Know how and applications

Tensile Testing -The Foundation for Material Strength and Durability

Tensile testing is a fundamental procedure in material testing used to determine the strength and ductility of materials. It is especially important in engineering and material science to ensure that materials can withstand the required loads and perform reliably in various applications.

What is Tensile Testing?

In tensile testing, a material sample is subjected to a tensile force until it fails. The goal is to measure the material’s physical properties, such as tensile strength, elongation, and elasticity. This provides insight into how the material behaves under stress and how it will perform in use.

The Process of Tensile Testing:

Sample Preparation: A material sample is cut into a standardized shape, often a tensile specimen or rod, to ensure consistent and comparable results.
Conducting the Test: The sample is clamped into a tensile testing machine, which applies a uniform tensile force. During the test, the sample is stretched, and the applied force and resulting elongation are continuously measured.
Recording Results: Data is recorded and displayed on a stress-strain curve. This curve shows how the material behaves under increasing load and when it fails.

Key Results of Tensile Testing:

Tensile Strength: The maximum tensile force that the material can withstand before breaking. This value is crucial for understanding how much load the material can bear.
Elongation: Also known as elongation at break, it describes how much the material can stretch before breaking. This is important for assessing the material’s flexibility or brittleness.
Modulus of Elasticity: A measure of the material’s stiffness, indicating how much stress is needed to elongate the material by a certain amount. A higher value indicates a stiffer material.
Breaking Strength: The maximum tensile stress that a material can endure before failing. This value shows how much tensile force the material can handle before it breaks.

Why is Tensile Testing Important?

Tensile testing is essential to ensure that materials meet the requirements of their intended applications. It helps engineers and developers select materials that can meet the mechanical demands of a product, whether in the construction of buildings, vehicles, or machinery.

Through tensile testing, material defects can be detected early, and quality assurance can be improved. In production, it allows for the monitoring of material consistency and quality, helping to avoid failures and safety risks.

Our Expertise at Shimadzu
Shimadzu offers highly accurate tensile testing machines that help you obtain comprehensive information about the strength and ductility of your materials. Our equipment is designed for precision and reliability to provide you with accurate test results essential for your quality control and product development.

Tensile Testing Standards

Applications

EZ-SX/LX, Tensile Testing

Paper tensile test SEG0214b

Tensile tests are a fundamental test within material science and is performed on more or less all materials including paper. Within the paper industry it is very important to know the tensile properties. Paper products are for example often printed in automated machines where the paper is run through big rolls over...

AGS-X, Tensile Testing

Tensile Tests of Plastic Materials at Low Temperatures (-40 °C)

Tensile tests are widely used to evaluate plastic materials, and the results are used as indices for new materials development and for implementing quality control. Items evaluated as tensile characteristics of plastic materials include the tensile modulus...

EZ-SX/LX, Tensile Testing

Tensile Testing of Cultured Epidermis

Various research institutes and businesses have been developing regenerative medical products*1 in the recent years in order to facilitate the spread of regenerative medicine. Since quality control is crucial for regenerative medical products...

AGX-V, Tensile Testing

Tensile Test according ISO 6892-1 using the long-range extensometer MFX 500-B

For many applications, automatic longstroke extensometers have an advantage over clip-on extensometers. These sensors are in direct mechanical contact with the sample and, unlike most clip-on extensometers...

AGS-X, Tensile Testing

Tensile Testing of Fabrics (ISO 13934-1 Strip Method)

Every day, we change into various clothes according to the season, time of day, situation, and scene. For example, in the summer during the day we wear a T-shirt that breathes well, and in the cold winter a down jacket that keeps us warm...

AGX-V, Tensile Testing

Tensile Test of Plastics with Automatic Extensometer

Plastic materials have excellent formability and versatility, and are widely employed as structural/functional material in several fields ranging from aircraft parts to electronic components. During the design/quality control phase...

FAQs: About Tensile Testing

01. What is tensile testing?

Tensile testing is a fundamental procedure in materials science used to determine how a material will react to forces that are applied in tension. This test measures the material’s strength, ductility, and overall mechanical behavior under stretching forces.

02. What types of materials can be tested with tensile testing?

Tensile testing can be performed on a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, composites, rubber, and textiles. It is applicable to any material where understanding its mechanical properties under tension is important.

03. How is a tensile test conducted?

In a tensile test, a sample (typically in the form of a standardized specimen) is placed in a testing machine that applies a uniaxial tensile force. The force is gradually increased until the material breaks. During the test, the force and the elongation of the sample are recorded.

04. What are the key parameters measured during a tensile test?

Key parameters measured include:

Tensile Strength: The maximum amount of tensile stress a material can withstand before breaking.
Elongation: The amount the material stretches before failure, indicating ductility.
Modulus of Elasticity: Also known as Young’s Modulus, it measures the material’s stiffness or rigidity.
Yield Strength: The stress at which a material begins to deform plastically.

05. What is the difference between tensile strength and yield strength?

Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a material can endure while being stretched before failing. It represents the ultimate strength of the material.
Yield Strength: The stress at which a material begins to deform permanently. It indicates the point at which a material transitions from elastic to plastic deformation.

06. Why is ductility important in tensile testing?

Ductility measures a material’s ability to deform under stress without breaking. It is crucial for applications where materials need to absorb and redistribute stress, such as in structural components, where the material should bend or stretch rather than break suddenly.

07. How does the tensile testing process affect the material?

Tensile testing involves stretching the material to its breaking point, which provides insights into its mechanical properties. Although the test destroys the sample, the data obtained is critical for determining material suitability and performance in real-world applications.

08. What are some common applications of tensile testing?

Quality Control: Ensuring materials meet specific strength and flexibility requirements.
Material Selection: Choosing appropriate materials for different applications based on their mechanical properties.
Research and Development: Studying the properties of new materials or improving existing ones.

09. What equipment is used for tensile testing?

Tensile testing is conducted using a tensile testing machine, which consists of:

Grips: To hold the sample securely.
Load Cell: To measure the applied force.
Extensometer: To measure the elongation of the sample.
Control and Analysis Software: To record and analyze the data.

10. How do you interpret the results of a tensile test?

The results of a tensile test are interpreted through stress-strain curves, which plot the applied force against the elongation of the material. Key points on the curve include the yield point, tensile strength, and ultimate tensile strength. These values help determine the material’s suitability for specific applications and predict its performance under load.

Machines for Tensile Testing

Universal testing machines

AGX-V

Pro

Test force	10, 20/50, 100, 300, 600 kN
Test type	Tensile, bending & compression tests
Drive	Electrical mechanical
Type	Table-top and floor-standing appliances
Industries	Universal

Universal testing machines

AGS-X

Advanced

Test force	10, 20, 50, 100, 300 kN
Test type	Tensile, bending & compression tests
Drive	Electrical mechanical
Type	Table-top and floor-standing appliances
Industries	Universal

Universal testing machines

EZ-SX/LX

Basic

Test force	1 N – 500 N
Test type	Tensile, bending & compression tests
Drive	Electrical mechanical
Type	Table-top appliances
Industries	Universal

Knowledge in materials testing

Material testing is crucial for material quality and safety. Various technologies such as non-destructive testing, tensile testing and bending testing are used. Standards and regular calibration of testing machines are essential to ensure accurate results. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) provide additional information.

Tensile Testing

General
Calibration and standards
Applications
FAQs

Bending Testing

General
Calibration and standards
Applications
FAQs

Compression Testing

General
Calibration and standards
Applications
FAQs

Non-destructive Testing

General
Applications
FAQs

Particle Size Measurement

General
Applications
FAQs

High-speed Video Camera

General
Applications
FAQs