Microscale Mechanical Analysis: How MultiScale Technology Revolutionizes Non-Destructive Testing

Microscale Mechanical Analysis: How MultiScale Technology Revolutionizes Non-Destructive Testing

A new micro-scale mechanical analysis capability now enables testing of components that are too thin or complex for traditional methods, opening up new engineering possibilities.

Plastometrex has introduced the functionality MultiScale, designed to bridge a critical gap in conventional mechanical testing: the ability to non-destructively characterize the mechanical properties of components with minimum thicknesses down to 0.75 mm, complex geometries, and welded joints. This technology, based on Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry (PIP), enables the extraction of complete stress-strain curves directly from the finished component, avoiding destructive sectioning and providing high-resolution maps of mechanical properties with indentation spacing of just 1.5 mm.

The system PLX-Benchtop, featuring MultiScale functionality via subscription CORSICA+, uses indenters of 250 µm, 500 µm and 1000 µm to capture mechanical behavior at different scales. This multi-scale approach allows for the identification of local variations due to thermal history, additive manufacturing parameters or post-process treatments, information often invisible to traditional tensile tests on separate specimens.

Fundamentals of PIP Technology

Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry technology transforms indentation data into complete stress-strain curves through finite element inverse analysis, offering superior sensitivity to plastic mechanisms compared to methods based solely on load-displacement curves.

The core of the MultiScale solution is the PIP, a methodology that Plastometrex has helped standardize with ASTM International through the standard E3499-25. The technology combines three key elements: a spherical indenter that applies a controlled load to the material, a profilometer that detects the residual imprint profile in detail, and an inverse finite element analysis algorithm that derives the complete stress-strain curve of the material from the measurements.

Compared to analysis based exclusively on the load-displacement curve, the use of the residual profile significantly increases sensitivity to plastic mechanisms. This allows for obtaining data comparable to ASTM tensile tests with much lower material consumption and, in most cases, directly on the component. This capability is particularly relevant for metal additive manufacturing, where local variability is significant and the costs of dedicated specimens are high.

PIP technology extracts key parameters such as yield strength e ultimate tensile strength (UTS) from an automated test of approximately five minutes, making large-scale analysis of critical components feasible.

The PLX-Benchtop System and the MultiScale Functionality

The PLX-Benchtop system implements PIP technology in a compact benchtop platform, while the MultiScale functionality extends the range of available indenters for high-definition mechanical mapping on previously inaccessible geometries.

In the standard configuration, PLX-Benchtop uses a 1000 µm, indenter, suitable for direct comparison with conventional tensile tests. With the addition of the MultiScale capability, available to all users via the CORSICA+ subscription, the range is expanded to include tips from 250 µm and 500 µm. This extension allows for capturing the mechanical behavior at three distinct operating scales:

• Macro scale (1000 µm): for direct comparison with tensile tests and general characterization
• Intermediate scale (500 µm): to observe property gradients along welds or heat-treated zones
• Fine scale (250 µm): for studying thin walls, critical geometric details or micro-zones in complex components

The spacing of 1.5 mm between indentations allows the construction of true “maps” of mechanical properties along the component, revealing local variations that do not emerge from traditional tensile tests performed on separate specimens. This approach helps designers identify critical zones due to welding conditions, additive printing parameters, or thickness transitions.

Dr. Jimmy Campbell, CTO of Plastometrex, emphasized: “We developed the MultiScale capability to give engineers access to the data that was missing. Many of our users work with parts that are too thin or geometrically complex for conventional mechanical testing. We wanted to change this, making it possible to test the untestable and capture reliable data on properties wherever it is needed.”

Application Cases: From Aerospace to Microelectronics

Through concrete applications, including NASA projects, the MultiScale technology demonstrates the capability to provide critical data for local evaluation of mechanical properties in advanced components, revealing variations that directly influence design decisions.

MultiScale technology has already been employed by NASA to characterize local variations in mechanical properties within spaceflight components. By mapping stress-strain responses through a part produced additively, process-structure-property relationships were revealed that informed production optimization and reduced conservative safety factors.

A significant result showed that the carico di snervamento è diminuito di circa il 15% with the reduction in wall thickness, information that would have been lost with conventional tensile tests. This capability to detect property gradients based on local geometry is critical for critical components where material uniformity assumptions can lead to over-dimensioning or, worse, underestimation of risk.

Dr. Mike Coto, CCO of Plastometrex, added: “MultiScale gives users the ability to zoom in on the fine details that drive overall performance. That level of resolution supports more efficient design decisions, whether it's adjusting printing parameters, refining welding procedures, or reducing unnecessary safety margins while maintaining structural integrity.”

Applications extend beyond aerospace: welded components in the energy industry, critical joints in offshore structures, and parts in advanced alloys for high-temperature applications can all benefit from the ability to map mechanical properties without compromising component integrity.

Operational Advantages Compared to Traditional Techniques

The MultiScale methodology offers decisive advantages over classic techniques: reduction of characterization times, elimination of destructive sample preparation, and superior precision in identifying local variations in mechanical properties.

Traditional mechanical characterization methods typically require the extraction of specimens from the component, a process that involves destructive sectioning, machining, and, in the case of complex geometries or reduced thicknesses, may be impossible or economically prohibitive. The PIP technology, implemented through MultiScale, eliminates these constraints by allowing direct tests on the finished component in about five minutes per position.

The ability to operate on minimum thicknesses of 0.75 mm opens previously inaccessible scenarios: thin walls in additively printed components, coatings, welded joints with reduced thermally altered zones, and geometric details where the extraction of standard specimens is impracticable. The spatial resolution of 1.5 mm between indentations allows the construction of detailed property maps, revealing gradients that conventional tests, performed on single specimens, cannot capture.

A further operational advantage is the non-destructiveness: the tested component remains usable, a critical aspect for expensive parts, unique prototypes, or already installed components requiring in-situ evaluation. PIP technology provides data comparable to ASTM tensile tests, but with a minimal physical footprint on the component.

For the metal additive manufacturing industry, where the

article written with the help of artificial intelligence systems