The Physical Aspects of Metals: 3 Ways of Testing the Material for Quality

Using the wrong material can be disastrous. You’ve taken the time to fully research your product and know what materials you need to use for it to function properly. However, you still need to be careful to ensure you receive the right types of metal to create your products.

Metal testing can take several different forms and can help you make sure the metal you receive from suppliers is what you are expecting. Beyond just taking a look at the metal to make sure it looks right, there are a few different types of testing you can try.

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Magnetic Testing

Magnets can be used on-site to test metals as the first step toward making sure the right metals were supplied. Ferrous metals are magnetic and include nickel, steel, and stainless steel. Nonferrous metals are not magnetic and include aluminum, brass, copper, and lead.

According to weldinghandbook.com, however, these tests are not 100% accurate. There are instances where nonferrous metals might have some ferrous materials mixed in that make them seem magnetic or some metals like stainless steel that aren’t always magnetic. Instead, this can be used as a quick check – if the metal is magnetic and it shouldn’t be, more testing is needed.

Destructive Testing

Destructive testing actually includes a few different techniques, but most of the time, multiple tests will be done together to test the material. According to wikipedia.org, metal will need to be discarded after these tests and test results will need to be compared to the specifications for the material that should be used for the product.

Destructive testing can include a tensile test, a corrosion resistance test, an impact test, and a hardness test. A tensile test determines how long the metal holds up when it’s under a lot of tension.

A corrosion test uses salt to corrode the material to see how it reacts. Impact tests will determine the energy needed to break apart the metal and a hardness test determines how hard or soft the metal might be.

XRF Analyzers

The best technique to use for metal testing is a chemical composition test. Today, the metal doesn’t need to be sent off to a lab to be tested for the chemical composition. To test your materials on-site easily and quickly, use an XRF analyzer.

These offer a nondestructive way to test metal materials and determine the exact composition of the metals. This can be used to test all critical materials for the product as soon as they arrive from the supplier to ensure there are no issues with the metals being used.

Metal testing is crucial for many different reasons. View the selection to obtain supplies and get ready to start the manufacturing process. Ensure you use techniques designed to help you check the quality of the materials you’re using.

This can help you avoid using counterfeit metals, help you make sure the metals hold up to your specifications and help ensure you follow any laws about the materials you can use for your products.

Always use the most effective test you can to make sure you receive the correct metals for the products you’re manufacturing so you get the results you expect.