MEEM2901
Mechanical Engineering Practice Course – I
Tensile Testing Report Week 3
Date: 09-30-2015 Lab Section: L12 W 1:00pm
Individual Student: Ryan Connolly
1. Introduction
The purpose of this experiment was to tensile test polymers and metals in order to gain an understanding as to how a simple tension test is performed as well as to determine the tensile material properties of the specimens tested. Performing the tension test on the five specimens also allowed for one to learn how to use the extensometers to get strain measurements. Three different universal test machines allowed for the tension test of the five specimens of varying material.
2. Summary and Description of in-lab Work
To conduct the tension test each team in…show more content… Each machine was connected to a computer that ran a program that could control the testing machine, however the machines had hand controls on the unit itself as well. To ensure accurate results and repeatability several steps had to be followed to allow the computer to calibrate the testing machine. Each team was given five samples to perform tests on including an ABS, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, Aluminum and Steel samples.
The computer software that operated the machines had inputs for the width and length of the samples that would be tested. These values were input into the software, each value being measured at three different locations in order to determine an average value for the measurement. The software then arranged these values for the user. The type of material was then input into the machine as well as the lab section that was operating the machine so that the data could be saved for later use. After these initial steps are done the testing machines could then be started. To start the machine the run icon was clicked to allow the pump to turn on. With the pump on the home button in the software was pressed to allow the machine to return to what was