Why tensile test is important

The assessed value determines whether the bond is sufficient or too much for the intended application or whether another adhesive or bonding method should be used. This test uses a tensile test apparatus to apply a force to an item that already has an initial tear until it completely fails or breaks. This test measures the tear resistance or the ability of tensile testing samples to resist the progress of a partial tear.

This is often used in flexible materials, which are more vulnerable to accidental tears and holes. Such materials include fabrics, textiles, polymers, rubbers, elastomers, packaging, and paper products.

The performance and strength data measured by tensile testers are important in the selection of design and materials, purchase and sale of products, development of new products, quality control, and safety of equipment. During the research stage of product development, tensile testing is crucial in choosing the most appropriate materials. A tensile test machine can verify whether candidate materials pass the required strength and elongation requirements for a certain product.

In the metals industry, tensile testing provides an opportunity to discover new alloys, their qualities, and the possible uses they might have. This can lead to improved materials, which are beneficial to both manufacturers and end users.

The figure above also marks a few important points on a stress-strain curve found with a tensile test. The yield point marks the point of force where a material no longer exhibits elasticity and will not return to its original size if tension is released. The point of rupture 3 is when the material breaks and the stress-strain curve drops immediately back to zero.

For ductile materials, the tensile strength is the same as the ultimate strength point. Less ductile materials will break, or fracture, before they exhibit a neck, so the point of rupture is taken to be the tensile strength. Even the same material will show a different stress-strain curve across several tests, especially if there are varying factors such as temperature and speed of force loading.

The difference in stress-strain curves between ductile and brittle materials is greater. The MaterialsSceince video series by the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, Germany gives a great demonstration of this difference here. Topics: industry , material testing , tensile testing. Introduction Manufacturers of metals, including producers of raw material or finished metal products, need to pass compliance standards before shipping their product.

Contact an Engineer! Have a question about metal tension testing? We're happy to help! Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest. Related Posts. Solid Ice Axial-Torsion Testing. Materials and Testing Equipment. Remember me Login. Tensile strength tends to also be referred to in one of three other ways. These are: -. Once a limit is met, or exceeded, the material will tend to fail in one of two ways, depending on its physical properties. Breaking strength is defined as "the ability of a material to withstand a pulling or tensile force.

It is customarily measured in units of force per cross-sectional area". In this respect, it is effectively a synonym for tensile strength. Breaking strength is typically reported, like tensile strength, in pounds per square inch or newtons per meter. Tensile strength is usually determined through a series of formal tests of materials.

These tests will determine how much a material will elongate before reaching its ultimate tensile strength and how much load a particular material can resist before losing its structural integrity. Such tests may involve taking a small sample of the material with a fixed cross-sectional area, fixing both ends to "grips", and slowly, but steadily, pulling them apart -- often using a weight fixed to one end while the other remains in one place.

The weight is gradually increased and measurements are made about the change in length of the sample. More complex testing regimes are carried out for quality assurance purposes for materials like metal under laboratory conditions using a machine called universal testing machines UTM.