High-Speed Residual Stress Measurement by X-Ray Diffraction (Linear Guide)

Importance of the Topic

Residual stress in metal components critically influences fatigue life, strength evaluation and heat treatment management in industries such as automotive. High-speed measurement methods reduce analysis time and support real-time quality control.

Objectives and Study Overview

This application note demonstrates rapid residual stress measurement around a hole in a linear guide using a one-shot mode and a wide-range, high-speed detector. The goal is to evaluate measurement speed, accuracy and applicability in durability assessment.

Methodology and Instrumentation

Residual stress was quantified using the side-inclination psi method combined with one-shot data acquisition. Data were collected at multiple psi angles with 20-second integration per angle, totalling 140 seconds. Key measurement settings:

• X-ray source: chromium target at 40 kV and 40 mA
• Monochromator: vanadium filter
• Goniometer 2θ fixed at 156.1 degrees
• Psi angles: 0, 16.8, 24.1, 30, 35.3, 40.2 and 45 degrees

Instrument Used

• Shimadzu XRD-7000 diffractometer
• OneSight wide-range high-speed semiconductor detector
• Stress measurement attachment

Main Results and Discussion

Plotting 2θψ versus sin2ψ yielded a linear relationship, from which the slope and a stress constant K of –318.13 MPa/deg provided a compressive residual stress of –273.0 ± 7.0 MPa around the hole. The high-speed detector allowed completion in under three minutes without compromising data quality.

Benefits and Practical Applications

The described method enables fast and accurate stress mapping in mechanical parts, supporting quality control in automotive and industrial applications. Reduced measurement time enhances throughput while maintaining precision.

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Advances may include integration with automated sample handling, in-situ stress mapping during manufacturing, further detector sensitivity improvements and AI-driven data analysis for real-time decision making.

Conclusion

The use of a wide-range high-speed detector with one-shot mode significantly accelerates residual stress measurement by X-ray diffraction, delivering reliable results for industrial quality assurance.

Reference

Shimadzu Application Note LAAN-A-XR-E033A First Edition June 2015, Second Edition April 2019 Shimadzu Corporation