Fatigue Testing Services

Prevent product failures and extend service life with comprehensive Fatigue Testing Services from Element. Our cyclic load testing identifies how your materials and components behave under repeated stress, helping you develop safer products, meet regulatory requirements, and understand performance limitations. Partner with our experts to predict and prevent fatigue failure before it impacts your customers.

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What is Fatigue Testing at Element?

Fatigue testing characterizes material or component behaviour during cyclic loading. This testing measures the effects of cyclic forces on a product over time, simulating real-world conditions to predict fatigue failure, fatigue limits, and fatigue life

At Element, we provide comprehensive fatigue testing solutions using advanced test machines to analyze various cyclic loads under different speeds and environmental conditions, allowing us to create predictive patterns for material behavior. Our testing creates predictive patterns for material behavior, helping you understand vital properties such as fatigue failure mechanisms, fatigue limits, and expected fatigue life. Whether you're plotting stress against cycles to failure (S-N curves) or investigating specific failure scenarios, our expertise delivers the insights you need.

Element testing specialist examining precision measurement equipment for materials analysis

What Can Element Offer You For Fatigue Testing Services?

Key tests offered

Our comprehensive fatigue testing program includes:

High cycle fatigue (HCF) testing

Low cycle fatigue (LCF) testing

Thermo mechanical fatigue (TMF) testing

Axial fatigue testing

Torsional fatigue testing

Shear fatigue testing

Proof load testing

Bending fatigue testing

Fatigue crack growth testing

Resonance fatigue testing

Rotating beam fatigue testing

Multiple degrees of freedom fatigue testing

Multi-channel/compound cyclic testing

Strain Control

Stress Control

Displacement Control

Frequency up to 100 Hz (rotating beam up to 150 Hz)

Forces up to 250 kN

Test temperatures from -320 to 2400 F

Thermo Mechanical Fatigue Testing

Custom and special project setups are available

Materials and components we test

We test metals, alloys, polymers, and composites across various industries. Our facilities accommodate everything from critical aerospace components to medical devices, industrial parts, consumer products, and pipeline welds. Our specialized capabilities include testing coatings and metallic surface treatments using rotating beam fatigue methods to assess their impact on fatigue performance. We work with materials from the smallest compressor airfoils up to full-size fan blades, providing tailored testing protocols for your specific applications.

Metals and alloys: Steel, aluminum, titanium, and nickel-based superalloys

Composites and polymers: Fiber-reinforced composites, polymer materials, composite laminates

Medical devices and industrial components: Aerospace parts, compressor airfoils, fan blades

Pipeline girth welds: Fatigue testing for pipeline materials and critical industrial applications

Methods and solutions offered

Our fatigue testing services utilize a variety of control methods, including strain control, stress control, and displacement control, to simulate real-world conditions and accurately assess material behavior. We also apply sinusoidal waveforms, constant amplitude loading, and high-frequency testing (up to 150 Hz) for rotating beam tests, ensuring precision and reliability in every test.

Strain control, stress control, displacement control

Sinusoidal waveforms and constant amplitude applications

High-frequency testing (up to 150 Hz for rotating beam)

Extreme temperature testing from -320°F to 2400°F

Forces up to 250kN

Cutting-edge equipment we use

Our laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art fatigue testing machines capable of handling a wide range of applications. We operate high-capacity test frames with multiple (9) product test chambers and specialized rotating beam machines, generating higher frequencies than traditional methods. Our equipment supports forces up to 250 kN and temperatures ranging from -320°F to 2400°F, ensuring the most accurate results in the most demanding conditions.

Multi-channel testing capabilities for complex loading scenarios
Custom and special project setups for unique applications

Comprehensive sample preparation and analysis

Beyond just testing, we provide end-to-end support from initial consultation through final analysis. Our experts assist in all stages of the process, from machining and polishing samples to interpreting test results. For rotating beam fatigue testing, specimens are carefully ground and polished to ensure the most accurate results. When failures occur, our detailed failure analysis identifies root causes and recommends preventive measures. This comprehensive approach ensures you receive not just data, but actionable insights to improve your products and processes.

