimen is an aluminum bar (cut from plate), with cross sectional dimensions of 50.8 mm?×?76.2 mm (2 in?×?3 in) with a length of 609.6 mm (24 in). There are two bars, one bar with high residual stresses and one bar with low residual stresses. The high residual stress configuration (±150 MPa) is in a quenched and over-aged condition (Al 7050-T74) and the low residual stress configuration (±20 MPa) is stress relieved by stretching (Al 7050-T7451). Five contour measurements were performed on each aluminum bar at the mid-length of successively smaller pieces. Typical contour method procedures are employed with careful clamping of the specimen, wire electric discharge machining (EDM) for the cut, laser surface profiling of the cut faces, surface profile fitting, and linear elastic stress analysis. The measurement results provide repeatability data for the contour method, and the difference in repeatability when measuring high or low magnitude stresses. The results show similar repeatability standard deviation for both samples, being less than 10 MPa over most of the cross section and somewhat larger, around 20 MPa, near the cross section edges. A comparison with published repeatability data for other residual stress measurement techniques (x-ray diffraction, incremental hole drilling, and slitting) shows that the contour method has a level of repeatability that is similar to, or better than, other techniques.     

Measurement of the Residual Stress Tensor in a Compact Tension Weld Specimen

Neutron diffraction measurements have been performed to determine the full residual stress tensor along the expected crack path in an austenitic stainless steel (Esshete 1250) compact tension weld specimen. A destructive slitting method was then implemented on the same specimen to measure the stress intensity factor profile associated with the residual stress field as a function of crack length. Finally deformations of the cut surfaces were measured to determine a contour map of the residual stresses in the specimen prior to the cut. The distributions of transverse residual stress measured by the three techniques are in close agreement. A peak tensile stress in excess of 600 MPa was found to be associated with an electron beam weld used to attach an extension piece to the test sample, which had been extracted from a pipe manual metal arc butt weld. The neutron diffraction measurements show that exceptionally high residual stress triaxiality is present at crack depths likely to be used for creep crack growth testing and where a peak stress intensity factor of 35 MPa√m was measured (crack depth of 21 mm). The neutron diffraction measurements identified maximum values of shear stress in the order of 50 MPa and showed that the principal stress directions were aligned to within ~20° of the specimen orthogonal axes. Furthermore it was confirmed that measurement of strains by neutron diffraction in just the three specimen orthogonal directions would have been sufficient to provide a reasonably accurate characterisation of the stress state in welded CT specimens.     

Two Dimensions Residual Stresses Analysis Through Incremental Groove Machining Combined with Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry

In this study a new residual stress determination method in two directions simultaneously is presented. This method is based on stresses relaxation in a groove that is machined incrementally. The residual stresses relaxation occurs simultaneously from both the depth and the length of the groove. Thus, measuring the surface strain field generated by the relaxation enables to determine the stress gradient both along the depth and the length of the groove. To measure the surface strain in a direction perpendicular to the groove, a digital speckle pattern interferometer is used. This method is suitable when the residual stress field in the structure varies in the depth as well as along the surface of the part, like for example in a welded structure. The method is tested here on an aluminium plate in which a central band has been shot peened.     

Slitting Measurement of Residual Hoop Stresses Through the Wall-Thickness of a Filament Wound Composite Ring

The slitting method was used to determine residual hoop stress profile along the thickness of a filament wound carbon/epoxy ring. The method involves measuring strains at the inner surface of the ring, while a narrow axial slit is cut progressively from the outer surface. In order to calculate the residual hoop stress profile over the entire ring thickness, pulse method was used, which assumes that stress in each depth increment is uniform. Besides, Tikhonov regularization was employed to stabilize the stress results and reduce its sensitivity to strain measurement errors. Regarding the fact that Tikhonov regularization is not appropriate for computing solutions with discontinuities, pulse method coupled with Tikhonov regularization was used separately for each layer of the composite ring.     

