In industries like aerospace, delayed test results can stall production and inflate costs. ASTM F519 Step Load Testing (SLT) delivers rapid, reliable validation of your plating or coating process in just 6 hours, ensuring compliance with standards like NADCAP and ISO. By efficiently testing the remaining three samples after a failed 200-hour sustained load test, SLT minimizes downtime and keeps your production on track, saving you time and money while meeting stringent quality requirements.
What is Step Load Testing?
ASTM F519 assesses hydrogen embrittlement in plated or coated high-strength steel. Where permitted by process specifications, SLT is a follow-up procedure conducted on the remaining three samples of a test set after a 200-hour sustained load test. It incrementally increases the load by 5% of the Notch Fracture Strength (NFS) every 2 hours, up to 90% NFS, to evaluate resistance to hydrogen-induced cracking.
Proven Results
Over 2 years, Omega tested 497 sets that experienced a single failure in the 200-hour sustained load test. Of these, 365 sets underwent Step Load Testing (74% opportunity rate), with 234 sets passing at a 64% success rate, demonstrating SLT’s effectiveness in validating processes efficiently. SLT slashes costs by using existing samples to meet the requirement, saving you thousands over retests and production delays.
How It Boosts Your Workflow
Step Load Testing integrates seamlessly into your production and quality assurance processes, delivering practical benefits where they matter most. With results available just six hours after a failed 200-hour test, SLT enables same-day decision-making, helping teams stay on tight project timelines. Because it uses the existing test samples, SLT eliminates the need for expensive new sample sets and reduces the cost of reprocessing or delays—offering a significant savings advantage. The speed and reliability of the results allow production teams to respond quickly and confidently, minimizing disruptions. At the lab level, SLT fits efficiently into existing workflows, ensuring fast, consistent reporting without overloading resources. Together, these advantages make SLT a smart, streamlined solution for maintaining compliance and momentum.
Interpretation of Results (ASTM F519 Section 11)
- No Fracture: If no specimens fracture within 200 hours at the specified load, the process is considered non-embrittling.
- One Fracture: If one specimen fractures and SLT is permitted, the remaining three samples may be tested. If all remaining samples sustain the step load test the process is considered non-embrittling.
- Two or More Fractures: The process is deemed embrittling, requiring revisions.
- Replacement Testing: Anomalous failures (e.g., sample prep, plating, hydrogen relief bake or non-notch fractures) allow replacement testing with four new specimens. Any failure in replacement testing classifies the process as embrittling unless further anomalous causes are identified.
Why Choose Step Load Testing?
Where permitted, SLT validates plating/coating processes efficiently by testing the remaining three samples after a single failure. Its 6-hour process reduces lab congestion and delivers cost-effective, compliant results, empowering customers to maintain production schedules and meet industry standards with confidence.
