Montanstahl’s inspection of steel profiles: Ensuring safety, performance and compliance with standards
Inspection of steel profiles refers to the process of evaluating their physical properties and characteristics to ensure that they meet the required quality standards.
Steel profiles are widely used in various industries, such as construction, nuclear, chemistry, or medicine etc. where, given the function that they perform, the importance of testing is crucial.
Montanstahl carries out both complex tests on the material as well as simpler tests, such visual and dimensional inspections.
The latter are essential aspects of the process, as they help verify the mechanical properties of the steel profile, such as strength, hardness, and ductility, and can be performed by various methods, including tensile tests and hardness tests.
The importance of quality control in steel profiles: Safety, standards and durability
As mentioned, quality control of steel profiles is important for several reasons.
Firstly, because they play a key role in their final application, steel profiles must be of excellent workmanship and, in order not to compromise the safety and integrity of entire structures where they are implemented, it is essential that they are checked to the highest standards by experts in the field.
Each industry has its unique specifications and requirements for steel profiles, requirying manufacturers to diligently ensure product quality in order to meet both regulatory and industry standards, as well as to demonstrate compliance and fulfill customer expectations.
Failure to adhere to these standards can lead to severe consequences, such as product recalls, legal sanctions, and irreparable damage to the manufacturer’s reputation.
Finally, the quality of the manufacturing process can affect the durability, service life and performance of a steel profile.
A low quality product may be more prone to corrosion, fatigue and other forms of damage. Instead, high-quality steel profiles are more likely to have better mechanical properties, longer life and better performance, resulting in greater reliability and cost-effectiveness over time.
The steps that distinguish a Montanstahl inspection
We are able to carry out different types of inspection, either as a production standard or at the customer’s request:
- Visual inspection: The first step is visual inspection of the profiles for defects. Look for any cracks or undercuts. These are common defects that can compromise the strength of the bar.
- Dimensional checks: Dimensional checks allow geometric measurements and tolerances to be calculated and any deviations of the part from the original CAD drawing to be identified early in the process. Dimensional inspection is a service used both in the early stages of production and at the end of a process.
- Corrosion testing: These tests evaluate the corrosion resistance of profiles; methods such as salt spray test, electrochemical corrosion test, and accelerated corrosion test are used. The results of these tests provide vital information on the strength and reliability of steel profiles, enabling the company to make any improvements and ensure the quality of its products.
- Ultrasonic testing: Ultrasonic testing (UT) is another nondestructive testing method that uses high-frequency sound waves to detect internal defects. This test is suitable for detecting cracks and incomplete fusion in the weld seam (in case of laser welding).
- Spectrometric analysis: this test evaluates the chemical composition of materials by analyzing the spectrum of light emitted by the samples subjected to an energy source and makes it possible to ensure the quality of steel profiles, meet the required specifications for end applications, and monitor the consistency of materials used in production.
- Dye Penetrant Testing (DPT): Dye Penetrant Testing (DPT) is a nondestructive testing method that uses a liquid dye to detect surface defects. The dye is applied to the surface of the profile and allowed to penetrate all surface defects. After cleaning the surface, a developer is applied to remove the dye and reveal any defects.
- Metallographic analysis: This material analysis technique allows the internal structure of metal samples to be studied through the use of a microscope. Representative samples are observed under the microscope, and the presence of defects or anomalies and the grain of the material are evaluated.
- Magnetoscopy: Magnetoscopy or magnetoscopic inspection (MT) is a nondestructive analysis technique that exploits changes in the magnetic field caused by surface or sub-surface discontinuities. This method can only be used on ferromagnetic materials, that is, materials capable of being magnetized.
- Magnetic permeability: This nondestructive technique is based on the analysis of changes in magnetic permeability, which allows the magnetic behavior to be accurately assessed.
During inspection, special instruments are used to detect the extent of magnetic permeability of steel profiles.
What are Montanstahl’s inspection standards?
To enable greater transparency, standards have been established to protect and confirm the safety of the profiles produced.
These standards often require training courses and certificates, which Montanstahl and its employees hold.
You can find all of Montanstahl’s guaranteed standards on our quality page.
We follow the process from profile design to delivery with certifications and inspections that are among the most rigorous and comprehensive in the industry.
Contact us for more information on anything we can do.