Novel Techniques and Their Applications for Measuring Out-of-Plane Distortion of Welded Structures (The National Shipbuilding Research Program)

Abstract : Whether or not a certain amount of planar distortion is critical, a point of consistency in the ship fabrication process is the need to accurately assess an existing degree of distortion in both local and global domains. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, three novel measurement devices have been developed as an adjunct to ongoing research. Distortion can now he evaluated either through laser interferometry, low-power laser beam triangulation, or direct surface contact. In addition to describing the operation and construction of the devices, their particular applications from a ship production/plate forming perspective are detailed.