A professional who measures tensile strength, hardness, ductility, or other physical properties of metal specimens, using following prescribed series of operations. Responsibilities include:

• Determines tensile strength on tension-testing machines.
• Measures dimensions of specimen with scales and micrometers and records measurements.
• Screws or clamps specimen in holders on machine.
• Clamps extensometer onto specimen and connects wire from extensometer to automatic stress-strain recorder.
• Turns handwheels or moves levers to apply tension to specimen at specified rate.
• Notes reading of indicator dial on control panel of machine or observes stress-strain curve (curve obtained by plotting applied tension against resultant elongation) being drawn by recorder to determine yield point and tensile strength of specimen.
• Removes pieces of broken specimen from machine, fits them together, and measures amount of elongation.
• Makes simple calculations of values, such as unit tensile strength and percentage elongation, using tables.
• Records readings and calculations on special forms.
• Measures hardness of specimens (hardness inspector (heat treating)).
• Measures ductility of sheet metal specimens in sheet metal testing machine.
• May test specimens for plasticity and compression.
• May specialize in testing iron or steel sheets for ductility and be designated Sheet Tester.