DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

(Reference: TWI)
Granta Park
Great Abington
Cambridge
CB21 6AL
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 899000
Fax: +44 (0)1223 892588

Materials such as steels generally have to withstand a wide variety of loads. The
different types of loads can be classified as follows:
 tension
 compression
 shearing
 torsion
 bending
 buckling
The intensity of the load can either be temporally constant or vary permanently. A
constant stress intensity is also referred to as static load. If, on the other hand, the level
of stress varies in its intensity and/or in its direction, one speaks of a dynamic load.
A particular type of load always has a certain temporal course. In general, several types
of loads occur in combination. This is the case, for example, with a shaft driven on one
side, which is simultaneously subjected to torsion, bending and shearing. Depending on
whether the shaft is driven with constant torque or whether the torque changes
permanently, it is a static or dynamic load. Thus, there are countless possibilities how
components can be stressed.

When dimensioning components, the engineer must be able to refer to specific values
that characterize the different stress limits of the materials used with respect to their
temporal course. The stress limit can be based on either an unacceptable deformation
or a fracture. For this reason, various materials testing methods were developed to
determine the corresponding failure limits depending on the type of load and its time
course.

In principle, material testing methods can be divided into two categories:

 destructive testing
 non-destructive testing.
With destructive testing, the material is damaged and the component can usually no
longer be used. In general, specially prepared and standardized samples are used for
this type of testing. The destructive testing procedures provide important parameters in
order to determine not only the proper material but also geometry of the component
depending on the applied load. The determination of the component dimensions is also
referred to as dimensioning!

Destructive testing is used to determine specific material constants

or component constants!
The following test methods are considered destructive testing and are described in
more detail in the respective article
 tensile test
 compression test
 hardness test
 flexural test
 Charpy impact test
 fatigue test
 creep rupture test
 relaxation test
 cupping test

Due to the complexity and the interaction between the different loads, not all cases can
be recorded in material properties. This is always a problem when human lives are at
risk due to component failure. For this reason, safety-relevant components must be
checked at regular intervals, as is the case with turbine blades of aircraft engines. It is
not economically viable to carry out a destructive material test at this point in order to
subsequently state that everything was in order.

That is why non-destructive testing (NDT) was developed. This means that the
component can still be used, provided everything is fine. In this way, for example, the
said turbine blades are inspected non-destructively for cracks by ultrasonic testing or
eddy-current testing. Non-destructive testing also includes the visual inspection of
whether a component is externally damaged or not.

The following test methods are considered non-destructive testing and are described in
more detail in the respective article
 ultrasonic testing (UT)
 dye penetrant inspection (DPI)
  magnetic particle testing (MPI)
 eddy current testing (ECT)

In general, no specific material constant can be derived from non-destructive testings as

in destructive testing. The result is only a statement whether the component can still be
used or must be repaired or even replaced.

Non-destructive testing is used to check the usability of finished

components (inspection) – no material parameters are determined!

FATIGUE LIMIT DIAGRAMN ACCORDING TO HAIGH AND SMITH

ULTRASONIC TESTING
EDDY CURRENT TESTING (ECT)
MAGNETIC PARTICLE INSPECTION (MPI)
CUPPING TEST
DYE PENETRANT INSPECTION