EN 10045-1 Charpy Impact Test for Iron and Steel Castings

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EN 10045‑1 — Metallic materials — Charpy impact test — Part 1: Test method

EN 10045‑1 defines the Charpy (simple‑beam, pendulum) impact test on metallic materials using U‑notch and V‑notch specimens:

A notched specimen is supported horizontally on two anvils, struck on the face opposite the notch by a swinging pendulum striker, and broken in a single blow.

The measured quantity is the absorbed energy, reported in joules, and denoted:

KU = U‑notch specimen

KV = V‑notch specimen

with optional indices showing nominal machine energy and, when needed, reduced width (e.g. KV 300, KU 100, KV 300 7.5 etc., as written in the standard’s notation examples).

It explicitly says: for certain particular metals / applications, more specific standards or additional requirements may apply.

Important Context: EN 10045-1:1990 is currently Withdrawnand replaced by EN ISO 148-1.

Test Principle

A notched metallic specimen is simply supported on two rigid anvils at both ends. A calibrated pendulum is lifted to a fixed position to store initial potential energy. When released, the pendulum swings and strikes the specimen on the side opposite the notch with a single blow, fracturing the sample. The absorbed energy (in Joules, J) consumed during fracture is calculated by measuring the pendulum’s energy loss after correcting for mechanical friction. This absorbed energy directly reflects the material’s impact toughness and ability to resist brittle fracture under dynamic shock loads.

EN 10045-1 Charpy Impact Test for Iron and Steel Castings

Specific test methods in EN 10045-1

EN 10045‑1 covers one method family (Charpy), with two classic notch types:

V‑notch: 45°, depth 2 mm, notch‑root radius 0.25 mm

U‑notch / keyhole‑type notch: depth 5 mm, root radius 1 mm

It does not define Izod (cantilever) testing—this is the Charpystandard.

The standard also defines how to write the result symbolically:

KV = 121 J → nominal machine energy 300 J, standard V‑notch specimen, absorbed energy 121 J

KU 100 = 65 J → nominal energy 100 J, standard U‑notch specimen

Reduced‑width forms: e.g. KV 150/5 or KV 300 7.5 style notation when using simplified (sub‑size width) specimens.

Test Specimen Requirements

Standard Specimen	The mandatory full-size specimen has uniform dimensions: 55 mm (length) × 10 mm (width) × 10 mm (square cross-section). A precision-machined notch is located at the exact longitudinal midpoint of the specimen. Two standard notch designs are defined: V-notch: 45° included angle, 2 mm depth, 0.25 mm notch root radius. U-notch (Keyhole notch): 5 mm depth, 1 mm notch root radius.
Dimensional & Machining Tolerances	Strict machining tolerances follow ISO 286-1 (geometrical tolerance standard): Total length: 55 mm ± 0.60 mm; notch centering: 27.5 mm ± 0.42 mm (0.165 mm for automatic positioning machines). Notch root radius: V-notch ±0.025 mm; U-notch ±0.07 mm. All adjacent faces of the specimen must be perpendicular (90° ± 2°). The notch symmetry plane must be perpendicular to the specimen’s longitudinal axis.
Subsize Specimens	If standard 10 mm-wide specimens cannot be sampled from raw materials, 7.5 mm or 5 mm wide subsize specimens are permitted. The notch must be machined on the narrower face of subsize samples. Critical note: Test results from full-size and subsize specimens are not directly comparable.
Specimen Preparation Rules	Specimens shall be fully machined except precision cast parts (two faces parallel to the notch plane can remain un-machined). No visible machining scratches are allowed at the notch root, as scratches cause stress concentration and distort test data. Specimen markings are allowed only on surfaces that do not contact anvils, and must be at least 5 mm away from the notch to avoid cold working damage.

Test Equipment of EN 10045-1 Metal charpy impact test methods

Pendulum Impact Testing Machine	Recommend UnitedTest JB series impact tester. Stably and verified per EN 10045-2 (machine calibration standard) before use. Standard velocity range is 5 m/s to 5.5 m/s
Striker	Striker taper angle: 30° ±1°; striker end radius: 2mm; maximum striker width: 18mm.
Anvils and Supports	Distance between two anvils: 40mm; anvil radius: 10mm; anvil taper angle: 11° ±1°.
Temperature Conditioning Devices	Temperature conditioning devices (liquid/gas bath) for heating or cooling specimens.

