Electro-Thermal Mechanical Testing (ETMT)
The Electro-Thermal Mechanical Testing (ETMT) machine is an innovative testing system developed by NPL and supplied by Instron. Brief details:
- ±3.5kN load capability
- Resistance heating via direct current (DC) through the specimen
- Temperature control/monitoring by an R-type thermocouple spot-welded to the centre of the gauge length
- Static and cyclic testing conditions for both load and temperature parameters
The machine is capable of assessing a wide range of materials physical and mechanical properties on test-pieces of cross-sections as small as 1 mm x 1 mm. This is a very efficient, inexpensive, and quick testing method particularly when there are limitations in making full-scale specimens. This testing method also allows specimens to be extracted from actual components to assess location-specific properties.
Typical mechanical testing such as tensile, compression, creep, low cycle fatigue (LCF), and thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) testing could be carried out on this machine. Example of test data generated:
Effect of the different TMF test cycles on stress evolution of Nimonic 90 superalloy (ETMT 1 x 3 specimens); from Pahlavanyali, S., Rayment, A., Roebuck, B., Drew, G., Rae, C.M.F., "Thermo-mechanical fatigue testing of superalloys using miniature specimens" (2008) International Journal of Fatigue, 30 (2), pp. 397-403.
For further information and access, contact H.T. Pang.