Digital image correlation (DIC)

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-invasive, optical measurement method for the precise tracking of surface movements and deformations in rotating and stationary machines.

Description

Areas of application

  • Non-contact measurement of deformations, stresses and vibrations for mechanical and aerodynamic applications

  • Rotor blade deformations in wind turbines under real operating conditions

  • Stress and modal analyses for evaluating mechanical components

  • Flexible application in 2D or 3D range with variable number of cameras

Functionality

  • Measurement variables: Deformation, strain, stresses, damping, frequencies (FFT)

  • Measurement principle:
    • Comparison of reference and measurement images to calculate displacements and stresses
    • High-precision sub-pixel interpolation enables movement resolutions of up to 0.01 pixels
    • Large-scale vibration analysis using high-speed cameras

  • System configuration:
    • One camera: 2D motion analysis
    • Two or more cameras: 3D capture of complex movements

Properties

  • High measuring accuracy even with difficult viewing angles and varying surface textures

  • Independent of reflective materials, customizable by sprayed patterns or printed foils

  • Can be flexibly combined with high-speed cameras for detailed analyses