Design and optimisation of a digital load application system for a student's creep testing machine using simulation-based analysis

Creep testing is a fundamental pillar of materials engineering, critical for assessing the long-term mechanical behaviour of materials under constant load at elevated temperatures. This research aims to design and optimise a digital load application system for such machines. It will do so by leveraging Autodesk Inventor for Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modelling, ANSYS for finite element analysis (FEA), and MATLAB for the digital optimisation of the controls. The primary focus is on the design and control of the load application system. The study was conducted using aluminum alloys (e.g., 6061), mild steel (S355jr), and austenitic stainless steel (SS304). Testing conditions are confined to a range of 300°C to 600°C, and the system is designed and validated for tests lasting up to 100 h. The Simulink models for the three varied materials produced force and deformation responses that align with materials science principles. As expected, the control system had to exert the greatest effort to achieve the same level of deformation in stainless steel, followed by mild steel, and then aluminum. The discussion of the results confirms that the proposed digitally controlled creep testing system is a viable and superior alternative to traditional mechanical systems for educational laboratories.