The IncoTest laboratories have test equipment which provides a comprehensive determination of the mechanical properties of engineering materials. Tests are performed to national, international and clients' specifications on a range of products including bar, sheet, wire, tube and fasteners.

Our mechanical testing labs use digital instrumentation for instrument control and data capture which can be used for material property validation purposes for quality control or R & D purposes.

Tensile Testing

The mechanical properties of materials are evaluated using tensile testing frames, computer controlled by the latest software. Our capabilities extend over a wide range of product forms, from very fine wire and strip to precision machined test pieces extract from forgings. Tests can also be performed on fastener components to full section bar and tube.

Ambient Tensile Testing

We provide tensile testing in accordance with various common industry standards, including ASTM E8, ASTM A370, BS EN ISO 6892-1, BS EN 2002-1. 

Elevated Tensile Testing to 1200ËšC

We provide tensile testing in accordance with various common industry standards, including ASTM E21, BS EN ISO 6892-2, BS EN 2002-2. 

Charpy Impact

Charpy – is a standardized high-strain rate test, which determines the amount of energy absorbed by a material during fracture. This absorbed energy is a measure of a given material's toughness and acts as a tool to study temperature-dependent ductile-brittle transition

We provide charpy testing in accordance with ASTM E23 & BS EN ISO 148-1

Tests can be conducted at temperatures ranging from -196°C to ambient, using the standard notch configurations V-Notch & U-Notch.

Hardness

Hardness is a characteristic defined as the resistance of the material to deformation, penetration, scratching, or other physical force.

We offer a range of methods with include Vickers, Low Force and microhardness Vickers, Brinell (10/3000), low load Brinell (2.5/187.5) and Rockwell (B & C)

Stress Rupture & Creep

IncoTest has one of the largest and best equipped laboratories in Europe with 400 high-sensitivity creep and stress rupture machines operating at up to 1200˚C in an air conditioned laboratory controlled at 21±2°C.

We provide testing in accordance with various common industry standards, including ASTM E139, ASTM E292, BS EN ISO 204, BS EN 2002-005. 

Stress Rupture Testing

Stress rupture is defined as the sudden and complete failure of a material under stress. During testing, the sample is held at a specific load level and temperature for a pre-determined amount of time.

IncoTest stress machines range from direct load to lever types with a load range up to 5 tonnes.

Creep Strain Testing

Creep is defined as the time-dependent deformation of a material while under an applied load below its yield strength. It is most common at elevated temperatures, but some materials will exhibit creep at room temperature. Unless stopped, testing terminates in creep rupture.

Creep strain tests are performed using high temperature extensometry and high-precision transducers automatically logged and processed by the supervisory computer. A range of specimen types can be tested including smooth, combination (smooth and notched), miniature, and flat designs.

Test pieces are produced by low stress plunge grinding, a technique being ideal for producing test pieces from hard alloys to finished size with minimal harmful residual surfaces stresses.

Test pieces can be produced unthreaded or with threads to unified, metric, BS, or client specifications. IncoTest also specialises in the manufacture of miniature test specimens.

Fatigue

Fatigue testing is as a method used for characterising material or component behaviour during cyclic loading.

It is used to determine how cyclic forces will affect a product or material over time, using varying loads, speeds and temperature to create predictive patterns for material behaviour.

Low Cycle Fatigue Testing

Carried out on servo hydraulic machines under load or stroke control conditions.

Temperatures ambient to 1200°C.

Forces up to ± 100kN

Available Testing Techniques

IncoTest Laboratories are equipped for the preparation and evaluation of a wide range of alloys and materials.

Metallography & Corrosion Testing

• Microstructural evaluation and phase distribution*
• Digital image capture and evaluation using optical microscopy*
• Grain Size
• Structural Evaluation
• Non-metallic Inclusion/Cleanness Assessment
• Case Depth/Coating Depth Assessment
• Alpha case
• Pitting and crevice corrosion resistance to ASTM G48 A*
• Susceptibility to Intergranular Corrosion to ASTM G28 Method A* & B*
• Susceptibility to Intergranular Attack to ASTM A262 Method C* & E*, BS EN ISO 3651-1 Method A*, BS EN ISO 3651-2 Method A*

Physical Testing

• Measurement of the Coefficient of Thermal