Method for the mechanical testing of a structure formed as one part on the basis of test pieces generated by a 3D printing process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248998-B2
Application number	US-201716311008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2017
Priority date	Jun 24, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the mechanical testing of a structure ( 1, 10 ) formed as one part, comprising the following steps: a) identifying a sub-element ( 2, 11 ) in the structure ( 1, 10 ) formed as one part for generating a test element ( 3, 3 ′) that is intended to undergo mechanical testing, wherein the sub-element ( 2, 11 ) only represents a portion of the structure ( 1, 10 ) formed as one part, b) determining the spatial-geometrical structure of the sub-element ( 2, 11 ), c) generating the test element ( 3, 3 ′) on the basis of the spatial-geometrical structure of the sub-element ( 2, 11 ) and at least in part or in full by way of a 3D printing process, d) carrying out at least one mechanical test on the test element ( 3, 3 ′) generated. A further subject matter of the present invention is a method for modifying the structural design data of the structure ( 1, 10 ) formed as one part, in which the data of the mechanical testing that is obtained from the aforementioned method is used for a modification of the structural design data of the structure ( 1, 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for the mechanical testing of a structure formed as one part, comprising the following steps:
a) identifying a sub-element in the structure for generating a test element that is intended to undergo mechanical testing, wherein the sub-element only represents a portion of the structure, and wherein identifying the sub-element in the structure formed as one part comprises performing a simulation calculation to determine in which regions of the structure formed as one part that above-average mechanical loading is expected during the intended use of the structure formed as one part,
b) determining the spatial-geometrical topology of the sub-element,
c) generating the test element on the basis of the spatial-geometrical topology of the sub-element at least in part or in full by way of a 3D printing process,
d) carrying out at least one mechanical test on the test element generated.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one adapter element that is suitable for being coupled to a device for mechanical testing is provided on the test element.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the adapter element is generated by means of a 3D printing process in one work step with the generation of the test element.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the adapter element comprises a lug, an eyelet, a pin, a butt strap, a cylinder, a gripper, a holder, threads, meshes, or a combination thereof.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein at least two adapter elements are provided.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the adapter elements are positioned at points of application of the force vectors at which mechanical loading relevant to component failure on the structure formed as one part is expected.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the structure formed as one part is at least partly 3D-printed.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the 3D printing process for printing the test element corresponds to that by which the structure formed as one part is at least partly printed.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determination of the spatial-geometrical topology of the sub-element is performed on the basis of the structural design data.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the structural data comprises CAD data and/or the results of an at least partial structural analysis of the structure formed as one part.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least partial structural analysis comprises a tomographic layer-imaging process comprising electron analysis, ion analysis, x-ray analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, ultrasonic analysis, tetrahertz techniques, or a combination thereof.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical testing on the test element comprises a tensile test, a compressive test, a flexural test, a shearing test, a tearing test, a vibration resonance test, a test for determining the modulus of elasticity, a dynamic mechanical test for determining the material fatigue, a thermal test, an oxidation test, an aging test, a swelling test, or a combination thereof.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the same material as corresponds to that of the sub-element in the structure formed as one part is used in the generation of the test element.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
a) a different material is used in the generation of the test element than corresponds to the sub-element in the structure formed as one part, the results of the mechanical testing on the test element being transferred to the material that corresponds to the sub-element in the structure formed as one part by means of a corrective calculation, and/or
b) the test element is generated in a different size than the sub-element in the structure formed as one part by means of a size scaling, the results of the mechanical testing on the test element being transferred to the size that corresponds to the sub-element in the structure formed as one part by means of a corrective calculation.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a number of sub-elements in the structure formed as one part are identified, their spatial-geometrical topologies determined and used in each case for generating test elements, which are respectively made to undergo at least one mechanical test.

16. A method for modifying the structural design data of a structure formed as one part, in which
i) the structure formed as one part is first made to undergo a method for mechanical testing as claimed in claim 1 ,
ii) the data of the mechanical testing are subsequently used for modifying the structural design data of the structure formed as one part, and
iii) optionally, a modified structure is generated on the basis of the modified structural design data.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein steps i) to iii) are repeated at least once.

Assignees

• Covestro Deutschland Ag

Inventors

• Achten Dirk
• Büsgen Thomas
• Dijkstra Dirk
• Degiorgio Nicolas

Classifications

• G01N3/02

  Details · CPC title

• G01N3/62 Primary

  Manufacturing, calibrating, or repairing devices used in investigations covered by the preceding subgroups · CPC title

• G01M5/00

  Investigating the elasticity of structures, e.g. deflection of bridges or air-craft wings (G01M9/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2203/0298

  Manufacturing or preparing specimens · CPC title

• G01N1/2806 Primary

  Means for preparing replicas of specimens, e.g. for microscopal analysis · CPC title