Standards we test to and materials we test

These are our most prevalent requests. Don't see what you're looking for? Contact us!

Aerospace Industries Association/National Aerospace Standards

NAS 1069, NASM 1312-11, NASM 1312-21

ASTM International

ASTM C1360, ASTM C1361, ASTM D7774, ASTM D671, ASTM D3479, ASTM D4482, ASTM D6873, ASTM D6926, ASTM E206, ASTM E2368, ASTM E399, ASTM E466, ASTM E488, ASTM E606, ASTM E647, ASTM E1190, ASTM E1290, ASTM F1160, ASTM F1717, ASTM F1800, ASTM F2345, ASTM F2706

British Standards Institute

BS 3518, Part 2 & 3, BS EN 1992-1-1

General Motors North America

GMN7152, GMW16704, GMW16705

International Organization for Standardization

ISO 1143, ISO 12107, ISO 3800, ISO 6157-3

Japanese Industrial Standard

JIS B1051

Military/Department of Defense Standards

DOD-STD-1312-111, MIL-STD-1312-11

National Aerospace Standards/Aerospace Industries Association

NASM 1312-11, NASM 1312-21, NAS 1069

SAE International

SAE J 123

We also test to a number of customer standards, including GE, Honeywell, SAFRAN, Pratt & Whitney, and MTU.

Your Challenges, Our Solutions

Verifying product reliability

Your products must perform safely throughout their service life under repeated stress conditions. Our comprehensive fatigue testing services simulate real-world cyclic loading to identify potential failure points before they impact your customers. We provide critical data about the integrity and longevity of your materials, helping you verify component durability for long-term applications.

Achieving regulatory compliance

Meeting rigorous international standards is necessary for market access and product certification. Our testing experts understand industry-specific compliance requirements and provide testing to numerous standards including ISO 1143 and ASTM F1160 for rotating beam fatigue. This expertise helps you navigate certification processes efficiently while maintaining confidence in your compliance documentation.

Confirming environmental performance across conditions

Your products face diverse operating environments with varying temperatures and stress conditions. Element's testing capabilities cover extreme temperature ranges (-320 to 2400°F) and multiple load scenarios, giving you accurate performance data for even the harshest conditions. We help you understand exactly how your materials will behave when subjected to both mechanical stress and environmental factors.

Unique products, requiring a bespoke approach

Standard tests don't always address your product's specific application requirements. Our experts work with you to develop customized fatigue testing methodologies tailored to your product's end-use environment. This collaborative approach ensures you receive relevant performance data that directly applies to your specific requirements, bridging the gap between standard testing and your unique application challenges.

Why Choose Element

Element materials testing engineer operating precision measurement equipment for quality analysis

Fatigue testing leadership

Our recognized leadership in fatigue testing gives you access to the advanced methodologies and analysis techniques needed for accurate performance prediction.

Comprehensive testing capabilities

From standard high cycle fatigue to specialized rotating beam testing at up to 150 Hz, we provide the full spectrum of fatigue testing methods to address all your material evaluation needs.

Industry-specific expertise

Our specialists apply nearly 190 years of combined experience to understand your specific requirements across aerospace, medical, automotive, and industrial sectors.

Solution-oriented approach

We deliver more than just test results—our experts provide detailed failure analysis and preventive recommendations to help you improve product performance and reliability.

But don't just take our word for it

See what others want to say about partnering with Element

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FAQs

What is rotating beam fatigue testing?

Rotating beam fatigue testing is a mechanical test method that evaluates fatigue properties by subjecting a beam specimen to cyclic loading under rotation. This induces repeated bending that causes failure over time. The test generates higher frequencies than traditional HCF methods and provides critical data about coatings and metallic surface treatments. Element performs these tests to ISO 1143, ASTM F1160 standards, or using bespoke methods to meet your specific requirements.

What is Thermo Mechanical Fatigue testing?

Our experts use this test to evaluate the combined effects of temperature and strain cycling on a material. Thermo mechanical fatigue testing is an important part of the material qualification for aerospace, oil and gas, transportation, and more. TMF is particularly useful if your materials and equipment experience a range of thermal environments during usages, such as turbine parts and engine components.