SIMPOSIUM - Simulation Platform for Non Destructive Evaluation of Structures and Materials – Objectives and Key Achievements of the Project

SIMPOSIUM is a research collaborative project funded in the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. SIMPOSIUM gathers industrial end-users in various fields (aeronautics, automotive, energy, steel), software solutions providers, academic and RTOs, aiming at providing interoperable simulation tools for non destructive evaluation (NDE) and materials characterization usable at any stage of the product lifecycle (from conception to manufacturing and maintenance). Those simulation codes are focused on electromagnetic and ultrasonic techniques, widely used both for defect detection and materials characterization, and include numerical (Finite Elements Method, Finite Differences in Time Domain, Finite Integration Technique), analytical or semi-analytical (pencil techniques for beam propagation, scattering coefficients) and hybrid formulations (coupling method based on combination of semi-analytical and numerical techniques to perform numerical techniques in very limited domains while handling large application cases) to deal with complex geometries and material properties (hysteretic materials, grain scattering...). Those simulation tools have been exploited to adress 11 application cases provided by the industrial partners and cover a large range of industrial fields: evaluation of complex structures (ultrasonic evaluation of composites, structural noise for steel application), complex geometries (eddy current inspections of boreholes and uneven surfaces), complex flaws (solid inclusions, stress corrosion cracks...), materials characterization of complex parts with varying and hysteresis properties (evaluation of forged shafts, electrical steel, bearing parts). The overall organization of the SIMPOSIUM project is presented, then some developments carried out within SIMPOSIUM are briefly discussed and some experimental and simulated results among the industrial application cases are illustrated which show the benefits of non destructive evaluation and materials characterization simulation for conceiving and optimizing methods, interpreting results, for improved manufacturing processes and evaluation of semi-final or final products.