Parametric study on single shot peening by dimensional analysis method incorporated with finite element method

Shot peening is a widely used surface treatment method by generating compressive residual stress near the surface of metallic materials to increase fatigue life and resistance to corrosion fatigue,cracking,etc.Compressive residual stress and dent profile are important factors to evaluate the effectiveness of shot peening process.In this paper,the influence of dimensionless parameters on maximum compressive residual stress and maximum depth of the dent were investigated.Firstly,dimensionless relations of processing parameters that affect the maximum compressive residual stress and the maximum depth of the dent were deduced by dimensional analysis method.Secondly,the influence of each dimensionless parameter on dimensionless variables was investigated by the finite element method.Furthermore,related empirical formulas were given for each dimensionless parameter based on the simulation results.Finally,comparison was made and good agreement was found between the simulation results and the empirical formula,which shows that a useful approach is provided in this paper for analyzing the influence of each individual parameter.     

Experimental and Finite Element Simulation Study of Thermal Relaxation of Residual Stresses in Laser Shock Peened IN718 SPF Superalloy

An integrated experimental and modeling/simulation approach was developed to investigate and secure a quantified knowledge of the impact of high temperature exposures on the stability of residual stresses in a laser shock peened (LSP) high temperature aero-engine alloy, IN718 SPF (super-plastically formed). Single dimple LSP and overlap LSP treatments were carried out utilizing a Nd:Glass laser (λ?=?1.052 μm), and subsequent heat treatments on the LSP-treated coupons were conducted at different temperatures between 550 and 700 °C. A 3-D nonlinear finite element (FE) computational model and the rate-dependent Johnson-Cook material model were calibrated using the experimental results of residual stress from the single dimple LSP and thermal relaxation treatments, and were further extended to the overlap LSP treatment case. Both experimental and FE simulations show that: a) a high level of compressive residual stress (~700 MPa at surface) and residual stress depth (~0.4–0.6 mm) were achieved following LSP, and b) the overlap LSP treatment gave higher residual stress and greater depth. The magnitudes of the initial residual stress (and plastic strain), heating temperature and exposure time were identified as the key parameters controlling the thermal relaxation behavior. The stress relaxation mainly occurs initially before 20 min exposure and the extent of relaxation increases with an increase in temperature and a higher magnitude of the initial as-peened residual stress. In addition, in regions deeper than ~300 μm or after initial thermal exposure where the residual stress was lower than ~300 MPa, stress relaxation was found to be negligible. Kinetic analysis of the experimental thermal relaxation data based on Zener-Wert-Avrami model gave an activation enthalpy of 2.87 to 3.77 eV, which is near that reported in the literatures for volume and/or substitutional solute diffusion in Nickel. These results suggest that thermal relaxation of the LSP-induced residual stress occurs by a creep-like mechanism involving recovery, rearrangement and annihilation of dislocations by climb.     

Intermethod Comparison and Evaluation of Measured Near Surface Residual Stress in Milled Aluminum

Background

While near surface residual stress (NSRS) from milling is a driver for distortion in aluminum parts there are few studies that directly compare available techniques for NSRS measurement.

Objective

We report application and assessment of four different techniques for evaluating residual stress versus depth in milled aluminum parts.

Methods

The four techniques are: hole-drilling, slotting, cos(α) x-ray diffraction (XRD), and sin²(ψ) XRD, all including incremental material removal to produce a stress versus depth profile. The milled aluminum parts are cut from stress-relieved plate, AA7050-T7451, with a range of table and tool speeds used to mill a large flat surface in several samples. NSRS measurements are made at specified locations on each sample.

Results

Resulting data show that NSRS from three techniques are in general agreement: hole-drilling, slotting, and sin²(ψ) XRD. At shallow depths (<?0.03 mm), sin²(ψ) XRD data have the best repeatability (<?15 MPa), but at larger depths (>?0.04 mm) hole-drilling and slotting have the best repeatability (<?10 MPa). NSRS data from cos(α) XRD differ from data provided by other techniques and the data are less repeatable. NSRS data for different milling parameters show that the depth of NSRS increases with feed per tooth and is unaffected by cutting speed.

Conclusion

Hole-drilling, slotting, and sin²(ψ) XRD provided comparable results when assessing milling-induced near surface residual stress in aluminum. Combining a simple distortion test, comprising removal of a 1 mm thick wafer at the milled surface, with a companion stress analysis showed that NSRS data from hole-drilling are most consistent with milling-induced distortion.

