Mechanical Testing

In the working group Mechanical Testing several testing systems are available for destructive material testing.

Three of these systems are presented here:

In the field Mechanical testing the most different mechanical properties are determined by means of destroying testing methods. The extensive equipment in test machines enables to determine mechanical properties from tension and compression tests with static and dynamic loading as well as from creep tests.

A powerful thermo-mechanical  deformation simulator is available with the Gleeble System 3800 for tension and compression. The main features of the Gleeble system are the high strain rates (ram speed up to 2 m/s) and the high heating rates (up to 10000 °C/s). Loading forces up to 200 kN can be applied on the specimens. The conductive heating allows specimen temperatures up to 1700 °C.

An important application of the test system Gleeble 3800 is the determination of mechanical properties for the simulation as for example through the recording of flow curves of different alloys. Through numerical calculations (FEM) parameter studies can be carried out with the aim to optimize the extrusion process of these materials.

Besides the extremely high heating rates quenching with air, water, gases or fluids is also possible. Thereby, microstructures can be generated similarly to the heat influenced zone which occurs during a welding process.

In addition to the Gleeble System 3800 tension and compression tests can be carried out with the servo-hydraulic universal testing machine MTS 810.
This machine is capable of loading forces up to 100 kN. Also cyclic testing is possible. Two and three zones furnaces allow mechanical testing at temperatures up to 1400 °C.

For creep and relaxation experiments of metallic materials the servo-electrical testing system DSM 6102 is used.  This system is capable of tensile loading forces up to 50 kN. A three zones furnace permits testing at temperatures up to 1100°C.