Static-Stress Testing

To begin this week I helped run static stress tests on the samples I prepared last week. The static-stress test machine differs from the high-speed stress machine in that it slowly applies a load onto the sample until failure. The high-speed stress machine rapidly applies a load onto the sample resulting in failure of the material.

Each test takes anywhere from five to ten minutes per sample, so we were performing tests for well over two hours. Seeing the machines functioning and performing the tests was a new experience for me as I have never actually performed tests with machinery in a lab setting.

However, in order to properly take data of the samples a system called DIC had to be set up to analyze any deformation of the sample through the application of the load. DIC setup takes about three hours alone as the process is very precise and detailed.

My next post will contain testing on the high-speed machine... unless it stops working.

Here are a few pictures of the Static tests and of the DIC set up:

Thanks for reading.

Nick Thompson