Experiment 4: Deflection of Cantilever Beam Test

Objective:

 To determine the shear force, bending moment of a cantilever beam, loaded in bending.
 To computer the deflection of different materials and shapes.
 To understand how engineers compare different materials.
 To understand why cross-sectional shape is important in design.
 To determine the reaction at beam supporters.

Equipment:

 Test beams; steel, aluminum and brass

 Calipers
 Cantilever Beam Machine-

Procedure:

A) Equipment set up
- All parts such as electrical leads, damage or wears were visually inspected.
- All the electric connection were correctly checked and secured.
- All components security were checked and the fastenings were sufficiently tight.
- The position of the equipment was put at a safe post which mean on the solid level surface.

B) Testing procedure :
1. The width and the depth of the aluminum, brass and steel test beams wee measured and
recorded by using the vernier gauges and data sheet. The resulting result used to get the cecon
moment area, I.
2. The clamps and knife edged from the backcoard removed. The cantalivers were set up as in the
manual.
3. The digital dial test indicator slid to the position (200mm from the zero), and locked y using the
thumbnet at rear. A knife-edge hanger slid to the same position.
4. The frame lightly tapped and the dial test indicator zeroed by using the ‘origin’ button.
5. Masses were applied to the knife-edge hanger in the increment as given in the Table 1 and the
Appendix A. The frame lightly tapped each time the masses add. The digital dial test indicator
reading recorded for each increment of mass.
6. The procedure for the other materials were repeated and the table given filled.
Results
Material : Aluminum
E Value : _69 X 109 N/m-2
I : __85.9__m4
Width, b: __16.1_mm
Depth,d : __4.0__mm
Mass Actual Deflection Theoretical Deflection
(g) (mm) (mm)
0 0.00
100 0.60
200 1.37
300 1.90
400 2.51
500 3.11

Material : Brass
E Value : _105 X 109_Nm-2
I : __74.3_m4
Width, b: __17.6__mm
Depth, d : __3.7__mm

Mass Actual Deflection Theoretical Deflection

(g) (mm) (mm)
0 0.00
100 0.79
200 1.42
300 2.24
400 2.97
500 3.77

Material : Steel
E Value : _207 X 109_Nm-2
I : __48.9__m4
Width, b: __19.7__mm
Depth,d : __3.1 _mm
 Mass Actual Deflection Theoretical Deflection
(g) (mm) (mm)
0 0.00
100 0.36
200 0.72
300 1.21
400 1.53
500 1.97

3.5

2.5

Aluminum
2
Brass
Steel
1.5

0.5

0
0 100 200 300 400 500

Deflection Graph
Discussion

In this first experiment for this group the knowledge of MEC 2915- Mechanic of Materials were
applied practically. This cantilevers concept is widely used in life structural application element such as
airplane wings, supports for overhanging roof and many more. It is actually a beam which is built in and
supported at only one point and loaded by one or more points loads or distributed loads acting
perpendicular to the beam axis. Then in this experiment we have used an increasing point of load on the
various material of cantilever.

In this experiment, our main objective is to examine the deflection of cantilever subjected to an
increasing point load and to see the properties of deflection. First of all cantilevered beam is a beam
which is fixed at one end and free at the other.

During the experiment, when the load was applied to the beam, deflection was occurred. The
deflection diagram of the longitudinal axis that passes through the centroid of each cross sectional area
of the beam is called the elastic curve. Below is how the elastic curve for cantilevered.

From the results of the experiment we can see when there is increase in mass or load applied,
the deflection become higher. To determine the deflection of the cantilever beams theoretically, we
must use the formula:

W ( L)3
Theoretical deflection = 3 EI
Where, W = load (Newton)
L = length of cantilever (m)
E = elasticity of material (Nm-2)
I = second moment of inertia (m 4)

To determine the length of the cantilever beam, we have measured the length of each
cantilever beams of different material by using the ruler. The elasticity of the materials is constants.

From graph that we get, it show that the deflection increased with mass. Brass is the highest
than aluminum and steel. Second is aluminum and third is steel. But, theoretically the highest deflection
should be aluminum because it has the lowest young modulus compared to brass and steel. The
gradient of the line for each graph indicate the modulus for each beams.

Tapping the frame is to make it damping and then the frame will slowly come to steady state
which is the equilibrium state. Cantilever structure usually is use in diving board, structural element such
as in airplane wings and support for overhanging roof.

RECOMMENDATION/SUGGESTION

1. To avoid the error in measuring the masses, tap the frame lightly and zero the digital dial test
indicator by using the origin button.

2. Hanger should be located at the center of the digital dial test in way to get precise result and
reading.

3. It is just impossible to get the right value due to the weariness of the metals bars.

CONCLUSION :
Alhamdulillah, we finished the experiment successfully and the objective of the experiment
accomplish. The theoretically of experiment shows aluminum has higher deflection compare to steel
and brass. The deflection depends on the young modulus for each material. The higher of the young
modulus of a material the lower the deflection will be got. Strength of a material can only be
determined by experiment. This experiment had showed us the effect of load into a cantilever beam.
Deflection has a proportional or direct relationship to mass. When the mass is increasing, the deflection
will be increased.
REFERENCE :

1. Kalpak Ian, S.R., (2001), Manufacturing Engineering And Technology, 4th Edition, Prentice
Hall International.
2. Lab manual MME 3123 Manufacturing Engineering Lab III.
3. Mechanics Of Materials, R.C.Hibbler, Seventh Edition, Prentice Hall.