Tensile Testing – Standards and TENSTAND
Introduction | Workpackages & Reports | ASCII data files | Partners | Contact
The revised standards EN 10002 Pt 1 & Pt 5, covering room temperature and elevated tensile testing of metals respectively, now recognise the dominance of computer controlled testing machines, but the systematic technological evidence on which such standards should be based has not been readily available. TENSTAND was set up as a 3-year project, funded by the EU under the programme "Promoting Competitive & Sustainable Growth", and has addressed this issue through:
- Development of tensile data sets in ASCII format that can be used for validating testing machine software used to determine the relevant material parameters (including Young's modulus, proof stress, tensile strength, and elongation at fracture)
- An intercomparison exercise on testing machine control methodology for tensile testing and numerical modelling activities to provide underpinning information for development of tensile testing standards
- Work on the measurement of modulus by both tensile testing and dynamic methods, again to provide underpinning information for development of relevant standards
As part of the TENSTAND project, a comprehensive literature review on tensile testing has also been completed, covering many aspects of tensile testing including recent development in standards, alignment and gripping, testpiece geometry, speed and control of testing, round-robins, data recording, and its precision and estimating the uncertainty of measurement.
Workpackages and Reports
The project consisted of four technical activities as detailed below:
- Literature Review of tensile test machine control characteristics, modulus determination and inter-comparison exercises, and data suitable for the assessment of uncertainty.
Click here to download the TENSTAND Test Method Review 
(PDF 10.1 MB)
- Evaluation of Digital Tensile Software Specification of Software, including evaluation of mathematical and graphical methods and preparation of ASCII format tensile data sets of typical engineering alloys. A series of data sets have been generated for validation of test machine and analysis software and for determining the designated material properties such as Proof Stress, or Upper and Lower Yield Stress, Tensile Strength, and Elongation at Fracture using testing machine manufacturers' commercial software and in-house university and industrial software.
Click here to download the TENSTAND Software Validation Evaluation (PDF 2.29 MB)
Click here for details of the ASCII datafiles
- Modulus Measurement Methods: Evaluation of methods algorithms used for determining tensile modulus by software validation using a) ASCII tensile data sets and b) by mechanical testing. The report compares modulus values determined using alternative techniques.
Click here to download the TENSTAND Modulus Measurement Methods report (PDF 2.23 MB)
- Evaluation of Machine Control Characteristics: Work was carried out to examine the influence of test machine control, i.e. permitted speed changes during the test in the Standard, achieved through a test programme using a selection of materials, including the Certified Tensile Reference Material CRM661, and at other industrial relevant materials.
Click here to download the TENSTAND Machine Control Tests report (PDF 2.53 MB)
Tensile ASCII datafiles
These ASCII formatted data sets have been developed for the validation of tensile testing machine software, and for the determination of materials parameters by comparison with agreed values established through the TENSTAND intercomparison.
Files can be downloaded individually or as a complete set by clicking the links below:
File Material Tensile behaviour Click for 01 Nimonic 75, CRM Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt) 06 Nimonic 75, CRM Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt) 10 13% Mn Steel High work hardening Text file (.txt) 13 S355 Structural steel Upper and lower yield Text file (.txt) 17 316L Stainless steel Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt) 22 Tin coated packaging steel Stress softening Text file (.txt) 30 Sheet steel - DX56 Low work hardening Text file (.txt) 38 Aluminium sheet - hard AA5182 Stepped yielding Text file (.txt) 42 Aluminium sheet - soft AA1050 Non-linear Text file (.txt) 46 Aluminium sheet - soft AA5182 Serrated yielding Text file (.txt) 50 Sheet steel - DX56 Low work hardening Text file (.txt) 53 Sheet steel - ZStE Upper and lower yield Text file (.txt) 57 Synthetic data Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt) 61 Synthetic data with 0.5% noise Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt) 63 Synthetic data with 1% noise Monotonic yielding Text file (.txt)
Please note: The data sets are to be used in conjunction with the report on the Tensile Testing
Software Intercomparison, where agreed values and issues related to the analysis of the data are given.
Click here to download the TENSTAND Software Validation Evaluation
Partners
Organisation Country Contact Activity National Physical Laboratory UK
Jerry Lord Research & Testing INSTRON UK Ian McEnteggart Testing Machine Manufacturer BAM Germany Hellmuth Klingelhoffer Research & Testing ZWICK Germany Hermann Bloching Testing Machine Manufacturer Denison-Mayes (DMG) UK Simon Willett Testing Machine Manufacturer Thyssen Krup Stahl (TKS) Germany Michael Borsutzki Steel Producer USINOR (SOLLAC) France Jean-Luc Geoffroy Steel Producer Corus Stuart Sotheran Steel Producer Hydro Aluminium RDB Johannes Aegerter Aluminium Producer ISQ Portugal Carlos Pinto Research & Testing Dept of Mech Eng,
University of StrathclydeUK Tom Gray Education & Research Dept Mech & Manufacturing Eng,
Trinity College, DublinEire Michael Murphy Education & Research
Contact
For more information, please contact Jerry Lord