Slitting Method

One-dimensional residual stress profiles with excellent precision

The Slitting Method determines residual stress as a function of depth from the surface of a part or coupon. The method has excellent precision and repeatability and is often used in simple coupons (blocks, disks, and cylinders) for process assessment, monitoring, or quality control. Slitting is also useful for parts that are more complex, having been used to find residual stress near a weld toe or at the root of a gear tooth. Hill Engineering continues to develop new uses for the Slitting Method in addressing customer needs for a range of component geometries and material configurations. Our laboratory holds the only ISO17025 accreditation for slitting method measurements worldwide.

The Slitting Method is useful for

  • Applications requiring excellent residual stress measurement precision
  • Near-surface and bulk residual stress measurement
  • Wide range of material types (e.g., metallics, plastics, FGMs, and single crystals)
  • Parts with large or complex geometry
  • Coatings and layered materials
  • Materials with complex or variable texture or microstructure or large grains
  • Applications requiring rapid throughput and turn time

Illustration of a slitting method Measurement

Residual stress from laser shock peening measured using slitting

Quality control chart with slitting method measurement data for a compressive residual stress surface treatment

Photograph of a slitting method residual stress measurement on a Ti-6Al-4V test specimen.

Results from five independent slitting method residual stress measurements on a peened aluminum specimen illustrating the excellent measurement repeatability.