Tensile testing

Guidance on testing: Standards and TENSTAND​

The revised standards EN 10002 Pt 1 & Pt 5, covering room temperature and elevated tensile testing of metals, 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 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 was 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, precision and estimating the uncertainty of measurement.

Find out more on the following topics: 

• Workpackages and reports
• ASCII data files
• Partners

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.

Download the TENSTAND Test Method Review

• 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.

Download the TENSTAND Software Validation Evaluation

Download details of the ASCII datafiles

• Modulus measurement methods: Evaluation of methods algorithms used for determining tensile modulus by software validation using ASCII tensile data sets and by mechanical testing. The report compares modulus values determined using alternative techniques.

Download the TENSTAND Modulus Measurement Methods report

• 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.

Download the TENSTAND Machine Control Tests report

ASCII data files

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 as a complete set by clicking the link at the bottom of the following table:

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.

Download the TENSTAND Software Validation Evaluation

Partners

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Find out more about NPL’s research on Mechanical testing