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.

This article provides a practical reference guide for instrumented indentation testing (IIT). It summarizes the various types of indenters used in IIT and parameters describing their geometries. The article discusses the physical principles and models used to determine hardness and elastic modulus from indentation load displacement data. Indentation deformation can be time-dependent, with the extent and nature of the time dependence strongly influenced by temperature. The article examines the methods for probing and characterizing the time-dependent phenomena. It also emphasizes the better-developed measurement techniques and procedures and calibrations required to obtain accurate and meaningful measurements.

This article discusses the significant factors in the selection of forging equipment for a particular process. It describes the characteristics of forging hydraulic presses, mechanical presses, screw presses, and hammers. The article discusses the significant characteristics of these machines that comprise all machine design and performance data, which are pertinent to the economic use of the machines, including the characteristics for load and energy, time-related characteristics, and characteristics for accuracy.

This article focuses on the influence of various work material properties, namely, hardness; toughness; stiffness; ductility; thermal, electrical, and magnetic properties; and microstructure effects on finishing methods. It also addresses the relative response of work materials, such as metals, ceramics, and composites, to grinding.

This article describes common design criteria and identifies the design considerations that have a significant effect on the end product. The design criteria include cost, size, mechanical properties, repeatability and precision of parts, damage tolerance and durability, and environmental constraints.

Precision forging is defined as a closed-die forging process in which the accuracy of the shape, dimensional tolerances, and surface finish exceed normal expectations to the extent that some of the postforge operations can be eliminated. This article provides an overview of the key factors that impact the precision forging process. It provides information on the achievable tolerances and presents examples of precision forging. A discussion on forging of bevel gears/spiral bevel gears is also presented.

Compacted graphite iron (CGI) invariably includes some nodular (spheroidal) graphite particles, giving rise to the definition of the microstructure in terms of percent nodularity. This article discusses the graphite morphology and mechanical and physical properties of CGI. The mechanical and physical properties of CGI with ferritic and pearlitic matrix structures are summarized in a table. The article describes the standards for CGI, with the definition of the grades based on the minimum tensile strength. It also provides information on the applications of compacted graphite iron castings.

The primary motivation for the insertion of metal-matrix composites (MMCs) into aeronautical systems is the excellent balance of specific strength and stiffness offered by MMCs. This article provides information on the aerostructural, aeropropulsion, and aeronautical subsystem applications of MMCs. The applications include ventral fin, fuel access door covers, helicopter blade sleeve, fan exit guide vane, nozzle actuator piston rod, nozzle actuator links, T-1 racks, and hydraulic manifold.

This article describes the characteristics of three types of gas bearings, such as aerostatic bearing, precision aerodynamic bearing (PAB), and compliant aerodynamic bearing (CAB). It discusses the applications for aerostatic bearings and advantages in lubricating a bearing with a compressible gas. The article also describes the different types of aerostatic bearings, such as annular thrust bearings and orifice-compensated journal bearings. It presents a discussion on load capacity and stiffness, friction and power loss, and stability and damping of the aerostatic bearings. The article provides a discussion on the types of PAB and CAB. The types include spiral groove annular thrust bearings, cylindrical journal bearings, three-sector journal bearings, tilting-pad journal bearings, and helical-grooved journal bearings. The types of CAB include foil bearings and pressurized-membrane bearings. The article concludes with a description of factors that influence materials selection for gas-lubricated bearings.

Honeycomb is a product consisting of very thin sheets attached to form connecting cells. This article briefly explains the construction, core characteristics, properties, and testing methods of the honeycomb structures. It discusses the special processes carried out in customizing the shape of core to fit customer's specific needs. The article provides information on the basic concept of creating sandwich structures and its corresponding aspects like material selection, design guidelines, and structural efficiency.

Manufacturing process selection is a critical step in plastic product design. The article provides an overview of the functional requirements that a part must fulfil before process selection is attempted. A brief discussion on the effects of individual thermoplastic and thermosetting processes on plastic parts and the material properties is presented. The article presents process effects on molecular orientation. It also illustrates the thinking that goes into the selection of processes for size, shape, and design factors. Finally, the article describes how various processes handle reinforcement.

Rotational molding is a simple but unique process that has the capability of producing small to large hollow items with very uniform wall thicknesses. Providing an overview of the operating principles of rotational molding, this article discusses the key selection factors, including function and property requirements for resins and additives; size, shape, design, and cost of molded parts; equipment type and size; and the type of mold to be used. Commonly used molds include cast aluminum, fabricated sheet metal, nickel deposit, machined aluminum, silicone, fiberglass, and prototype molds.

This article discusses the properties and uses of structural ceramics and the basic processing steps by which they are made. It describes raw material preparation, forming and fabrication, thermal processing, and finishing. It provides information on the composition, microstructure, and properties of aluminum oxides, aluminum titanate, silicon carbide, boron carbide, zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon-aluminum-oxynitride, and several ceramic composites. It also explains how these materials maintain their mechanical strength and dimensional tolerances at high temperatures and how some of their shortcomings are being addressed.

This article begins with a review of the purposes of mechanical characterization tests and the general considerations related to the mechanical properties of anisotropic systems, specimen fabrication, equipment and fixturing, environmental conditioning, and analysis of test results. It provides information on the specimen preparation, instrumentation, and procedures for various mechanical test methods of fiber-reinforced composites. These include the compression test, flexure test, shear test, open hole tension test, and compression after impact test. The article describes three distinct fracture modes, namely, crack opening mode, shearing mode, and tearing mode. It presents an overview of fatigue testing and fatigue damage mechanisms of composite materials and reviews the types of mechanical measurements that can be made during the course of testing to assess fatigue damage. The article concludes with a discussion on the split-Hopkinson pressure bar test.

Designing composites for structural performance initially involves meeting a set of desired performance specifications at a minimum cost. This article discusses the factors that are considered in designing the manufacturing of polymeric composites. It describes the various aspects of manufacturing, forming process, and post-processing and fabrication for designing the composites.

The key to any successful part development is the proper choice of material, process, and design matched to the part performance requirements. Understanding the true effects of time, temperature, and rate of loading on material performance can make the difference between a successful application and catastrophic failure. This article provides examples of reliable material performance indicators and common practices to avoid failure. Simple tools and techniques for predicting part mechanical performance integrated with manufacturing concerns, such as flow length and cycle time, are demonstrated. The article describes the prediction of mechanical part performance for stiffness, strength/impact, creep/stress relaxation, and fatigue.

This article provides a schematic illustration of factors that should be considered in component design. It discusses the effect of component geometry on the behavior of materials and groups the main parameters that affect the value of the factor of safety. The article illustrates the estimation of probability of failure with an example. It reviews the designing and selection of materials for static strength and stiffness. The article also describes the causes of failure of engineering components, including design deficiencies, poor selection of materials, and manufacturing defects.