Research on high-accuracy two-dimensional digital image correlation hardware measurement systems used in the engineering practice

Digital image correlation (DIC) method is a rapid development of photomechanics technology. The basic principle of the method is calculated the correlation between before and after deformation of the specimen surface speckle images, which is used to determine displacement and deformation. DIC measurement system includes hardware and software system. The former is the speckle image acquisition system, the latter are speckle image analysis algorithm and implementation procedures. Because the software analysis algorithm can achieve sub-pixel accuracy or even more, most of scholars have focused on the speckle image analysis algorithms. The system performance caused by the composition of hardware system has been less introduced. The hardware system mainly included the camera, lenses, lighting and other components. If hardware system is not perfect and stable, it will bring hundreds or even thousands of micro strain measurement error. These unfavorable factors make 2D-DIC inaccurate in small deformation tests. To some extent, it limits the application of 2D-DIC in the engineering practice. This paper analyzed that the various components of DIC hardware system impacted on the system performance, It was given that how to reasonably select the various components in the typical cases, as well as involved that the selection of 2D-DIC measurement system is applied to the actual engineering measurements in high temperature environment. These can provide support that 2D-DIC measurement system is better applied to the engineering practice.