Hill Engineering Blog

2022 SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics

by Adrian DeWald

Hill Engineering will be presenting at the upcoming SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics in Pittsburgh, PA on June 13^th through June 16^th. We invite you to come see us!

This conference focuses on all areas of research and applications pertaining to experimental mechanics, and has evolved to encompass the latest technologies supporting optical methods; additive & advanced manufacturing; dynamic behavior of materials; biological systems; micro-and nano mechanics; fatigue and fracture; composite and multifunctional materials; residual stress; inverse problem methodologies; thermomechanics; and time dependent materials. Hill Engineering’s presentation will include a summary of recent work related to residual stress measurement using slotting. The abstract text is presented below.

Short Course Announcement – Residual Stress 101

by Adrian DeWald

The upcoming SEM Annual Conference and Exposition on Experimental and Applied Mechanics will include a Pre-conference Course titled: Residual Stress 101. The residual stress short course is scheduled for Sunday, June 12, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The course aims to cover a broad, practical introduction to residual stresses for students, researchers and industrialists with an interest in the subject. The course will be taught by Michael Prime, Michael Hill, Adrian DeWald, Luliana Cernatescu, Jeff Bunn, and Gary Schajer. Registration is currently open through the SEM Website.

HE Pet Spotlight: Cookie Dough & Rocky Road the Dwarf Goats!

by Robert Pires

Have you ever heard the saying, “happy as a goat?”

Neither have we, but in this case, it applies! Meet Cookie Dough and Rocky Road the Nigerian Dwarf Goats, subjects of our latest Hill Engineering pet spotlight.

Two Nigerian Dwarf Goats in a pen, one with white fur and colored spots, and the other black with brown stripes. — Cookie Dough and Rocky Road the Nigerian Dwarf Goats.

New Rapid Forge Design Article in FIA Magazine

by Robert Pires

Our Rapid Forge Design (RFD) software has generated a substantial amount of buzz since it’s release last year. If you’ve been keeping up with our social media accounts, you’ve probably caught us highlighting its key features and ease of use, especially through our demonstration video in which creator John Watton goes step-by-step through the closed-die impression forging design process.

For those who want a more comprehensive rundown of the software’s features and abilities, as well as plans for future design modules, John recently published an article in Forging Industry Association magazine, where he gives a history of how RFD came to be, and how it serves forgers and forging consumers.

ASIP 2021 Presentation: Development of a Residual Stress Standard

by Adrian DeWald

At the recent United States Air Force Structural Integrity Program Conference (ASIP) in Austin, TX, Hill Engineering co-authored a presentation titled Development of a Residual Stress Standard. The Aircraft Structural Integrity Program (ASIP) Conference is specifically designed to bring together the world leaders in the area of aircraft structural integrity and to disseminate information on state-of-the-art technologies for aircraft structures in both the military and civilian fleets. Below is the abstract from the presentation along with a link to the full conference slides.

HE Pet Spotlight: Saaz and Barley

by Robert Pires

Two German Shorthair Pointer dogs lying on a red blanket on a couch. — Saaz and Barley, the German Shorthair Pointers.

When we’re not performing residual stress measurements, some of the HE team members love spending time with their furry friends! Josh Hodges is no exception. He lives with his two German Shorthair Pointers, Saaz and Barley, ages 12 and 3 respectively.

Contour Method 101: Two-Dimensional Mapping of Residual Stress

by Robert Pires

We talk a lot about the residual stress measurement techniques we employ at Hill Engineering. One of the most commonly used is the Contour Method! Invented in the year 2000, and patented by Los Alamos National Laboratory, the contour method measures 2D residual stresses over a planar surface.

HE Vlog: Introducing the Integrated Maintenance System, IMx+

by Robert Pires

In our latest vlog, Hill Engineering team member Bob Pilarczyk introduces the Integrated Maintenance System, or IMx+. This revolutionary system uses next generation technologies to address the quality assurance needs of the aerospace industry. Watch the video below for more information.

HE Pet Spotlight: Eggs and Pancake

by Camille Fowler

I think we can all agree that eggs and pancakes are two of the best breakfast foods out there. They are even better when they’re the names of two cats that live with another Hill Engineering family. Seven-year-old Eggs and three-year-old Pancake take up residence with Eric and his wife, Lucy, where they like snuggling to their hearts’ content in their outside sunroom.

New Publication – Measurement Layout for Stress Mapping Using Slitting

by Adrian DeWald

Hill Engineering recently published new research detailing our efforts to optimize the experimental technique for our PSR Biaxial mapping process, which generates a 2D map of residual stress. The paper is titled Measurement Layout for Residual Stress Mapping Using Slitting and appears in Experimental Mechanics. The abstract text is available here along with a link to the publication.