Numerical simulation of the simple tensile test and its use as a complement in competence training in engineering careers

Abstract

The simple tensile test is one of the most commonly used destructive mechanical tests to determine characteristic properties of materials. From the point of view of engineering education, it is useful for introducing concepts such as conventional and true stress, etc. On the other hand, understanding mechanical properties has implications in engineering practice; in relation to design and production of goods, maintenance and research. This implies that this test is important in education with Competency-based learning approach. Despite the wide use of tensile testing in experimental practical training, it provides information on global variables, giving little information on local variables, such as strain and stress distributions. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate complementary tools that allow mobilizing and integrating knowledge that contributes to understanding the mechanical response of materials. One way to do this is through the use of numerical experiments of the simple tensile test. In this work, the numerical simulation using finite elements of the simple traction problem is presented for the case of different plane geometries and different materials; as a tool to improve the integration of knowledge and skills training in the area of mechanical response of materials and their properties in undergraduate students.