Analysis of Factors Influencing Measurement Accuracy of Al Alloy Tensile Test Results

In order to properly use materials in design, a complete understanding of and information on their mechanical properties, such as yield and ultimate tensile strength must be obtained. Furthermore, as the design of automotive parts is constantly pushed toward higher limits, excessive measuring uncertainty can lead to unexpected premature failure of the component, thus requiring reliable determination of material properties with low uncertainty.

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of different metrology factors, including the number of tested samples, specimens machining and surface quality, specimens input diameter, type of testing and human error on the tensile test results and measurement uncertainty when performed on 2xxx series Al alloy. Results show that the most significant contribution to measurement uncertainty comes from the number of samples tested, which can even exceed 1 %. Furthermore, moving from experimental laboratory conditions to very intense industrial environment further amplifies measurement uncertainty, where even if using automated systems human error cannot be neglected.