Advanced Material Properties Measurements with Optical Metrology

Materials are advancing at a record rate, with unimagined complexity even in now standard materials. Traditional measurement tools can only get approximate material properties. Core to all proper design and accurate computer modeling is a base understanding of accurate material properties.

Full-field optical measurement tools using 3D digital image correlation (DIC) is able to provide a more complete measurement and analysis of these advanced materials, providing precise material properties at all scales. This paper will review microscopic analysis of crystalline behavior, coupon testing of dog bone specimens and large scale materials measurements in stamping operations. In addition, the measurement of extreme materials properties, such as high-speed forming limit curves and deep drawing properties will be discussed. Key to all of these measurements are the associated standards that control them; these will be discussed.