Materials Testing Labs
Mechanical testing lab
Here, standardized (ASTM) tests are performed on various engineering materials to determine the mechanical properties of the material.
- Universal testing machines are used to evaluate tension, compression, formability and fatigue properties
- Hardness testing machines are used to measure plastic flow stress properties
- Impact testing machines are used to correlate ductile and brittle behavior (toughness) of materials under various service conditions
- Fracture toughness testing is used to predict the load-carrying capabilities of structures and components containing cracks
- Fatigue testing is performed to determine how materials fail under cyclic loading conditions. Fatigue accounts for more than 90% of all service failures due to mechanical causes
Non destructive testing lab
Non destructive testing (NDT), also referred to as non destructive evaluation (NDE), is the process through which materials and systems are evaluated without causing damage to the item being tested. The use of NDT and its technology continues to grow with the desire for heightened safety and environmental awareness in concert with the demands from consumers for high quality products.
The NAIT NDT lab contains industry-standard equipment, including:
- 3 liquid penetrant dip stations
- 5 magnetic particle wet benches
- 1 x ray machine and radiography dark room
- 10 Epoch 600 ultrasonic flaw detectors
- 6 DL37 thickness testers
- 1 Eddy current tester
Corrosion testing lab
Here you'll explore the many different mechanisms of corrosion. Labs include evaluation methods for uniform corrosion, crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, galvanic corrosion, inter-granular corrosion, exfoliation corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. The credibility (reliability) of test results will be examined carefully for all test methods.
Metallography lab
In the metallography lab, physical metallurgical principles are studied, relating processing parameters (such as heat treatment and metal forming) to the microstructure and properties of metals and alloys. The metallurgical microscope is the tool that is used to examine and photographically record these microstructures. Information that can be obtained about the specimen includes grain size and shape, the presence of micro-defects, and the nature and distribution of secondary phases. This information is useful in quality control and failure analysis of metallic components.