Mapping Multiple Residual Stress Components

Hill Engineering has developed an extension to the contour method, called the primary slice release (PSR) biaxial mapping technique, which generates two-dimensional maps of additional residual stress components over the same measurement plane. When combined with traditional contour method measurements, PSR biaxial mapping is a very powerful residual stress measurement tool.  

To perform a PSR biaxial mapping residual stress measurement, the contour method is used first to measure the residual stress component normal to a plane of interest. Next, a thin slice of material adjacent to the contour method measurement plane is removed. The residual stress in the thin slice is altered during the contour method measurement and subsequent slice removal. This change in residual stress is called the PSR stress. The residual stress in the removed thin slice is determined using a series of slitting measurements. The residual stress in the removed slice is referred to as the slice stress. The residual stress in the original configuration (prior to extracting the slice) is expressed as the sum of the slice stress (residual stress measured in the removed slice) and the PSR stress (residual stress released when the slice is removed from the body).