Materials testing helps us to quantify, and understand whether a material or product is suitable to a certain application. Materials testing points us to limits of a material to handle a load or an operating condition. Materials that have not been tested and directly used in a product can be extremely dangerous. The data collected during testing and the final test results can be very useful to engineers, designers, manufacturing engineers and even the marketing department.
Mechanical properties could be determined for all types of materials that are found in aerospace, automotive and biomedical applications. The following mechanical tests could provide more information on the mechanical properties and characteristics of materials,
• Ductility and Hardness
• Stress and Strain
• Elongation at break
• Impact Resistance
• Fracture Toughness
• Fatigue under controlled stress or strain
• Creep
Following are some of the reasons material testing is important:
- Meeting requirements of regulatory agencies
- Evaluating product designs, analyzing a field failure or optimizing a product
- Selecting appropriate materials for end use applications
- Verifying a production method or conditions
Apart from following a process or procedure to test a mateiral or a product, manufacturers can also make sure that their products conforms to some international test standards like IS, BIS, ISO, ASTM, DIN etc. This is one of the best ways to make sure that the material and product is worth in terms of quality. Regulatory agencies also require that products be tested as per standards before providing the go-ahead to market launch.
