With our material testing, quality is not left to chance
With us, quality is not left to chance. Our quality assurance monitors the steel material along the entire process chain. Bar steel and bright steel from LSV Lech-Stahl Veredelung undergoes numerous in-process tests. Process monitoring in inductive heat treatment is based on the motor vehicle industry’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI-9) specification. A number of dimensional measurements are taken in addition, complemented by fully automated, non-destructive testing as a service for our customers. This includes eddy current and ultrasonic inspections in the bright steel lines as well as complex measuring machines and laser technology.
Destructive tests, notably to determine the mechanical properties, are conducted in the laboratories at LSV Lech-Stahl Veredelung. Our quality assurance experts have an extensive portfolio of measuring and testing methods at their disposal:
- Tensile test with fine strain measurement
- Notched bar impact tests
- Hardness tests according to Brinell, Vickers or Rockwell
- Microhardness tests according to Vickers
The steel’s microstructure is examined in metallography. This is done on the basis of various standards complemented by our customers’ specifications. Metallography is also equipped according to the state of the art. Specimen preparation to make the microstructure visible can be performed manually or using fully automated preparation systems. Stereo and reflecting microscopes are available for optical microscope inspections. Accompanied by various microetching and macroetching methods, the state of the microstructure is made visible and examined for the approval of heat treatment processes.
Magnetic particle tests reveal discontinuities for the macroscopic evaluation of surfaces and a more in-depth microscopic examination can be initiated on this basis.
In cooperation with the laboratories of our parent company Lech-Stahlwerke GmbH, LSV Lech-Stahl Veredelung has access to additional test facilities and methods such as the ultrasonic immersion technique or the scanning electron microscope (SEM).
Automated inspection equipment management ensures that the test and inspection equipment being used is continuously monitored and issues notifications when systems need to be recalibrated. This is then carried out by certified providers or directly by the manufacturer with all certifications.
