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Procedure and Results:
The specimen is mounted in an appropriate set
of grips (optional) installed on the load cell and loading stud. The cyclic load and mean
load are determined from known yield strength data. The mean load is applied with the load
screw adjustment and locked in place. A trial stroke is chosen and the crank is adjusted
to that value. (Manually operating the machine through one full cycle allows the loads to
be verified.) Once the required loads are locked in, the machine is brought up to the
desired speed and the counter is reset. Completion of the test is determined by specimen
fracture which actuates the cutoff switch, or the test may be stopped by means of the
predetermined counter. Recording the digital readout of test cycles applied at the
selected load completes the procedure for one data point.
Note that by removing the tension/compression
attachment and installing other available test fixtures, other fatigue tests can be
performed.
