NDT Applications: Creep Testers Advance to the Next Level
The other end of the lever arm had a cast metal weight, providing a tension force. The arm, or seesaw, was set up with a 10- or 20-to-1 ratio, resulting in the desired tension with relatively small weights. Then a small tube furnace was wrapped around the specimen. Measurement apparatus, extensometer rods and usually a dial indicator to measure the creep displacement also were added.
This test used to be conducted completely manually, by checking temperatures and other variables regularly. Often two or three testers would take readings every half-hour around the clock. This setup was labor-intensive and prone to error, and early attempts to automate this process did not have wide success.