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 focuses on characterizing the fracture-surface appearance at the microscale and contains some discussion on both crack nucleation and propagation mechanisms that cause the fracture appearance. It begins with a discussion on microscale models and mechanisms for deformation and fracture. Next, the mechanisms of void nucleation and void coalescence are briefly described. Macroscale and microscale appearances of ductile and brittle fracture are then discussed for various specimen geometries (smooth cylindrical and prismatic) and loading conditions (e.g., tension compression, bending, torsion). Finally, the factors influencing the appearance of a fracture surface and various imperfections or stress raisers are described, followed by a root-cause failure analysis case history to illustrate some of these fractography concepts.

This article provides a description of the microscale models and mechanisms for deformation and fracture. Macroscale and microscale appearances of ductile and brittle fracture are discussed for various specimen geometries and loading conditions. The article reviews the general geometric factors and materials aspects that influence the stress-strain behavior and fracture of ductile metals. It highlights fractures arising from manufacturing imperfections and stress raisers. The article presents a root cause failure analysis case history to illustrate some of the fractography concepts.

This article provides an in-depth treatment on the deformation and recrystallization of titanium alloys. It provides information on the predominant mode of plastic deformation that occurs in titanium in terms of the most common crystallographic planes. The article explains the relationship of the recovery process to the recrystallization, grain-growth process, and the effects of time and temperature on stress relief. It describes the factors that influence the rate of recrystallization and the conditions required for neocrystallization to occur. The article explains the mechanism of strain hardening and its effects on the mechanical properties of titanium alloys. It also discusses the factors that influence the superplasticity of titanium alloys.

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 is a comprehensive collection of formulas and numerical solutions, addressing many heat-transfer scenarios encountered in welds. It provides detailed explanations and dimensioned drawings in order to discuss the geometry of weld models, transfer of energy and heat in welds, microstructure evaluation, thermal stress analysis, and fluid flow in the weld pool.

This article focuses on the various assumptions involved in the numerical modeling of welds, including the geometry of the welded structure and the weld joint, thermal stress, strain, residual stress, and the microstructure in the heat-affected and fusion zones.

This article outlines several polycrystal formulations commonly applied for the simulation of plastic deformation and the prediction of deformation texture. It discusses the crystals of cubic and hexagonal symmetry that constitute the majority of the metallic aggregates used in technological applications. The article defines the basic kinematic tensors, reports their relations, and presents expressions for calculating the change in crystallographic orientation associated with plastic deformation. It surveys some of the polycrystal models in terms of the relative strength of the homogeneous effective medium (HEM). The article analyzes the anisotropy predictions of rolled face-centered-cubic and body centered-cubic sheets and presents simulations of the axial deformation of hexagonal-close-packed zirconium. The applications of polycrystal constitutive models to the simulation of complex forming operations, through the use of the finite element method, are also presented.

Machining or material removal processes are secondary manufacturing operations that are used to achieve precise tolerances or to impart controlled surface finishes to a part. This article summarizes rules for designing parts to improve machined part quality and reduce machining costs in mass and batch production environments. It discusses the factors affecting the total cost of a machining operation, including raw material costs, labor costs, and equipment costs. The article describes three types of machining systems, namely, general-purpose machine tools, production machining systems, and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining systems. It reviews general design-for-machining rules that are applicable to all parts, regardless of the type of equipment used to produce them. Special considerations for production machining systems and CNC machining systems are discussed. The article describes the structure and typical uses of computer-aided process planning and design-for-manufacturing programs.

This article describes the underlying fundamentals, applications, the relevance and necessity of performing proper stress analysis in conducting a failure analysis. It presents an introduction to the stress analysis of bodies containing crack-like imperfections and the topic of fracture mechanics. The fracture mechanics approach is an important part of stress analysis at the tips of sharp cracks or discontinuities. The article reviews fracture mechanics concepts, including linear elastic fracture mechanics, elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, and subcritical fracture mechanics. It also provides information on the applications of fracture mechanics in failure analysis.

This article describes concepts and tools that can be used by the failure analyst to understand and address deformation, cracking, or fracture after a stress-related failure has occurred. Issues related to the determination and use of stress are detailed. Stress is defined, and a procedure to deal with stress by determining maximum values through stress transformation is described. The article provides the stress analysis equations of typical component geometries and discusses some of the implications of the stress analysis relative to failure in components. It focuses on linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis, with some mention of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics analysis. The article describes the probabilistic aspects of fatigue and fracture. Information on crack-growth simulation of the material is also provided.

This article discusses the forging processes and equipment and forging practice associated with the forging of magnesium alloys. It describes the workability of magnesium alloys. The article concludes with a discussion on the inspection of magnesium alloy forgings.

This article presents a detailed discussion on the microstructures, physical metallurgy, classification, deformation behavior, and fracture modes of titanium alloys. It illustrates the effect of microstructure and texture on the fracture topography and fracture behavior of titanium alloys with a variety of relevant examples.

This article provides an overview of the effects of various material- and process-related parameters on residual stress, distortion control, cracking, and microstructure/property relationships as they relate to various types of failure. It discusses phase transformations that occur during heat treating and describes the metallurgical sources of stress and distortion during heating and cooling. The article summarizes the effect of materials and the quench-process design on distortion and cracking and details the effect of cooling characteristics on residual stress and distortion. It also provides information on the methods of minimizing distortion and tempering. The article concludes with a discussion on the effect of heat treatment processes on microstructure/property-related failures.

This article describes the tests for the common types of fabricated components and modeling of metal deformation. It provides an overview of component testing and briefly reviews the relationship of mechanical properties in the process of mechanical design for static loads, cyclic loads, dynamic loads, and high-temperature materials. The article describes the general properties related to monotonic stress-strain behavior of steels. It also discusses materials properties and operating stresses as well as other factors, such as part shape and environmental effects, which play significant roles in the design process of components.

In this article, a metallurgical overview of the hardening process is provided. This overview is followed by the methodology involved in obtaining cooling curves, the currently accepted standardized methods of testing, and the use of newer methods of cooling curve data interpretation that describe the quenching process.

This article aims to summarize the work on cryogenic strength and toughness and to present the fractography of aluminum alloys. It presents case studies on the importance of understanding the fractography of aluminum alloys and the role of microstructure in the appearance of fractographic features, with variables comprised of in-plane/through-thickness anisotropy, test temperature, heat treatment condition, and the effect of welding.

Of the various thermal processing methods for steel, heat treating has the greatest overall impact on control of residual stress and on dimensional control. This article provides an overview of the effects of material- and process-related parameters on the various types of failures observed during and after heat treating of quenched and tempered steels. It describes phase transformations of steels during heating, cooling of steel with and without metallurgical transformation, and the formation of high-temperature transformation products on the surface of a carburized part. The article illustrates the use of carbon restoration on decarburized spring steels. Different geometric models for carbide formation are shown schematically. The article also describes the different microstructural features such as grain size, microcracks, microsegregation, and banding.

Magnesium and magnesium alloys are used in a wide variety of structural and nonstructural applications. This article provides information on selection and application of magnesium and magnesium alloys, mainly, casting alloys and wrought alloys. It also provides tabulated data for the composition, properties of these alloys, including compressive strength, bearing strength, shear strength, hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength. The article describes the selection of product forms (castings, extrusions, forgings) for structural applications which is based on mechanical property requirements, cost, availability, and fabricability. It also discusses the types of inserts used in magnesium. The article also deals with the joining of magnesium alloys by welding, adhesive bonding, and riveting. It concludes by describing the formability and machinability of magnesium and magnesium alloys, and explains the role of magnesium in design and weight reduction.