Search Results for gripping system

This article describes the phenomena of crack initiation and early growth. It examines specimen design and preparation as well as the apparatus used in crack initiation testing. The article provides descriptions of the various commercially available fatigue testing machines: axial fatigue testing machines and bending fatigue machines. Load cells, grips and alignment devices, extensometry and strain measuring devices, environmental chambers, graphic recorders, furnaces, and heating systems of ancillary equipment are discussed. The article presents technologies available to accomplish closed loop control of materials testing systems in performing standard materials tests and for the development of custom testing applications. It explores the advanced software tools for materials testing. The article includes a description of baseline isothermal fatigue testing, creep-fatigue interaction, and thermomechanical fatigue. The effects of various variables on fatigue resistance and guidelines for fatigue testing are also presented.

The article provides an overview of the various types of testing machines: gear-driven or screw-driven machines and servohydraulic machines. It examines force application systems, force measurement, and strain measurement. The article discusses important instrument considerations and describes gripping techniques of test specimens. It analyzes test diagnostics and reviews the use of computers for gathering and reducing data. Emphasis is placed on universal testing machines with separate discussions of equipment factors for tensile testing and compressing testing. The influence of the machine stiffness on the test results is also described, along with a general assessment of test accuracy, precision, and repeatability of modern equipment.

THE TENSION TEST is one of the most commonly used tests for evaluating materials. The material characteristics obtained from tension tests are used for quality control in production, for ranking performance of structural materials, for evaluation of alloys, and for dealing with the static-strength requirements of design. This article describes the stress-strain behavior during a tension test and provides the definition of terms such as stress, force, strain, and elongation. It explains the tensile properties obtained from the test results: the tensile strength and yield strength, which includes offset yield strength, extension-under-load yield strength, and upper yield strength. The article concludes with a description of the general procedures for conducting the tension test based on ASTM standards and the variability of tensile properties.

Testing and characterization of fatigue crack growth are used extensively to predict the rate at which subcritical cracks grow due to fatigue loading. ASTM standard E 647 is the accepted guideline for fatigue crack growth testing (FCGR) and is applicable to a wide variety of materials and growth rates. The two most widely used types of specimens are the middle-crack tension and compact-type specimens. This article describes the factors affecting the selection of appropriate geometries of these specimens: consideration of material availability and raw form, desired loading condition, and equipment limitations. Various crack measurement techniques, including optical, ultrasonic, acoustic emission, electrical, and compliance methods, are also reviewed. The article discusses the two major aspects of FCGR test analysis: to ensure suitability of the test data and to calculate growth rates from the data.

This article describes the fracture mechanics in fatigue. It discusses the fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) testing that consists of several steps, beginning with selecting the specimen size, geometry, and crack length measurement technique. The two major aspects of FCGR test analysis are to ensure suitability of the test data and to calculate growth rates from the data. The article presents an analysis of the crack growth data. Optical, compliance, and electric potential difference are the most common laboratory techniques, and the article reviews their merits and limitations. Forced-displacement, forced-vibration, rotational-bending, resonance, and servomechanical systems for various loading conditions are also discussed.

This article reviews the common methods of shear and multiaxial testing for the evaluation of engineering components such as fasteners and mill products. It discusses shear test methods, including through-thickness tests, in-plane shear tests, and double-notched shear test. The article provides information on torsional (rotational shear) tests as well as the basic equipment and setup of torsion testing. Motors, twist and torque transducers, torque sensors, and heating systems as well as the specimen preparation procedure are also discussed.

This article discusses the basic approach for predicting the corrosion-fatigue life of structural components. It describes two types of tests that are normally used in combination: cycles-to-failure tests, which focus on crack initiation, and crack propagation tests, which focus on crack growth rates under cyclic load. The article examines corrosion-fatigue cracking along with the effects of cracking due to stress corrosion and hydrogen embrittlement, which often occur together. It explains how test parameters such as loading and environmental conditions impact crack growth mechanisms and data interpretation.

This article discusses the underlying concepts and basic techniques for performing ultrasonic fatigue tests and describes test equipment design, specimen design, and effective control over test variables. It reviews the results obtained with ultrasonic fatigue test methods with respect to strain-rate-dependent material behavior. The article also provides information on the applications of the ultrasonic fatigue test.

This article discusses two types of hot-tension tests, namely, the Gleeble test and conventional isothermal hot-tension test, as well as their equipment. It summarizes the data for hot ductility, strength, and hot-tension for commercial alloys. The article presents isothermal hot-tension test data, which helps to gain information on a number of material parameters and material coefficients. It details the effect of test conditions on flow behavior. The article briefly describes the detailed interpretation of data from the isothermal hot-tension test using numerical model. It also explains the cavitation mechanism and failure modes that occur during hot-tension testing.

Stretch forming is the forming of sheet, bars, and rolled or extruded sections over a die or form block of the required shape while the workpiece is held in tension. This article discusses the applicability, advantages, and machines and accessories of stretch forming. It provides a detailed discussion on four methods of stretch forming, namely, stretch draw forming, stretch wrapping, compression forming, and radial draw forming.

This article provides the general mechanical testing guidelines for the characterization of lamina and laminate properties. Guidelines are provided for tensile property, compressive property, shear property, flexure property, fracture toughness, and fatigue property test methods. The article also tabulates selected standards for lamina and laminate mechanical testing.

High-pressure die casting is a fast method for the net shape manufacturing of parts from nonferrous alloys. This article reviews the automation technologies for the different stages or steps of the process. These steps include liquid metal pouring, injection, solidification, die open, part extraction, die lubrication, insert loading, and die close. Some manual aspects of the operations, together with automation options, are discussed. The article describes finishing steps, such as finish trimming, detailed deflashing, shot blast cleaning, and quality checks. Automation of the postcasting process is also discussed.

Thermal spray is an important surface-modification process implemented by the steel industry. This article reviews thermal spray materials and equipment used and also provides examples of where typical coated components result in improved performance. It contains a table that lists thermal spray applications in the iron-steel manufacturing industry.

Torsion tests can be carried out on most materials, using standard specimens, to determine mechanical properties such as modulus of elasticity in shear, yield shear strength, ultimate shear strength, modulus of rupture in shear, and ductility. This article discusses the torsional deformation of prismatic bars of circular cross-section and torsional response of prismatic bars of noncircular cross-section. It analyzes the elastic deformation, plastic deformation, and the effect of strain rate on plastic deformation. The article describes the theory of anisotropy in plastic torsion and the various components of a torsion testing machine. These include drive system, test section, torque and rotational displacement transducers, and rigid frame.

This article commences with a description of the four basic types of feeding arrangements, namely, hand feeding, hitch feeds, roll feeds, and slide feeds. Air feeds offer the utility of use with a wide variety of presses and machines. The article discusses the mounting and actuation of the air feeds, which allows automatic feeding in machinery that is not normally adaptable to the use of standard feeds. Automatic press feeds are used to improve production and provide uniform, accurate progressions. The article describes the accuracy control techniques for the automatic press feeds and concludes with information on air circuits for the air feeds.