Key Test Parameters & Mandatory Stipulations:

1, Test Temperature

Default ambient temperature: 23 °C ±5 °C if no temperature is specified in product standards.

For specified test temperatures: The actual specimen temperature must be controlled within ±2 °C.

Temperature holding time:

Liquid medium: Soak specimens for at least 10 minutes to ensure uniform temperature.

Gaseous medium: Soak specimens for at least 30 minutes.

2, Specimen Transfer Rule

After removing specimens from the heating/cooling medium, the impact test must be completed within 5 seconds to prevent significant temperature drift and inaccurate results.

3. Specimen Placement

The specimen is placed squarely on the anvils. The notch symmetry plane must be within 0.5 mm of the mid-plane between the two anvils. The striker must impact the side directly opposite the notch.

4. Abnormal Result

HandlingIf the specimen is only deformed but not fully fractured by the pendulum, the absorbed energy is deemed invalid, and the condition of "unbroken specimen" must be clearly recorded in the test report.

5. Result Symbol Rules

KV: Absorbed energy of V-notch specimens; KU: Absorbed energy of U-notch specimens.

Suffixes are added for non-standard machines or subsize specimens: e.g., HV₁₅₀(150 J machine + V-notch), KV_300/7.5 (300 J machine + 7.5 mm wide subsize specimen).

6. Test Report Mandatory Content

Reference standard (EN 10045-1).

Specimen type, full dimensions and notch style (V/U).

Specimen identification (material grade, batch number, sampling number).

Sampling direction and location of the specimen.

Nominal energy of the pendulum impact machine.

Exact test temperature (°C).

Final absorbed energy value (KV or KU, unit: J).

Operational Procedures of EN 10045-1 Impact Test

Pre-test Inspection: Verify the impact machine complies with EN 10045-2; check specimen dimensions, notch quality and surface condition, and reject unqualified samples.

Temperature Conditioning: Place specimens in liquid or gas medium and hold for the required duration to reach the target temperature.

Specimen Placement: Take conditioned specimens with transfer tools and position them accurately on the anvils following placement rules.

Impact Test: Lift and lock the pendulum at the initial position, then release it smoothly to strike the specimen. Record the energy reading after fracture.

Post-test Recording: Observe the fracture state. Mark unbroken specimens, jamming or other abnormalities. Sort broken samples and complete the test report.

Industrial Application Fields

As the former mainstream European impact standard, EN 10045-1 was widely used in all metal-related industries in European member states and regions following European specifications:

Iron & Steel Industry: Routine factory inspection and delivery acceptance for carbon steel, alloy steel, steel plates and bars.

Foundry Industry: Impact test for cast steel and cast iron components.

Welding Industry: Toughness detection for welded joints and welded structural parts to evaluate weld safety.

Pressure Vessels & Pipeline: Low-temperature and room-temperature impact tests for pipeline steel and container steel.

General Machinery: Quality control for gears, shafts and forgings bearing dynamic impact loads.

Construction & Civil Engineering: Inspection of building steel and structural components.

Automotive & Railway: Testing for vehicle and train structural metal parts.

Related Test Standard:

ISO 148-1	Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test - Part 1: Test method
ASTM E23	Standard Test Methods for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials
AASHTO T 266	Standard Method of Test for Notched Bar Impact Testing of Metallic Materials (CVN)
EN 10045-1	Charpy Impact Test for Metallic Materials - Test Method
EN 10045-2	Metallic Materials - Charpy Impact Test - Part 2: Verification of the Testing Machine (Pendulum Impact)
JIS Z 2242	Method for Charpy pendulum impact test of metallic materials
KS B 0810	Method of impact test for metallic materials
GB/T 229	Metallic materials—Charpy pendulum impact test method
ISO 14556	Metallic materials — Charpy V-notch pendulum impact test — Instrumented test method
ASTM E2298	Instrumented impact test standard, matching E23 to collect force-displacement curves.
ISO 148-2	Metallic materials - Charpy pendulum impact test - Part 2: Verification of testing machines
ISO 148-3	Metallic materials. Charpy pendulum impact test. Preparation and characterization of Charpy V-notch test pieces for indirect verification of pendulum impact machines
ISO 148-4	Metallic materials. Charpy pendulum impact test - Testing of miniature Charpy-type V-notch test pieces

Impact Tester is mainly used to determine the anti-impact capability of ferrous metal materials with high toughness, especially for steel and iron and their alloy, under dynamic load. This series tester is operated semi-automatically.