     

Superposition and Destructive Residual Stress Measurements

The paper describes destructive measurement of residual stress profiles across two perpendicular planes in a single coupon. Several established destructive measurement techniques can determine the residual stress locked in a coupon of interest, but in general, only a single measurement can be taken without releasing stress and affecting subsequent measurements. However, when the first measurement determines a stress profile across an entire plane, the released stress can be determined, through a supplemental stress analysis incorporating results from the first measurement, and then accounted for in a subsequent measurement. To demonstrate the capability, we describe measurements of residual stress profiles across two perpendicular planes in aluminum compact tension coupons. Residual stress was introduced into the coupons by laser shock peening, and measurements were performed using the slitting method. For each coupon, the measured stress profile on the first plane was used to compute stress released on the second plane. By adding this released stress to measured stress for the second plane, we obtain a stress profile for the second plane in the original configuration. Results of a numerical model that predicts residual stress due to laser shock peening are presented, and agreement between the model and experimental results gives confidence in the superposition method applied.     

A Novel Cutting Strategy for Measuring Two Components of Residual Stresses Using Slitting Method

An exact knowledge of residual stresses that exist within the engineering components is essential to maintain the structural integrity. All mechanical strain relief (MSR) techniques to measure residual stresses rely on removing a section of material that contains residual stresses. Therefore, these techniques are destructive as the integrity of the components is compromised. In slitting method, as a MSR technique, a slot with an increasing depth is introduced to the part incrementally that results in deformations. By measuring these deformations the residual stress component normal to the cut can be determined. Two orthogonal components of residual stresses were measured using the slitting method both experimentally and numerically. Different levels of residual stresses were induced into beam shaped specimens using quenching process at different temperatures. The experimental results were then compared with those numerically predicted. It was shown that while the first component of residual stress was being measured, its effect on the second direction that was normal to the first cut was inevitable. Finally, a new cutting configuration was proposed in which two components of residual stresses were measured simultaneously. The results of the proposed method indicated a good agreement with the conventional slitting.     

Evaluation of Residual Stresses Induced by Robotized Hammer Peening by the Contour Method

Welded components suffer from high tensile residual stresses close to the weld beads. These stresses seem to be the origin of premature cracking which could result in a catastrophic rupture during operation and a reduction of the lifespan of these components. In this context, the Hydro-Québec’s Research Institute (IREQ) developed a technique of residual stresses relaxation by robotized hammer peening which makes it possible to release stresses close to surface and preserve the mechanical and dimensional properties of manufactured components. Robotized hammer peening was used to induce compressive residual stresses on initially stress free samples of austenitic stainless steel 304L. Hammer peening layers from one to nine were performed and the resulting residual stresses were evaluated thanks to the contour technique. Complete 2D residual stress fields on samples cross sections were obtained. The ability of hammer peening to relax residual stresses within welded plates was then quantified on austenitic stainless steel 304L plates welded with a 308 steel and hammer peened. These tests show the efficiency of hammer peening as a method to relax tensile residual stresses and induce compressive ones to a depth of a few millimetres. Process parameters were optimized such as the number of hammer peening layers to be applied to reduce processing time and maximization of the intensity and spatial distribution of the compressive residual stresses.     

Residual-stress measurement using surface displacements around an indentation

An experimental method is described which can measure the direction and magnitude of residual and applied stress in metals. The method uses optical interference to measure the permanent surface deformation around a shallow spherical indentation in a polished area on the metal specimen. The deviation from circularly symmetrical surface deformations is measured at known values of applied stress in calibration specimens. This deviation from symmetry can then be used to determine the direction and magnitude of tensile residual stress in specimens of the same material. Determination of compressive residual stress is more limited. A model of the indentation process is offered which qualitatively describes experimental results in 4340 steel for both tensile and compressive stress. The model assumes that the deformation around an indentation os controlled by stresses analogous to those around a hole in an elastic plate. Various conditions are discussed which affect the indentation process and its use to measure stress, including (a) the rigidity of support of the indentor and specimen, (b) the size and depth of the indentation, (c) the uniaxial stress-strain behavior of the specimen material.     

Study of residual stresses in linearly varying biaxial-stress fields

A theory has been developed for the calculation of relaxation strains effected by drilling a hole in a plate with a linearly varying stress field. With this theory, a technique was developed for the measurement of residual stress at the toe of tee-fillet welds. The above technique was employed for the measurement of residual stresses at the toe of tee-fillet welds in 11/2-in. HY-80 steel with the fillet in the as-welded, ground, shot peened, ground and shot peened, and mechanically peened condition. It was found that experimental data conform to the assumed theory, and that residual stresses in aswelded tee-fillet welds in both the transverse and longitudinal directions approach the yield strength of the steel. It was also found that residual stresses are reduced approximately 25 percent by grinding, 50 percent by shot peening and 50 percent by grinding and shot peening. Mechanical peening drastically affected residual stresses by converting high tension at the toe of the fillet weld to high compression of approximately the same magnitude.     

