Abstract
Good measurement infrastructure is vital for providing essential data for process model development that is used to provide better control during production. Recently a consortium of research technology organisations within the UK have developed “good practice guides” for hot deformation tests, such as axisymmetric compression, plane strain compression and solid torsion. Taking this activity forward a key objective now is to develop a “Good Practice Guide” for measuring the local microstructures in terms of grain and phase size, shape, spatial distribution and volume fraction of second phase (or recrystallised fraction). Measurement issues are being addressed with new characterisation methods, for example, orientation and hardness mapping, predominantly in these representative hot deformation compression tests.