Press room

Mechanical testing

Tensile tests

Tensile test graph

The mechanical testing laboratory provides a wide range of fatigue testing for test-pieces.

The tensile tests, at room temperature, are conducted in accordance with standard NF EN 10002-1 using 205 or 300 kN machines.

Low temperature tensile tests (down to -196°C) and high temperature tensile tests (up to 950°C), are performed in accordance with standard NF EN 10002-5 with a 100 kN machine equipped with a tubular oven (strain-gauge testing up to 650°C).

Elasticity modulus measure

Grindosonic device

The measurement is performed by determining the resonant frequency using GRINDOSONIC type apparatus on a cylindrical or parallelepiped test-piece.

Impact bending tests

Charpy tester used for the impact bending tests

Impact bending tests are performed in accordance with standard NF EN 10045-1 and may be undertaken at ambient or low temperature (down to -196°C).
The test is intended to determine the impact bending energy (toughness).

Machines available in the CTIF laboratories:

300 Joule Charpy tester (COFRAC approved)
50 Joule Charpy tester

Hardness tests

The COFRAC approved hardness tests are as follows:

Brinell hardness tests using 2.5, 5 and 10 mm balls (in accordance with standard NF EN ISO 6506-1)
Vickers hardness (in accordance with standard NF EN ISO 6507-1)

Rockwell hardness tests are performed in accordance with standard NF EN ISO 6508-1.

Fatigue tests

Le laboratoire d'essais mécaniques offre une large gamme d'essais de fatigue sur éprouvettes.

The loading modes available are as follows:

Rotary bending
Fluctuating bending
Alternating bending
Tension-compression

For the latter loading mode, it is possible to perform the tests at high temperature (up to 900°C) using an electric oven.

These tests are undertaken following an estimate according to the testing conditions (geometry of the test-pieces, number of cycles, type of loading).

These tests are used to determine:

The endurance limit of a material at a given stress level
The fatigue limit of a material (Wöhler curve)

Laboratory equipment:

2 rotary bending machines
1 servo-hydraulic machine (test frequency < 30 Hz)
1 resonance vibrometer (test frequency between 100 and 150 Hz).

Machine de fatigue à haute fréquence

Machine de fatigue servo-hydraulique

1200-kN compression testing press

The Charleville-Mézières laboratory has a press capable of performing:

static tests to check the conformity of road fittings to standard NF EN 124,
compression and bending tests of parts or assemblies to check the static strength of both metallic and nonmetallic components.

The characteristics of the press are:

force : 1200 kN
200- & 1500-kN force sensors
200-bar hydraulic power unit
table measuring: 2 m x 1.5 m
opening under jack 500 mm

Validation of manhole covers in accordance with European standard EN 124

This new testing resource is backed up by strong "structural calculations" skills at the head office in Sèvres, to help you reinforce or optimise your castings.

Back to Inspection