Milton Keynes-based StressMap — a European leader in residual stress metrology using ‘the contour method’, recently celebrated the company’s 10th anniversary with the announcement that it had invested in new capabilities that will help customers ‘prolong the life and control distortions of critical mechanical components in industries that include aerospace, motorsport, and defence.

StressMap has designed, built, and commissioned a new wire -cutting machine that can undertake contour method measurements in polymers, ceramics, and composites: until now, only electrically conductive materials (mainly metals) could be measured, since the only cutting technique available was wire electro-discharge machining (wEDM). The company says this invention is the result of a year’s worth of research and is the only machine in the world that can cut these non-conductive materials to the required level of quality.

Furthermore, StressMap has also invested in a new laser peening machine which will be tested in collaboration with a Formula One (F1) team on its engine components. This technique induces beneficial residual stress at the surface of key components, preventing cracking and prolonging their operational life.

Over the past decade, StressMap has delivered over 150 projects for 80 customers throughout the world. Applications of the company’s residual stress measurement expertise vary widely and include, for example: additive manufactured titanium components; nickel superalloys for turbine discs; and cobalt-chrome alloys for bio-medical use. It has also developed strain-scanning-simulation software in conjunction with STFC — in Harwell, Oxfordshire — to improve the quality of neutron diffraction measurements by maximising accuracy in strain measurements and providing a high level of positional accuracy and repeatability.

Jeferson Araujo De Oliveira, Stress Map’s managing director, said: “The only way to ensure a component can withstand the demanding load and stress conditions in its service life is to test it. We have been offering cutting-edge techniques, straight from academia to industry for a decade and have developed the knowledge, skills, and experience to help our customers to understand the impact of residual stresses and ensure their safety-critical components will perform as expected in service.

“To celebrate StressMap’s anniversary, we have invested in new capability that will not only to check the soundness of a component but also make that component physically stronger and more long-lasting without redesigning it. It’s a win-win. We have also developed a contour test of composites, polymers and ceramics — a world first. Residual stresses are present in virtually all solid components, and they can cause unexpected failures, while in other cases they can extend the life of load-bearing parts in service. These stresses depend heavily on the manufacturing process, and they add — or subtract — to the service loads experienced by the material.”