Plastic surface strain mapping of bent sheets by image correlation

A technique using a single CCD camera, a precision rotation/translation stage, a telecentric zoom lens, and digital image correlation software is described for measuring surface profiles and surface plastic strain distributions of a bent thin sheet. The measurement principles, based on both parallel and pinhole perspective projections, are outlined and the relevant mathematical equations for computing the profiles and displacement fields on a curved surface are presented. The typical optical setup as well as the experimental measurement and digital image correlation analysis procedure are described. The maximum errors in the in-plane and out-of-plane coordinates or displacements are about ±5 and ±25 μm, respectively, and the maximum errors in surface strain mapping are about 0.1% or less based on a series of evaluation tests on flat and curved sample surfaces over a physical field of view of 15.2 × 11.4 mm². As an application example, the shape and surface plastic strain distribution example, the shape and surface plastic strain distributions around a bent apex of a flat 2 mm thick automotive aluminum AA5182-O sheet, which underwent a 90° bend with three bend ratios of 2t, 1t, and 0.6t, are determined using the proposed technique.