Customizing a Mechanical Testing Machine for Your Industry.

The data produced by your mechanical testing machine is only as reliable as the machine's last calibration. Calibration is a critical, periodic process that verifies the accuracy of the machine's measurements against a known, traceable standard. The two primary systems that require calibration are the force measuring system (load cell) and the displacement/strain measuring system (encoder and extensometer). An accredited calibration technician will use certified proving rings or standard weights to check the load cell at various points across its range and use gauge blocks or other precision instruments to verify displacement. Without regular calibration, measurements can drift due to mechanical wear or electronic component aging, leading to inaccurate results. This could mean a good product fails a QC test, or worse, a bad product passes. WBE offers professional, accredited calibration services for every mechanical testing machine we sell, ensuring our clients can always have complete confidence in their test results.

While the term mechanical testing machine is broad, the specific tests performed are distinct and reveal different properties. The most common is the tensile test, where a specimen is pulled apart until it breaks. This measures the material's ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and ductility. A compression test is the opposite; a specimen is squeezed to determine its behavior under crushing loads, a key test for materials like concrete or foams. A flexural or bend test applies a load to the center of a specimen supported at both ends, measuring its bending strength and flexibility, which is crucial for structural materials. A shear test measures a material's ability to resist forces that are trying to cause its internal structure to slide against itself, important for testing fasteners like bolts and rivets. A high-quality universal mechanical testing machine from WBE can be configured with different grips and fixtures to perform all of these essential tests and more.

The output from a mechanical testing machine is most often visualized as a stress-strain curve, a fundamental graph in materials science. This curve provides a wealth of information at a glance. Stress, plotted on the y-axis, is the force applied per unit area of the specimen. Strain, on the x-axis, is the percentage of change in the specimen's length. In the initial linear region of the curve, the material is behaving elastically; the slope of this line is the Young's Modulus, a measure of stiffness. The point where the curve deviates from a straight line is the yield strength. As stress continues to increase, the curve reaches its highest point, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS). After this peak, the material may "neck down" and the curve will slope downward until the specimen fractures. The total strain at the point of fracture represents the material's ductility. The software on a WBE mechanical testing machine automatically plots this curve and calculates these key values, turning raw data into engineering insight.

Selecting the appropriate mechanical testing machine is a critical process that requires careful consideration of your specific applications. The first and most important factor is the force capacity. You must determine the maximum expected strength of the materials you'll be testing and choose a machine with a higher capacity to ensure you don't overload it. Second, consider the types of tests you need to perform. If you require tension, compression, and flexural testing, a versatile Universal Testing Machine (UTM) is the most cost-effective choice. Third, evaluate the physical space required for the machine and the size of your test specimens. WBE offers both compact benchtop models and larger, floor-standing models. Finally, assess the software and control system. An intuitive interface with pre-programmed test methods for standards like ASTM and ISO can save significant time and ensure consistency. Consulting with the experts at WBE can help you navigate these choices to find the perfect mechanical testing machine for your lab.