Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EASI-STRESS (European Activity for Standardization of Industrial residual STRESS characterization)
Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-06-30
The EASI-STRESS project has the overall aim to strengthen industrial access and uptake of non-destructive synchrotron x-ray and neutron diffraction-based residual stress characterization tools. This will be achieved by validating the new methods against accepted destructive techniques and by developing measurement protocols in close collaboration with industry. This will enable a better understanding of the formation and progression of residual stresses by direct comparison with and incorporation of the measured data into modelling tools. Incorporating this knowledge into the design process and lifetime assessment of metallic components will give more reliable products with increased lifetime and reduced material usage. Currently, conservative worst-case-scenario safety factors, e.g. as defined by EUROCODES, are used when designing metallic components exposed to cyclic loads. In knowing the actual internal stress levels, the safety factors can be reduced, the component lifetime increased and the time-to-market reduced.
Despite the shadow of COVID-19, EASI-STRESS got off to a good start, and the first half of the project resulted in several highlights:
Establishment of a set of reference samples: In WP2, several sets of reference samples were defined, designed, produced and sent in circulation among the partners in the effort to benchmark residual stress measurement techniques. This also served to provide a basis for the evaluation of stresses in both the industrial cases (WP5) and for the calibration procedures for standardisation (WP6). Non-partners even put in requests to also measure on the reference samples in order to validate their setups, which highlight the interest in the project from facilities outside the consortium and will help maximise the impact of the project.
Increased coordination between facilities and industry: The effort in WP3-5 has established a platform for the interaction between industrial requirements and the output from scientific instruments represented by the deliverables D3.1 “Report on technical specifications as identified in collaboration with the industrial users and at the interface with WP2, WP4 and WP5”, D4.1 “Report on definition of a common framework to handle experimental parameters in algorithms” and D5.1 “Output data report”.
Internal project collaboration: In WP1, EASI-STRESS successfully managed to organise a big hybrid project meeting in Aarhus, Denmark with 26 in-person attendees and 8 by remote. The TEAMS sharepoint platform also operates well with most partners and is used for meetings, file sharing, chats and for tracking dissemination activities.
Establishing public webinars for knowledge sharing: Initially established as internal knowledge sharing in WP6, the EASI-STRESS webinars are now offered to the public in WP7 and serves as part of the project dissemination and outreach activities. WP7 has established a GDPR-compliant registration form, where external stakeholders can register and receive news from the project and invitations to webinars.
Initiation of standardisation procedure: In May 2022, WP6 sent the formal request to open CEN Technical Committee 138, Working Group 10 to work on synchrotron diffraction to determine residual stresses. The group is expected to be in session from Sept 2022-Sept 2023 and the work will rely on the input from the other EASI-STRESS work packages.
Establishment of a set of reference samples: In WP2, several sets of reference samples were defined, designed, produced and sent in circulation among the partners in the effort to benchmark residual stress measurement techniques. This also served to provide a basis for the evaluation of stresses in both the industrial cases (WP5) and for the calibration procedures for standardisation (WP6). Non-partners even put in requests to also measure on the reference samples in order to validate their setups, which highlight the interest in the project from facilities outside the consortium and will help maximise the impact of the project.
Increased coordination between facilities and industry: The effort in WP3-5 has established a platform for the interaction between industrial requirements and the output from scientific instruments represented by the deliverables D3.1 “Report on technical specifications as identified in collaboration with the industrial users and at the interface with WP2, WP4 and WP5”, D4.1 “Report on definition of a common framework to handle experimental parameters in algorithms” and D5.1 “Output data report”.
Internal project collaboration: In WP1, EASI-STRESS successfully managed to organise a big hybrid project meeting in Aarhus, Denmark with 26 in-person attendees and 8 by remote. The TEAMS sharepoint platform also operates well with most partners and is used for meetings, file sharing, chats and for tracking dissemination activities.
Establishing public webinars for knowledge sharing: Initially established as internal knowledge sharing in WP6, the EASI-STRESS webinars are now offered to the public in WP7 and serves as part of the project dissemination and outreach activities. WP7 has established a GDPR-compliant registration form, where external stakeholders can register and receive news from the project and invitations to webinars.
Initiation of standardisation procedure: In May 2022, WP6 sent the formal request to open CEN Technical Committee 138, Working Group 10 to work on synchrotron diffraction to determine residual stresses. The group is expected to be in session from Sept 2022-Sept 2023 and the work will rely on the input from the other EASI-STRESS work packages.
EASI-STRESS has succeeded in creating a joint forum for industry and facilities to discuss the barriers and work on solutions for bringing a unique analysis tool to industrial use. A series of benchmark samples have been defined which will serve as reference samples for all future activities. The project has also mapped procedures for residual stress measurement, data acquisition and data treatment to a detail level better than ever before and employed the principles from CHADA (Characterization Data). This approach may also serve as a template for more systematic usage of other advanced measurement techniques.
As estimated in the project application, the potential obtainable impact targets are:
- Reduced material usage. Target: - 15 %.
- Increased component lifetime (or time in-between service). Target: + 50 %.
- Reduced time-to-market. Target: - 20 %
These goals will be discussed and reconfirmed by all partners at the project meeting early in the second half of the project.
As estimated in the project application, the potential obtainable impact targets are:
- Reduced material usage. Target: - 15 %.
- Increased component lifetime (or time in-between service). Target: + 50 %.
- Reduced time-to-market. Target: - 20 %
These goals will be discussed and reconfirmed by all partners at the project meeting early in the second half of the project.