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The SIGMASCOPE® SMP10 instrument measures the electrical conductivity of aluminum alloys with full temperature compensation in only a few seconds.

To minimize the energy consumption in road traffic, the automotive industry manufactures an increasing number of vehicle components of aluminum and its alloys. The formed or machined work pieces are heat-treated to achieve sufficient strength and tensile strain at break. The work pieces are typically solution annealed, chilled, and naturally and artificially aged. This provides a homogenous structure and the desired strength. However, the properties set in this manner must be maintained within very narrow tolerances, in particular for safety components. This can only be assured by measuring and testing. Measuring the electrical conductivity according to the eddy-current method is cost-effective, because it is non-destructive. From the electrical conductivity, one can make direct conclusions regarding the tensile strength of the components. This is possible because of the changes in structure and grain size brought about by the heat treatment. They have a significant influence on the electrical conductivity. Thus, measuring the electrical conductivity is a good test for the strength.

However, instruments known thus far have not been suitable for measuring large quantities in the shop. Suppressing the influence of the work pieces varying temperatures on the conductivity has been a problem. It took too much time to measure and test all work pieces of a large series. However, a 100% quality control is absolutely required for safety components in vehicles such as, rims, engine mounts, body connection plates as well as brake and axle components.

Today, the SIGMASCOPE® SMP10 instrument makes such measurements possible. It operates using an external temperature sensor, which allows for the temperature measurement of specimens with an accuracy of below 1°C (1 °F) within 2 to 3 seconds, even with temperature differences of, for example, 10°C (10 °F) between successive specimens. This is absolutely essential because of the significant influence of the temperature on the electrical conductivity - for aluminum about 3 per mille per degree Celsius (Fahrenheit). The electrical conductivity determined using the measurement probe is then automatically converted to 20°C (+68 °F), the standard temperature that is typical for conductivity specifications. Because of this fast and accurate temperature measurement, errors due to temperature differences can be kept below 0.1 % IACS. Only because of this accuracy is it possible for quality control personnel to make a decision, whether the measured components are usable or not. Because the test procedure with the SIGMASCOPE® SMP10 takes only a few seconds, a 100 % quality control is now possible even for large quantity productions.

The compact and ergonomically shaped hand-held instrument with a large, backlit LCD screen is designed for operation in the shop. A particular advantage that cannot be found on any other instrument for comparable applications is the ability to set the temperature coefficient during the calibration for each material to be measured. An additional advantage of the SIGMASCOPE® SMP10 instrument is the select ability of the measurement frequencies of 60, 120, 240 and 480 kHz without changing the probe. In this manner, it can be optimally adapted to the respective application, e.g., the measurement of thin aluminum sheets for the body or thick castings and forgings for axles and brakes. Up to 100 application memories are available for the various applications and the instrument stores measurement parameters and the measurements associated with the applications. The memory can store up to 20,000 measurements. They can be displayed, statistically evaluated and printed or transmitted to a PC. The multi-line display of the instrument offers advantages as well. Clear text menus guide the user during parameter selection, measurement and evaluation. This ensures a simple yet secure operation of the instrument. In addition, a simple measurement mode can be selected. In this mode, the instrument displays only the measured electrical conductivity.