Mechanical testing on materials

This test analyzes crack growth in materials subjected to repeated or prolonged static loads, simulating structural degradation over time. This test evaluates resistance to defect propagation and is used to predict the service life of components before structural failure occurs. It is particularly useful for sectors such as aerospace, railways, and mechanical engineering, where safety and reliability are paramount.

Fatigue tests simulate the cyclic stresses that a material or component is subjected to during use, determining its strength limit and the number of cycles before failure. These tests are essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of structures and products used in critical sectors, allowing for the optimization of materials and production processes. Our equipment is capable of performing fatigue stress tests in tension, bending, compression, and rotating bending, applying high-frequency stress cycles to components, products, and complex structures. Fatigue tests can be performed by applying loads up to 250kN, with frequencies up to 100Hz, depending on customer requirements, using MTS instrumentation. The test can reach high pressures up to 500 bar and 15 Hz frequency and can be performed with oil or coolant.

Impact tests, or resilience tests, measure a material's ability to absorb energy, and therefore resist breaking, when subjected to a sudden impact. These tests are essential for determining the toughness of a material under dynamic loading conditions. The most common resilience test is the Charpy test, in which a pendulum strikes a test piece with a specified energy to determine its toughness by measuring the energy absorbed by the material before fracture. Resilience is a critical parameter for materials intended for use in applications where sudden impacts or stresses are possible, such as in vehicle structures, industrial equipment, or safety guards.

The bend test checks the ductility and resistance to plastic deformation of a material, evaluating its ability to flex without fracturing. The test is essential for materials used in the production of sheet metal, pipes, and welds, as it allows internal defects to be identified and the quality of joints to be verified. Bend tests are widely used in the metalworking and structural component manufacturing industries.

Vibration tests simulate mechanical stresses caused by transport, operation, or adverse environmental conditions. The test is carried out by subjecting components to vibrations of different frequencies and intensities to identify any structural failures or fatigue phenomena. Essential for the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries, vibration tests ensure the durability and reliability of materials in service. In vibration tests, the stress conditions of components and products are reproduced using electrodynamic shakers. Different types of vibration profiles (sine, shock, random) can be applied, possibly combined with thermal cycles.

Impact tests are used to determine the resistance of a material or component to sudden stresses, such as falls or violent impacts. They simulate real-life scenarios in which objects may be subject to accidental impacts, ensuring that they meet safety and performance requirements. Impact tests are widely used in the electronics, packaging, and transportation industries. In our laboratory, we perform impact tests on components and products according to standardized regulations (e.g., UNI EN 13087 for helmets, UNI EN 1621 for motorcycle protective gear) or customized to specific customer requirements.

Thin films are commonly used in various industries, such as electronics, protective coatings, and in the manufacture of microelectronic devices. Knowledge of their coefficient of friction (COF) is crucial for optimizing their performance and durability. This involves analyzing the resistance to movement between the film itself and a contact surface, which may be another material or a substrate on which the film is deposited. In our laboratory, we perform tests to measure both the static coefficient of friction and the dynamic coefficient of friction. These tests are essential to ensure the quality of materials intended for moving mechanical components, such as bearings, seals, and sliding surfaces, in the automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. To measure the coefficient of friction, a sample of thin film is placed on a flat surface and a special instrument applies a known load that moves an object over the surface of the film, measuring its resistance.