Metals Testing
Metals testing is of great significance around the world, as metals are key materials for construction and will continue to be in the future. A high percentage of steel materials can be recycled many times over and are therefore considered sustainable. Knowledge of their characteristic material data is essential for designers and end users. The material data is obtained from mechanical-technological materials testing, whereby metal testing machines load the materials until they fail. Testing machines from the ZwickRoell Group ensure reproducible and reliable test results. This is based on internationally standardized metal testing methods in accordance with ISO standards and ASTM standards.
Learn more about our most important metal testing methods and our metal testing machines:
Heavy plate Sheet metal and strips Thin sheet metal Bars and rods Wires and cables Castings and forgings Fastening elements Tubes
Our specialists in our application testing laboratories test new products and carry out tests for our customers. In this way, they validate the suitability of the test equipment for the required test types. ZwickRoell is closely involved in the development of standards at national and international levels through its participation in various standards committees, e.g. in the field of metals and semi-finished metal products.
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Metal Testing Methods
In most cases, metals are tested according to a specific standard. Metal standards are important when it comes to consistency and reproducibility of results obtained from mechanical metals testing. They ensure that test methods are standardized and reproducible, so that the mechanical properties of these metals can be reliably evaluated. This is critical for quality assurance, research and development, material selection and design calculation purposes in many industries, including automotive, aerospace, construction, and more.
The most important standards for mechanical metals testing include:
- ASTM E8 / ISO 6892-1: these standards establish the test methods for tensile strength, yield strength, strain and reduction of the cross-sectional area of metals. They define the procedure for tensile tests on standardized metal specimens at room temperature and enable the determination of important mechanical properties. The ASTM E21 / ISO 6892-2 standards define the tensile test on metals at high temperatures.
- ASTM E23 / ISO 148-1: these standards cover the Charpy impact test method for metals. The test measures the strength and resistance of a material when subjected to impact loads.
- ASTM E399 / ISO 12135: these standards establish the method for determination of the crack initiation and crack growth resistance properties of metals.
- Hardness tests on metals are described in standards ISO 6508 / ASTM E18 (Rockwell), ISO 6507 / ASTM E384 (Vickers), ASTM E92 (Vickers & Knoop) and ISO 6506, ASTM E10 (Brinell).
Test methods for heavy plate
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
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| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
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| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics crack growth da/dN |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics critical stress intensity factor K1C |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy & Izod |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for sheet metal and strips
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test to Erichsen & Olsen |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Earing test |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Hole expansion test, edge crack sensitivity |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, forming limit curve (FLC) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Earing test, Fukui |
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| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
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| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, bulge |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, VW test |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | r-value |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | n-value |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics crack growth da/dN |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics critical stress intensity factor K1C |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy & Izod |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for thin sheet metal
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test to Erichsen & Olsen |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Earing test |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Hole expansion test, edge crack sensitivity |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, forming limit curve (FLC) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Earing test, Fukui |
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| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
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| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, bulge |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | Cupping test, VW test |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | r-value |
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| Metals | Sheet metal | n-value |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for bars and rods
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
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| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
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| Metals | Hardness Jominy end quench test (Jominy test) |
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| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics crack growth da/dN |
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| Metals | Fracture mechanics critical stress intensity factor K1C |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy & Izod |
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| Metals | Concrete-reinforcing steel | Tensile, flexure and fatigue test |
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| Metals | Concrete-reinforcing steel | Shear test |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for wire and cable
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
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| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
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| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Steel strands | Tensile and fatigue test |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for castings and forgings
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
|
| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
|
| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
|
| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
|
| Metals | Fracture mechanics crack growth da/dN |
|
| Metals | Fracture mechanics critical stress intensity factor K1C |
|
| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
|
| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
|
| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
|
| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
|
Test methods for fasteners
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
|
| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
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| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Threaded fasteners | Tensile, test force, impact, hardness and torsion test |
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| Metals | Nuts | Test force, hardness and widening test |
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| Metals | Threaded fasteners | Fatigue test |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
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| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Test methods for tubes and pipes
| Short description | Standards |
|---|---|
| Metals | Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Tubes | Ring tensile test |
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| Metals | Tubes | Tube-flattening test |
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| Metals | Specimens | Tensile test |
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| Metals | Tubes | Flanging test |
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| Metals | Tubes | Ring-expanding test |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (elevated temperature) |
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| Metals | Tensile test (ambient temperature) |
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| Metals | Low cycle fatigue test (LCF) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Rockwell |
|
| Metals | Fatigue test (S-N curve test) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Vickers |
|
| Metals | Hardness Brinell |
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| Metals | Flexure test |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy |
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| Metals | Notched specimen impact test Charpy & Izod |
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| Metals | Drop weight test |
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| Metals | Hardness Leeb |
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| Metals | Hardness surface hardness depth (SHD), effective hardening depth (DS) |
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| Metals | Hardness nitriding hardness depth (NHD) |
|
| Metals | Hardness case hardness depth (CHD) |
|
| Metals | Hardness Vickers & Knoop |
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Metal testing machines from ZwickRoell
Our metal testing machines are designed for special metals testing requirements and cover a wide range of mechanical tests:
- Universal testing machines measure accurate and reliable values for stress-strain properties
- Dynamic testing machines are used for cyclic tests
- Hardness testers measure material hardness according to various test methods
- Pendulum impact testers for metals testing are used to determine impact strength values, typically in the Charpy or Izod notched bar impact test
- Creep testing machines measure the creep behavior at ambient temperature and at operating temperature
- Sheet metal testing machines measure characteristic values that are required for the development and characterization of sheet metal
