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Optical metrology has long been a high performance research tool for scientists in the laboratory. Modern forms of photogrammetry are now supporting engineering and manufacturing measurements. These optical metrology tools provide rapid, full-field measurements that are easy to use, broadly applicable and directly comparable to today's computer models and simulations. 3D Photogrammetry is the basis of Digital Image Correlation, White Light Scanning and Dynamic Photogrammetry metrologies. This paper will discuss the real world engineering and manufacturing applications where these optical methods are providing a more precise and holistic measurement of materials, structures and operating machines. This precise, detailed knowledge is allowing direct solutions to problems and rapid, real-time comparison to engineering design. Like a team of engineers in a box, optical metrology is providing the tools to achieve lean manufacturing for better, more advanced products.

Materials are advancing at a record rate, with unimagined complexity even in now standard materials. Traditional measurement tools can only get approximate material properties. Core to all proper design and accurate computer modeling is a base understanding of accurate material properties. Full-field optical measurement tools using 3D digital image correlation (DIC) is able to provide a more complete measurement and analysis of these advanced materials, providing precise material properties at all scales. This paper will review microscopic analysis of crystalline behavior, coupon testing of dog bone specimens and large scale materials measurements in stamping operations. In addition, the measurement of extreme materials properties, such as high-speed forming limit curves and deep drawing properties will be discussed. Key to all of these measurements are the associated standards that control them; these will be discussed.

Full-field optical methods are replacing many of the traditional test measurement methods for verification and iteration of computer models and simulations. This paper will discuss the development of these technologies and their impact on the testing and FEM worlds for solving many typical measurements, and some measurements considered here to fore impossible.

Materials qualification, forming analysis, component and structural testing, advanced video metrology systems utilizing photogrammetry and image correlation provide robust full-field measurement capabilities for broad ranges of measurement applications. These advanced techniques of 3D image correlation (ARAMIS) for 3D deformation and strain measurement, photogrammetry (ARGUS) for automated forming analysis for manufactured parts and dynamic photogrammetry (PONTOS), are substantially more robust and provide a greater dynamic range than other technologies, and are simpler to use and less expensive to implement. The technologies are inherently three-dimensional, measuring total deformation of complex objects and their shape, rather than just relative deformation. The technology also has a much higher dynamic range of deformation measurement, which is particularly critical during dynamic deformation analysis such as during systems analysis, plastic deformation and defect propagation.