A weld coupon destructive test device includes a support base. A plunger is connected to the support base and is movable along a length of the support base by a handle mounted to rotate on a pivot base on the support base. A header on the support base has a guide surface configured to press a weld coupon between the guide surface and the head of the plunger. A guide shoe is configured to fit against the guide surface of the header, the curved guide shoe has a first face and a second face, the first face is curved to conform to the head on the plunger, and the second face is curved to conform to the curved guide surface of the header. The handle is operable in a slotted bar to break a weld coupon under pressure.

A bond test apparatus comprises a test tool assembly 200 comprising a test tool 40 configured to contact a bond during a bond test, a flexure 80 coupled to the test tool assembly, and a sensor. The sensor is configured to provide a measurement of a displacement of a first end of the flexure 80 relative to a second end of the flexure on application of a force to the flexure, and a processor is configured to receive a displacement signal from the sensor and, based on the displacement signal and optionally a known stiffness of the flexure, to determine the force on the flexure. A cartridge for a bond test apparatus, a method of measuring a force in a bond test apparatus, and a method of measuring the closing force on the jaws of a bond test tool are also provided.

A lap shear test fixture and method of use to test the performance of the weld interface in welded thermoplastic composite parts such as infrared welded or resistive implant welded or adhesive bonded composite parts. The specimens to be tested are provided from production-ready parts with typical geometry. The test fixture has at least two aligned blocks with at least two lateral support blocks that operably hold the specimen including two welded substrates. The test is performed in compression-mode at a predetermined crosshead speed until the maximum load produced by a universal testing machine makes the weld interface between the two thermoplastic substrates fail in shear mode.

A system for evaluating a bond includes first and second electrodes. A dielectric material layer is positioned at least partially between the first and second electrodes. A power source is connected to the first and second electrodes. The power source is configured to cause the first and second electrodes to generate an electrical arc. The electrical arc is configured to at least partially ablate a sacrificial material layer to generate a plasma.

A method for modelling and fatigue strength assessment of weld seams between mechanical parts includes providing a finite element model for an assembly, in which a first finite element mesh for a mechanical part, a second mesh for a second mechanical part, and a third mesh for a weld seam joining the mechanical parts comprising a number of notches are generated. The third mesh has fewer than 20 finite elements in cross-section, the notches are modelled sharp-edged, and the distribution of the finite elements follows a defined mesh pattern. The method includes calculating the finite element model. Result values of the finite elements and nodes are provided from the defined mesh pattern of the third mesh. The method includes applying an effective notch stress prediction algorithm matched to the defined mesh pattern to predict occurring notch stresses in the notches using the provided result values as input parameters.

A component is formed by welding a plurality of sheets of metal to form a blank with a number of weld nuggets, placing the blank between a die section and a lid section, heating the die section to heat the blank, and introducing a pressurized gas between the lid section and the die section to press the blank into a mold in the die section to form a component. The number of weld nuggets has a desired thickness ratio between about 1.1 to about 1.25 such that the plurality of sheets of metal and the component formed have a number of characteristics that are substantially the same.

Joints, strain measurement systems to measure strains in one or more components of joints, and methods of determining fatigue lives of joints are disclosed herein. A joint includes a first component, a second component, an adhesive, and a strain measurement system. The adhesive couples the first component and the second component together. The strain measurement system is configured to measure strain in one or more components of the joint. The strain measurement system includes a sensor coupled to one of the first component and the second component and a controller coupled to the sensor. The controller includes a processor and memory coupled to the processor that has instructions stored therein.

In a deformation simulation of a member joined by spot welding, an effective width being a width in a direction intersecting a direction of a load centered on a spot welded portion (14) on a flange face (13a) where the spot welded portion (14) is provided of a member (10) and changing correspondingly to a change in the load is calculated every predetermined time interval, and fracture of the spot welded portion (14) is predicted using the calculated effective width. This configuration enables precise fracture prediction of a spot welded portion where spot welding is modeled, for example, in a case of performing collision deformation prediction of an automobile member on a computer.

According to one embodiment, an inspection apparatus determines an object to be in a first state when an intensity at a first frequency of a frequency characteristic is not less than a first threshold, and determines the object to be in a second state when the intensity at the first frequency is less than the first threshold. The frequency characteristic is generated based on a vibration of the object when the object is struck. The second state is different from the first state.

A fixed value residual stress test block, comprising a main body (1) and two welded blocks (2); the main body (1) and the welded blocks (2) are all rectangular metal blocks; the welded blocks (2) are welded onto the two opposite side surfaces of the main body (1); the main body (1) is deformed under the upper and lower pressures and generates residual stress. The fixed value residual stress test block has a simple structure.