FAKULTI TEKNOLOGI KEJURUTERAAN MEKNIKAL &

PEMBUATAN
UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

SOLID MECHANICS

BMMM 2303 SEMESTER 2 SESSION 2019/2020

LAB 2 : TORSION TEST

DATE

NAME OF GROUP MEMBERS & 1.

MATRIX NUMBER
2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

NAME OF INSTRUCTOR 1. EN. MOHAMMAD RAFI BIN OMAR

2. TC. MOHD KHAIRUL BIN HASSAN

EXAMINER’S COMMENT VERIFICATION STAMP

TOTAL MARKS

1
OBJECTIVE OF EXPERIMENTAL WORK

To understand and determine the elastic, plastic and yielding behaviours of three (3)
different materials when subjected to twisting moment or torsional load (torque).

LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this experiment the students should be able to:
1. Conduct experiment and identify the dependent and independent variables.
2. Plot the graph of Twisting Angle versus Torque for 3 different materials.
3. Determine the important parameters such as shear-yield strength (y), elastic region,
plastic region, maximum shear load / torque and understand the importance of
such parameters in design of structures subjected to twisting moment or torque.
4. Determine the modulus of rigidity (G) for test material and compare between the
experimental and theoretical data.
5. Understand and observe the fracture behaviour of test material due to twisting
moment / torque.
6. Understanding of basic laboratory practice, including design of experiments, write
a clear and well-presented technical report, data acquisition, interpretation and
analysis, and the relationship between experiments and theory.

THEORY
Torsion refers to the twisting of a shaft loaded by a torque, also commonly known as
twisting couples or twisting moments. For example, in the generation of electricity shafts
carry torque from the turbine to the generator. An example of torsional loading subjected
to a solid bar is shown in Figure 1. In this example the shaft is loaded by two equal and
opposite forces P acting on a bar (moment arm) perpendicular to the shaft. The moment
generated by these forces is sometimes called a couple. The magnitude of the moment due
to this couple is given by P times d, where P is the applied forces and d is the distance
between the lines of action of the forces. This twisting couple is also called the 'Torque' or
'Twisting Moment'. Two alternate ways of depicting torque are shown in Figure 2. In the left-
hand figure the torque is shown as a loop with an arrow depicting its direction. In the right
hand figure the torque is shown as a vector moment.

The derivation and interpretation of the theory of torsion of circular shafts can be reviewed
by looking at a small section of length dx of a circular shaft under torsion. During twisting,
one end of the shaft will rotate about the longitudinal axis with respect to the other end.
The magnitude of this rotation is measured in terms of the angle in radians by which one
end rotates in relative to the other. This is called 'angle of twist' and denoted by  (radian).

Figure 1 Example of bar under torsional loading

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 Figure 2 Two alternate ways of depicting torque

For a linear elastic material, using Hooke's Law, we can write the relationship between
shear stress , Modulus of Rigidity, G and shear strain  as:

 = G (1)

The shear strain , on a small area of a material situated at a distance  from the center to
be:
 =  / L (2)

Thus using Hooke's Law, shear stress can be expressed as:

G
= (3)
L

The torque, T is found by integrating over the cross section the product of shear stress, τ and
the distance, ρ from the center of the shaft.

T =  dA (4)

Using shear stress from previous relations, we get

  
T =  G ( ) 2 dA = G ( )   2 dA = G ( )J (5)
L L L

D 4
where J (mm4) =   dA = is called the polar moment of inertia for the solid bar
2

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specimen.

Using the Eq.(5), the relation between the twist and the torque is given by:

TL
= (6)
GJ
Generally, based on the torsion theory and combining Eqs. (3) and (6) the following
torsion formula may be obtained;
T  G
= = (7)
J r L

APPARATUS
5 2
4
1
3
 3

1- Loading device ; 2 - Torque measurement unit; 3 – Digital torque meter

4- The test specimen (rod / solid shaft) ; 5 – Track base
Figure 3 Torsion Test Apparatus

The test equipment consists as shown in Figure 3:

• Loading device (1) with scale and revolution counter for twisting angle measurement.
• Torque measurement unit (2) with a digital torque meter (3).
• The specimen (4) is mounted between the loading device (1) and the torque
measurement unit (2) into hexagon sockets. All components are mounted on a track
base (5).

2
1
5

6 3

4
Figure 4 Loading device

Figure 4 shows the loading device of test equipment. The torsional loading is transmitted to
the specimen by a worm gear (1) and a hand wheel (4). The twisting angle at the output
and the input is read off by two 360 scales (2, 3). At the input side of the gear there is in
addition a 5-digit revolution counter (5), which shows the input revolutions 1:1.The worm
gear has a reduction ratio of 62. The specimen’s hexagon ends are set into an axial
moveable socket (6) at the worm gear output end.

Torque T

Figure 5 Deformation of the rod under torque T

Error 

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 The torque T will cause a small deformation of the torsion rod (or solid shaft) as shown in
Figure 5. This will cause an error in determining the twisting angle of the specimen. To reject
this error, the specimen holder of the torque measurement unit is turnable (or rotatable).

