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

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

A new microscale mechanical analysis capability now makes it possible to test components that are too thin or complex for traditional methods, opening up new engineering possibilities.

Plastometrex has introduced the capability MultiScale, designed to fill 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), makes it possible to extract complete stress-strain curves directly from the finished component, avoiding destructive sectioning and providing high-resolution maps of mechanical properties with spacing between indentations of just 1.5 mm.

The system PLX-Benchtop, equipped with MultiScale functionality through the subscription CORSICA+, uses indenters of 250 µm, 500 µm and 1000 µm to capture mechanical behavior at different scales. This multi-scale approach makes it possible to identify local variations due to thermal history, additive manufacturing parameters or post-processing treatments, information that is often invisible to traditional tensile tests on separate specimens.

Fundamentals of PIP Technology

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

The heart of the MultiScale solution is the PIP, a methodology that Plastometrex 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 in detail the residual profile of the indentation, and an inverse finite element analysis algorithm that derives the complete stress-strain curve of the material from the measurements.

Compared with analysis based exclusively on the load-displacement curve, the use of the residual profile significantly increases sensitivity to plastic mechanisms. This makes it possible to obtain data comparable to ASTM tensile tests with much lower material consumption and, in most cases, directly on the component. The 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 about 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 an indenter of 1000 µm, suitable for direct comparisons with conventional tensile tests. With the addition of MultiScale capability, available to all users through the CORSICA+ subscription, the range expands to include tips of 250 µm and 500 µm. This extension makes it possible to capture 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): to study thin walls, critical geometric details, or micro-zones in complex components

The spacing of 1.5 mm between the indentations allows the construction of real “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, to make it possible to test the untestable and capture reliable data on properties wherever they are needed.”

Use Cases: From Aerospace to Microelectronics

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

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

A significant result showed that the yield load decreased by about 15% with the reduction in wall thickness, information that would have been lost with conventional tensile tests. This ability to detect property gradients as a function of local geometry is essential for critical components where assumptions of material uniformity can lead to overdesign or, worse, to 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 advanced alloy parts for high-temperature applications can all benefit from the ability to map mechanical properties without compromising component integrity.

Operational Advantages Over Traditional Techniques

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

Traditional mechanical characterization methods typically require extracting specimens from the component, a process that involves destructive sectioning, machining and, in the case of complex geometries or reduced thicknesses, can prove impossible or economically prohibitive. PIP technology, implemented through MultiScale, eliminates these constraints by enabling direct testing on the finished component in about five minutes per location.

The ability to operate on minimum thicknesses of 0.75 mm opens previously inaccessible scenarios: thin walls in additively manufactured components, coatings, welded joints with reduced heat-affected zones, and geometric details where extracting standard specimens is impractical. The spatial resolution of 1.5 mm between indentations allows detailed property maps to be built, 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, one-of-a-kind prototypes, or already installed components that require 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 local variability is intrinsic to the process and material qualification is expensive, MultiScale represents a paradigm shift: from characterization on separate specimens to direct mapping of properties on the component, with spatially resolved information that supports process optimizations and design decisions based on real data.

Conclusion

MultiScale technology represents a significant step forward in microscale mechanical analysis, offering practical solutions for complex industrial challenges that conventional methods cannot address. The combination of multi-scale indenters, PIP analysis, and the compact PLX-Benchtop platform enables engineers to obtain reliable data on thin, welded, and geometrically complex components without compromising the integrity of the part.

The concrete application in NASA projects and the ability to reveal local variations in mechanical properties that directly influence structural performance demonstrate the technology's maturity for advanced industrial uses. The reduction of characterization times, the elimination of destructive preparation, and the precision in property mapping make MultiScale a strategic tool for sectors where component reliability is critical.

For engineers and technicians working with advanced materials, exploring the integration of PIP technology into quality control processes can lead to more informed and reliable design decisions, reducing conservative safety margins where the data supports it and identifying critical areas that require attention before they become failure points.

article written with the help of artificial intelligence systems