Three Point Bending Test

1. Objective: Introduce the students to the application of three point bending test. To measure the specimen s mechanical properties by strain gage. 2. Equipment:and
Specimen

Instron 3382 100kN Universal Test Machine Associated Three point bending Flex fixture. Series IX Application Software for 3300 Series Load Frames PC data acquisition Strain Gage (120 , Gage Factor 2.01 1%) Wheatstone Brigde Digital Multimeter 3. Theory:

Aluminium Alloy AA2024

The Flexural test measures the force required to bend a beam under 3 point loading conditions. The data is often used to select materials for parts that will support loads without flexing. Flexural modulus is used as an indication of a material s stiffness when flexed. Since the physical properties of many materials (especially thermoplastics) can vary depending on

ambient temperature e, it is som metimes app propriate to test materi ials at temp peratures th hat simulate the intended d end use env vironment. 3.1 Hoo oke's Law Fo or most tens sile testing of o materials, , you will no otice that in n the initial portion p of th he test, the relationship p between th he applied force, f or loa ad, and the elongation the specime en exhibits is i linear. In this linear region, the line obeys the relation ship defined d as "Hooke e's Law! wh here the ratio o of stress to strain is a co onstant, or . E is th he slope of the t line in th his region wh here stress ( ) is proport tional to stra ain ( ) and is s called the "Modulus of f Elasticity! or "Young's s Modulus! 3.2 Stra ain In n the above e simple exa ample, the wire w stretch hes vertically y as a result of the forc ce. Strain is defined as the t ratio of increase i in le ength to orig ginal length. Specificall ly, when forc ce is applied d to the wir re, its length h L increases s, while its cross-sectio nal area A decreases, as sketched: : The axia al strain is de efined as :

The dime ensions of str rain are unit ty, i.e. strain is nondimen nsional. St train may be compressi ive or tensile and is typically measured m by strain gage es. Fundame entally, all st train gages are a designed d to convert mechanical motion into o an electron nic signal. A change in n capacitanc ce, inductan nce, or resistance is p roportional to the stra ain experienc ced by the sensor. If a wire is held under ten nsion, it get ts slightly longer l and its i crosssect ional area is i reduced. This change es its resista ance (R) in n proportion to the stra ain sensitivity y of the wi ire's resista ance. When a strain is introduced d, the strain sensitivit ty, which is also called the t gage fac ctor (GF), is given by:

Th he ideal stra ain gage wo ould change e resistance only due to o the deform mations of th he surface to o which the sensor is at ttached. How wever, in real applicatio ons, tempera ature, materi ial propertie s, the adhes sive that bon nds the gag ge to the sur rface, and the t stability y of the met tal t the detecte ed resistance e. Because most m materia als do not ha ave the same e properties in all affect all direct tions, a know wledge of th he axial stra ain alone is insufficient t for a comp plete analysi is.

Poisson, bending, and torsional strains also need to be measured. Each requires a different strain gage arrangement. 3.3 Stress Stress is the internal resistance, or counterforce, of a material to the distorting effects of an external force or load. These counter forces tend to return the atoms to their normal positions. The total resistance developed is equal to the external load. This resistance is known as stress. 3.3.1 Bending In engineering mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a slender structural element subjected to an external load applied perpendicular to an axis of the element. When the length is considerably larger than the width and the thickness, the element is called a beam. Simple beam bending is often analyzed with the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation. The classic formula for determining the bending stress in a member is:

Where: is the bending stress M the moment about the neutral axis y the perpendicular distance to the neutral axis Ixx the area moment of inertia about the neutral axis x

3.3.2 Shear and Moment Diagrams : For the experimental setup, shear and moment diagrams can be plottes as below:

5. Procedure: Measure the dimensions of the specimen. Check the limit of the linear region of the aluminum beam (with no strain gage) Open the computer and Instron universal test machine and run the associated software. Prepare the wheatstone circuit and connect to the cables of strain gages to the defined slot in the previous experiment "Straing Gage!. Use the digital micrometer to take sample. It must take 10 samples per a second. Adjust the associated Instron program with displacement controlled experiment. Maximum allowed displacement of the specimen is 2mm. After 2 mm it is in plastic region. Also adjust the software to take 10 Force data per a second. Run the experiment.