A lever and a threaded spindle at the fixed side of the torsion rod can compensate the
deformation as shown in Figure 6. A dial gauge at the side of the specimen holder can
control the compensation.

- Turning the

Threaded spindle fixed end
with hand wheel
Dial gauge
Torque T
Hexagonal
socket as
specimen holder
Level

Error =0
Torsion rod with
strain gauges
holder
Figure 6 Compensation of the deformation of the rod under torque T

PROCEDURES
Dial gauge for
compensation Shifting
Hand wheel for
Hexagon specimen holder
compensation
sockets Load device

Worm Revolution
gear counter

Specimen
Torsion rod with
strain gauges
Indicators
Digital torque meter
Figure 7 Experimental set up

1. Mount the specimen

(i) Mount the specimen between the loading device and the torque-measuring unit.
(ii) Use the 15 mm hexagon socket.
(iii) Make sure that the shifting specimen holder of the load device is in the mid
position.
(iv) Make sure that there is no pre load on the specimen. If necessary turn the hand
wheel at the input of the worm gear until the read out of the amplifier is zero.
(v) Set both indicators at the input and at the output shaft of the worm gear to zero.
(vi) Set the dial gauge of the compensation unit to zero. Therefore turn the turnable
scale.
(vii) Reset revolution counter.

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 2. Loading the specimen

(i) Turn the hand wheel at the input of the gear clockwise to load the specimen. Turn
it only for a defined angle increment.
(ii) For the first rotation choose an increment of a quarter rotation (90), for the
second and third rotation of a half rotation (180) and for the 4th to 10th rotation
of one rotation.
To calculate the twist angle at the specimen (output angle of the gear) divide the
rotation at the input by the reduction ratio of 62.
(iii) Fracture will occur between 100 and 200 rotations.
(iv) Compensate the deformation of the measuring torsion rod after each angle
increment. Doing this turn the hand wheel of the compensation unit until the dial
gauge indicates zero.
(v) Read out the torque value from the display of the digital torque meter and record
it together with the indicated twist angle.

3. Repeat the above steps for other specimens.

EXPERIMENTAL DATA AND RESULTS

Material of specimen:
Size of specimen: Gauge Length, L : ……………mm
Diameter, D : ...………….mm

Table 1(a) Torsional load (torque) variation with twisting angle

Revolution Twist angle,  Torque T (Nm) Observation / Remark

Degree Radian
0
0.25
0.50
0.75

100.00
120.00
125.00

1. Record all the test data (T and ) as shown in Table 1(a). You may need to create 3
different tables for 3 materials provided for this laboratory work. Label it as Tables
1(a), 1(b) and 1(c). The followings are also to be done for all types of materials.
2. Plot graph T (Nm) versus  (degree) for the elastic and plastic regions or up to the
limit where the test specimen failed. Indicate the estimated location of yield point,
ultimate/maximum point and fracture point of the specimen. Indicate in this graph with
the elastic and plastic regions.
3. Plot graph of T (Nm) versus  (radian) for the elastic region only. Define the slope of
this graph and substitute in Eq. (7) to calculate the modulus of rigidity, G (GPa).
4. By using data of T = Ty (torque at yield point) or angle of twisting y (angle of twist
at yield) calculate the estimated value of y (shear-yield stress) of the test material.
This can be done by using Eq. (3) or Eq.(7).
5. Compare the experimentally defined values with the theoretical data by calculating
the percentage of differences and show the final results in tabulated form.

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6. Draw the fracture surface of the failed specimen (side and top views) and describe
briefly the fracture behaviour as observed in this test.

DISCUSSION (N.B This section of your report must be written in the paragraphs form)

• Analyze the overall behaviour of the test materials under torsional loading and
compare it with the behaviour under uniaxial tension load. Is there any similarity
between the two?
• Discuss the mechanical properties (G and y) obtained in this work by comparing it
with the theoretical data as may be found in any references.
• State any factors or reasons that cause the differences between the
experimentally defined and theoretical values. Justify your arguments and suggest
the method(s) to improve it.

CONCLUSION (N.B Content of this section should not more than 150 words)

Give your conclusion of this report. Summarize the main findings

QUESTIONS (For the Formal Report only)

1. What is the difference between modulus of rigidity (G) and modulus of elasticity (E)
of a material? How these two parameters may be linked?
2. Shear yield strength (y) may be estimated (or approximated) based on the tensile
yield strength (y) of the ductile material obtained through the tensile test. In cases
where the torsion test machine is not available, give your approximated equation to
estimate y of the ductile material.
3. If the test specimen is substituted with the hollow shaft/tube of the same material with
the internal diameter Di and external diameter Do respectively, what will be
implication in using Eq. (7) to predict the maximum torque that may be supported by
the hollow shaft to avoid yielding?. Does this change affect the values of G and y?

REFERENCES (For the Formal Report Only)

List at least 3 main references that have been referred to write the formal report of this
laboratory exercise.