DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY – DASMARIÑAS
Dasmariñas, Cavite
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE, AND TECHNOLOGY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM
Name: Aguilar, Kim Benedict T. Date Performed: 02/24/24
Course-Year &Section: MEE31 Rating: ______________________
Experiment No. 1
TENSILE STRENGTH DETERMINATION
OBJECTIVES:
To be able to acquire basic knowledge and skills in determining the tensile
strength of steel round bar by requiring students to perform the actual test which are
significantly related to the required skills in industry.
SAFETY MEASURES:
1. The instructor must orient the students in proper handling of tools prior to
actual processing to avoid accidents.
2. Do’s and don’ts must be fully emphasized.
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BASIC CONCEPTS:
Tensile strength measures a
material's ability to
withstand pulling forces
without breaking. It is a
crucial property in material
design, representing the
maximum stress a material
can endure before failure.
The stress-strain
relationship, elastic and plastic deformation, necking, and yield strength are essential
concepts linked to understanding a material's behavior under tension. Tensile strength is
a key factor in engineering design, influencing material selection for components to
ensure structural integrity and safety.
2
DEFINITION OF TERMS:
1. Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a material can withstand while being
stretched or pulled before necking, which is when the specimen's cross-section
starts to significantly contract.
2. Universal Testing Machine (UTM): A device used to perform various
mechanical tests, including tension, compression, and bending tests, on
materials.
3. Stress: The force applied per unit area on a material, measured in Pascals (Pa)
or megapascals (MPa).
4. Area: The cross-sectional area of the material being tested.
INSTRUMENTS/ MACHINE:
Universal Testing Machine (UTM)
BILL OF MATERIALS:
Round steel bar with standard dimension based on internationally established
size. Please refer to attached drawing.
PROCEDURE:
1. Machine the prescribed dimensions on the actual material using lathe machine.
2. Set the round steel bar to the clamping portion of the UTM, put spacer if necessary.
3. Input the material diameter of the test piece into the UTM machine computer.
4. Switch the hydraulic power on and push the button to move the clamp upward.
5. Wait until the round bar has been cut.
6. Inspect the actual cut bar and record the load shown in the computer monitor when
the bar was cut.
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7. Compute the tensile strength of the round steel bar by the formula : stress =
force/area Where area = 3.1416x d x d
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Force = actual force recorded in the computer when the bar breaks.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
1. Always follow the lab technician instruction in operating the UTM.
2. Move away and keep safe distance from the machine while the tensile test is
ongoing.
3. Never touch any part of the machine or the test piece during testing operation.
PHOTO OF SPECIMEN DIMENSION:
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CONCLUSIONS:
The experiment yielded insights into the steel round bar's behavior under tension,
emphasizing the elastic limit, plastic deformation, and the occurrence of necking. The
calculated tensile strength is vital for predicting material performance under different
loading conditions, reinforcing its importance in engineering applications.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Diverse Material Testing: Extend the experiment to test different materials for
comparative analysis.
2. Dimensional Impact: Investigate how variations in dimensions (diameter, length)
influence tensile strength.
3. Temperature Effects: Explore the influence of temperature variations on tensile
strength.
4. Quality Control: Implement stringent quality control measures in material
processing for precision.
5. Educational Enhancement: Develop educational materials and simulations to
complement hands-on experience, reinforcing theoretical concepts.
6. Testing Condition Variations: Explore the impact of different testing conditions on
results to deepen understanding.
7. Enhanced Data Analysis: Introduce additional analysis techniques to interpret
results effectively.
8. Emphasize Safety: Reinforce safety protocols throughout the experiment.
9. Real-world Connections: Discuss practical applications of tensile strength testing to
enhance relevance.
