The \\\"Stainless Steel Property Checker\\\" is an advanced, microcontroller-based embedded system designed to automate the non-destructive testing (NDT) and verification of stainless steel materi-als. Stainless steel is ubiquitous in industrial, construction, and biomedical sectors due to its high corrosion resistance and tensile strength. However, the visual homogeneity across different grades—specifically widely used austenitic grades (e.g., 304, 316) and martensitic/ferritic grades (e.g., 410, 430)—poses a significant challenge for quality assurance. The inadvertent mixing of grades or the utilization of substandard alloys can precipitate catastrophic failures, ranging from structural collapse to critical chemical contamination in food processing units. To mitigate these risks, this research proposes a portable, cost-effective, and highly reliable testing apparatus. The system integrates a suite of sensors, including Hall-effect sensors for magnetic permeability anal-ysis, conductivity probes for electrical resistivity profiling, and force sensors for surface hardness correlation. A central processing unit, utilizing platforms such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi, ac-quires real-time sensor data, processes it through predefined algorithms, and compares the results against a calibrated database of standard metallurgical properties. The final output determines the specific grade of the material and assesses its surface quality, displaying the results instantly on a digital interface. By replacing subjective manual inspections and expensive laboratory spectrosco-py with a unified, portable electronic solution, this project aims to revolutionize on-site material verification, ensuring adherence to safety standards and enhancing industrial operational efficien-cy.
Satpute et al. (Thu,) studied this question.