Industrial demands and nondestructive testing (NDT) solutions for process monitoring and quality control in hot and cold formed steel production

In PHS production, classical methods of quality assurance are not sufficient any longer for the increasing quality requirements and production volumes. Non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques offer alternative approaches. They are fast, do not require any sample preparation and can be realized in the shop floor or in-line. Meanwhile a variety of NDT techniques for inspection of part quality along the value-added chain in PHS production are available. 3MA allows to determine quantitative values of material properties, like hardness and strength. With ultrasound inspection based on EMAT technique it is possible to determine forming defects like cracks and neckings. Special techniques based on active thermography can be used to detect small defects at the edges of formed components. Current research is dedicated to developments of NDT techniques for quality inspections and process monitoring during welding of PHS parts.