Electric impact specimen U/V notching machine is a specialized specimen preparation device for metal Charpy pendulum impact tests. It is driven by a motor and lead screw, and uses forming cutting tools to cut a V-shaped or U-shaped notch in a single pass, meeting standards such as GB/T 229, ISO 148,

CST-50 projector is a supplemental equipment for impact test, mainly used to check the accuracy of impact specimen U/V notch. Put the notched specimen on projector working table, multiple 50* and compare the projection image with standard plate, then identify the quality of impact specimen notch.

DWC low temperature chamber is a supplemental equipment for impact test under low temperature. Use imported high quality compressor to refrigerate, single-chip micro processor control, auto control temperature, timing, alarm etc.; Refrigeration fast, big volume.

Q1: What is EN 10045-1:1990?

A: It is a classic European standard issued by CEN for Charpy pendulum impact tests on metallic materials, covering both V-notch and U-notch specimens. It was once the main impact test standard across all European member states and has now been superseded by the EN ISO 148 series.

Q2: Why is the EN 10045-1 test important for metallic materials?

A: It measures notch toughness, a key property that static tensile or hardness tests cannot reflect, to assess resistance to brittle fracture under dynamic impact.

It evaluates low-temperature brittleness and ductile-brittle transition performance, critical for materials used in cold working environments.

It provides unified test data for material selection, production quality control and heat treatment optimization in European industries.

It ensures the safety of metal components bearing shock loads in machinery, construction, pipelines and other fields.

It unified test rules across European countries and promoted regional material trade and technical exchange.

Q3: What are the dimensions of the standard Charpy specimen in EN 10045-1?

A: The standard specimen is a square bar: 55 mm long, 10 mm × 10 mm cross-section. A notch is machined at the longitudinal centre.

V-notch: 45° angle, 2 mm depth, 0.25 mm root radius

U-notch: 5 mm depth, 1 mm root radius

Q4: What are the key requirements for specimen machining and marking?

A:No visible scratches at the notch root, to avoid extra stress concentration.

The notch plane must be perpendicular to the specimen’s longitudinal axis.

Markings can only be made on surfaces not touching anvils, and must be at least 5 mm away from the notch to prevent cold working damage.

Q5: What is the tolerance for notch centering?

A: The distance from the specimen end to the notch centre is 27.5 mm, with a tolerance of ±0.42 mm. For automatic positioning machines, the tolerance is reduced to ±0.165 mm.

Q6: What are the requirements for temperature control and holding time?

A:For specified test temperatures, the specimen temperature shall be kept within ±2 °C.

Liquid medium soaking: at least 10 minutes.

Gaseous medium soaking: at least 30 minutes.

Q7: What is the limit for specimen transfer time?

A: After taking the specimen out of the heating/cooling medium, the impact test must be completed within 5 seconds to avoid temperature deviation.

Q8: How to place the specimen on the anvils correctly?

A: Place the specimen flat on the two anvils. The notch symmetry plane shall be within 0.5 mm of the mid-plane of the two anvils. The striker must hit the side opposite the notch.

Q9: What is the difference between EN 10045-1 and current EN ISO 148-1?

A: EN 10045-1 is an old regional standard; EN ISO 148-1 is the current European standard aligned with international ISO rules.

There are differences in dimensional tolerances, friction requirements and temperature holding time.

EN ISO 148-1 adds more provisions for subsize specimens, lateral expansion and measurement uncertainty.

Q10: Why are test results inconsistent between different labs using EN 10045-1?

A: Main causes: uncalibrated impact machines, poor notch processing, overlong specimen transfer time leading to temperature drift, or mixed use of full-size and subsize specimens.

Q11: What is the relationship between EN 10045-1 and EN 10045-2?

A: They are two parts of the same system:

Part 1 (This document): Defines the Test Method (how to prepare samples, run the test, and report results).

Part 2: Defines the Calibration and Verification of the impact testing machine itself. At the time of your document (1990), Part 2 was still being drafted and referred to older national standards (like DIN 51306 or BS 131 Part 4) for machine verification.

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