Many structures are made of metal. Humans have a long history of using metal materials, and it’s likely that we’ve exhausted all of the drawbacks of their use. The biggest problem with structures is damage accidents. Structural damage is material failure. If material failure were likened to human death, then degradation damage would be the material event that leads to death, similar to the progression of a fatal disease.
Just like with humans, safe structure management begins with understanding the potential for degradation damage (disease) in the structures under management.
These material events have been managed through the knowledge and experience of skilled engineers. Furthermore, through years of research, the phenomena and mechanisms have been largely elucidated.
Best Material Co., Ltd. has collected research results and related literature from around the world and organized them into nine major categories of damage mechanisms and 146 minor categories of damage mechanisms. These mechanisms have traditionally been implicit knowledge among skilled engineers. However, as skilled engineers retire and their workforce declines, there is a growing need to convert this implicit knowledge about degradation and damage into AI and make it accessible to everyone. To meet this need, we developed the following AI system.
Damage Mechanism Selection AI
Based on the operating conditions of a plant, etc. (material, stress, temperature, environment, etc.), 146 potential damage mechanisms (no other mechanisms) can be selected. Predicting damage mechanisms can be used for preventive maintenance to develop appropriate maintenance plans.
Creep residual life estimation
Even if a material is subjected to stress that does not permanently deform or break at room temperature (below a certain temperature determined for each material), at high temperatures it will gradually deform and break after a certain period of time. This phenomenon is called creep.
“Creep residual life estimation” estimates creep residual life under various conditions.
Damage Cause Identification AI
Identifies which of the 146 damage mechanisms is the cause, taking into account the damage pattern and operating conditions at the damaged location of the metal material.
Damage Mechanism Explanations & Cases
The structure of the damage mechanisms in the newly created damage mechanism table differs from the structure in MatGuide’s damage mechanism explanations and damage case database. Therefore, we have developed a “Damage Mechanism Explanations & Examples” that conforms to the newly created damage mechanism table.