Experimental

In this experiment, flat ASME samples will be tested in tension until they fracture. The movie clip shows an aluminum sample being uniaxially deformed at a constant strain rate until it fails by ductile fracture.

Set up the Instron 8501 servo-hydraulic testing machine following the directions given in Starting a Test. Select a sample from those provided and use handbook values of its elastic properties to establish test conditions. You will also need to know the initial dimensions of the sample and use this information and establish the proper test conditions. Strain-rate will also be an important consideration in designing your tests, or, if a load ramp is to be used, the rate of change of the applied load.

In your experiment, collect Load-Position data for your sample and use it to generate an engineering (nominal) stress/strain curve. The Excel spread sheet may be used to compute nominal stress and strain from the load-position data.