Our materials expertise on a scale from one to ten: Eleven.

In the Westfälische Stahlgesellschaft’s own testing laboratory, numerous non-destructive and destructive material testing methods are used for incoming material testing, process testing and release testing. Precise production measurement technology in combination with modern production facilities and a certified quality management system guarantee consistently high quality. In addition to the extensive operational eddy current testing for surface defects, which can be carried out both in the production lines at the Plettenberg drawing mill and as a separate test, there is also the possibility of testing for internal defects using ultrasound. An ultrasonic testing method known as phased array testing is also in use. This enables the inspection of surface defects as well as near-surface defects and core defects in a single pass. Practically the entire volume of a peeled or drawn bar steel is thus tested for non-metallic inclusions, pores, cracks or other imperfections.

Furthermore, geometric parameters such as concentricity and roundness as well as numerous surface parameters such as roughness depth are measured in the laboratory. In addition to the Brinell, Vickers and Rockwell hardness testing methods, computer-aided tensile tests up to a tensile force of 600 kN can also be carried out. Both mobile and stationary emission spectrometers are available for determining the chemical composition. In metallography, metal microscopes are used in addition to stereomicroscopes. The microstructure of the steels can be evaluated by light microscopy at up to 1,500x magnification.

Using a scanning electron microscope, material investigations can be carried out in a magnification range from 12.5:1 to 1,000,000:1.

You benefit from our materials expertise above all by way of one thing: first-class product quality.