Mechanical testing of metals — Introduction

Mechanical engineers need to know the mechanical behavior of the materials used to manufacture various structures. Mechanical testing can provide the necessary data.

First and foremost, they are indispensable for the development of forming processes. For a long time, empiricism and habit were sufficient to carry out rolling, extrusion, forging, machining, etc. operations, but the increasing size of semi-finished products, the growing demands for quality and precision, and the energy savings to be made, have made detailed calculations of these various operations necessary. Clearly, these calculations cannot be carried out without precise knowledge of the laws of mechanical behavior of materials, including stress rate and temperature, as well as the interactions between mechanical properties and changes in microscopic structure.