MISTRAS provides advanced non-destructive (NDT), destructive (DT), and materials testing for components used in the automotive manufacturing industry.
Automotive manufacturers have exacting standards, for good reason. With the number of people that rely on cars for transportation nearly every day, defects in a single batch of engine components or improperly-manufactured composites can lead to disastrous consequences.
Our clients within the automotive segment rely on our inspection and testing solutions throughout the entire design and development process, including the inspection of raw material inputs, during in-process manufacturing, and during end-product testing and analysis.
We supply a wide range of NDT, DT, and materials testing inspections for automotive components out of our in-house laboratories, including but not limited to:
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) Testing
A plastic material that is simultaneously strong and lightweight, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) is increasingly being used in the automotive industry. CFRP components help reduce vehicles’ curb-weight, enhance fuel economy, and improve performance.
During a combination of chemical and mechanical processes, polymer chains are specially-aligned to produce this dynamic and versatile carbon fiber. MISTRAS offers a variety of CFRP lab testing services to ensure its material strength, as CFRP failure in such an important application can result in disastrous consequences.
Our technicians perform in-depth testing to verify materials, analyze quality, reviews procedures, detect flaws, and various other services to ensure that CFRP integrity is as strong as it needs to be.
Amongst others, a few of MISTRAS’ CFRP lab testing techniques include:
- Bend Tests – Evaluates material quality based on its ability to resist cracking
- Tensile Tests – Gauges tensile strength, maximum elongation, yield strength, elasticity, ductility, stiffness, and other material characteristics
- Fiber Volumetric Content Determination – Verifies the ratio of resin and fibers
- Dynamic-Mechanical Analysis – Determines a material’s reaction to stress and temperature and verifies manufacturing quality
- Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy – Detects organic contamination and analyzes a material’s specific fingerprint
As each of our customers require their CFRP materials to be inspected at different standards, we work with our clients to established baseline procedures and techniques.
Automotive Airbag Inspection Systems
MISTRAS also supplies inspection equipment to our automotive manufacturing clients.
In one project, a major automotive airbag manufacturer used our ultrasonic testing (UT) inspection systems to inspect pressurized steel airbag chambers. Our systems can inspect a single chamber in a matter of seconds, identifying manufacturing flaws, defects, and other deformities that occur during the cold swage process.
The metal forming process produces a symmetrical cone at one end of the safety device to increase exertion upon activation while providing seamless assembly with other safety components. With the goal of preventing failures from improperly-formed safety devices, MISTRAS’ ultrasonic inspection identifies imperfections and removes faulty units from the remainder of the production process.
Acoustic Emission (AE) Products & Systems for Motorsport Components
MISTRAS offers Acoustic Emission (AE) equipment, training, and consultation services to ensure that vehicles being used for high-performance needs meet rigorous quality standards. MISTRAS has developed AE tools that perform inspection of auto parts for racing cars that undergo stress on the racetrack. This equipment has been used in both the development of the main chassis and ancillary car parts, and in production testing to ensure fitness for racing.
Inspection and assessment of the race-worthiness of complex parts prior to a race can be conducted using multi-channel systems. Along with the equipment, we have developed a training course to assist inspection & development personnel in using AE equipment at their facilities. Ultrasonic testing (UT) systems are also being developed to measure and digitally upload multiple thickness data measurements of metallic components within 30 seconds.
With composite materials becoming more and more popular in the vehicles we drive, designers and manufacturers are also looking to AE for their development and testing, which can include anything from body parts to suspension items.