Non-Destructive Characterization of Subsurface Residual Stress Fields and Correlation with Microstructural Conditions in a Shot-Peened Inconel Component

Shot-peening is an important surface treatment used in a preventative way to guard against fatigue failures. The residual stress state imparted by shot-peening deters the formation and propagation of surface cracks. In this paper, we describe the measurement of residual stresses in an Inconel, IN100, sample using lattice strains measured using High Energy X-ray Diffraction (HEXD) and a Bi-Scale Optimization Method (BSOM). HEXD enabled rapid, non-destructive lattice strain measurements over a large region of the sample. Subsurface strains were obtained using a conical slit setup. The BSOM utilizes a macroscale representation of the sample and a spherical harmonic-based crystal scale representation of crystal orientation space at each experimental point (diffraction volume). A roughly biaxial stress state was predicted with a von Mises equivalent stress between 300 MPa and 400 MPa near the surface. The layer of material with high residual stress induced by shot-peening was found to be approximately 1 mm thick. Diffraction peak width, EBSD, and microhardness measurements were also made on the same sample, which rendered more qualitative measures of the plasticity-related effects of the shot-peening induced residual stress field. All of these measurements show a dimishing shot-peening plasticity with the increasing depth.     

Plasticity Effects in the Hole-Drilling Residual Stress Measurement in Peened Surfaces

The incremental hole-drilling technique (IHD) is a widely established and accepted technique to determine residual stresses in peened surfaces. However, high residual stresses can lead to local yielding, due to the stress concentration around the drilled hole, affecting the standard residual stress evaluation, which is based on linear elastic equations. This so-called plasticity effect can be quantified by means of a plasticity factor, which measures the residual stress magnitude with respect to the approximate onset of plasticity. The observed resultant overestimation of IHD residual stresses depends on various factors, such as the residual stress state, the stress gradients and the material’s strain hardening. In peened surfaces, equibiaxial stresses are often found. For this case, the combined effect of the local yielding and stress gradients is numerically and experimentally analyzed in detail in this work. In addition, a new plasticity factor is proposed for the evaluation of the onset of yielding around drilled holes in peened surface layers. This new factor is able to explain the agreement and disagreement found between the IHD residual stresses and those determined by X-ray diffraction in shot-peened steel surfaces.     

X-ray diffraction study of residual macrostresses in shot-peened and fatiqued 4130 steel

A study has been made of the effects of shot peening and fatigue cycling on the residual macrostresses determined by X-ray methods in an austenitized and tempered AISI 4130 steel (150–170 ksi). The results show that the effect of shot peening is to produce a residual compressive macrostress layer 0.014-in. deep. The residual-stress profile (stress vs. depth) exhibits a small negative stress gradient at and near the surface and a large positive stress gradient in the interior. Stress relaxation (due to fatique cycling) which occurred early in the fatigue history of the specimen was found greater at the surface than in the subsurface layers. Stress gradients of the stress profile increased with continued cycling and varied with depth. A correlation appears to exist between stress relaxation and stress gradients at the surface.     

An Uncertainty Estimator for Slitting Method Residual Stress Measurements Including the Influence of Regularization

This paper describes the development of a new uncertainty estimator for slitting method residual stress measurements. The new uncertainty estimator accounts for uncertainty in the regularization-based smoothing included in the residual stress calculation procedure, which is called regularization uncertainty. The work describes a means to quantify regularization uncertainty and then, in the context of a numerical experiment, compares estimated uncertainty to known errors. The paper further compares a first-order uncertainty estimate, established by a repeatability experiment, to the new uncertainty estimator and finds good correlation between the two estimates of precision. Furthermore, the work establishes a procedure for automated determination of the regularization parameter value that minimizes total uncertainty. In summary, the work shows that uncertainty in the regularization parameter is a significant contributor to the total uncertainty in slitting method measurements and that the new uncertainty estimator provides a reasonable estimate of single measurement uncertainty.