What business objective does a new test machine serve?

• Are you developing a new blend or improving your manufacturing process?
• Do you need to inspect incoming materials?
• Are you designing a plastic product and need to verify its design (such as footwear or fishing line)?

Testing materials for quality assurance is common. Other applications include development of new compounds and monitoring production quality.

Explain the working environment the machine is being placed into:

• A laboratory, online production line, or quality assurance lab?
• Are multiple operators involved?
• Have any of the operators operated a test machine before?

What is the form and type of plastic you want to test? (rigid, thin sheet, etc)

• Is it a rigid or stiff high strength polymer matrix composite?
• Is it a thin sheet or plastic film?
• Are you testing polyethylene pipes or piping products?

What test types do you want to run? (tensile, flexural, etc)

Specific material type and its strength affects the machines force capacity requirements which impacts the price of the machine.

The range of different types of tests affects the number and type of testing accessories needed. Plastics tests can be wide and varied, including tensile, compression, tear, shear, torsion, fatigue, coefficient of friction, dynamic properties, and flexural bend tests.

Also, if you need specific test data (modulus, yield, elongation at break), then the type of report may be affected as well as accessories needed. If modulus information is needed then you need an extensometer.

Basic plastics tensile strength tests (tensile strength and elongation at break data) can generally be performed with our least expensive system. A more flexible system is needed for materials characterization tests, where stress and strain accuracy is important.

Do you want maximum flexibility or lowest price? Discussions with an application engineer can help you decide.

What test speed range do you anticipate needing?

Testing plastics requires a constant test speed within the range of 5 to 500 mm per min (20 ipm).

Dynamic characterization and fatigue tests require relatively fast test speeds.

A slow test speed tends to lower machine price.

Do you plan to test both mechanical and thermal properties?

Dual column load frames provide the additional lateral test space required for environmental test chambers and larger test samples. Otherwise, a single column load frame is adequate for most plastics tests.

Do you need an extensometer?

Some test methods require an extensometer to measure sample strain. Most do not and so extension at break is reported by the crosshead position sensor. The majority of mechanical tests are used to monitor established processes and material or product quality where machine position (LVDT or encoder) data may be adequate.

If you need an extensometer, the controller should be configured with a strain channel. Our plastics expert can advise you on these concerns.

Is poissons ratio important?

Some customers need to measure poissons ratio. Correlation of your results with accepted values will ultimately be important.

Our applications expert can configure your controller for two strain channels and discuss the accessories (biaixal extensometer and air grips) needed to be successful.

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Are you trying to meet specific industry test standards? (ASTM, ISO, etc)

Industry standard test methods help establish test system requirements. The following list shows more than 250 different industry standards for plastics testing that are available from organizations such as ISO or ASTM:

ASTM ISO and other Industry Standard Plastics Test Methods

Are you seeking the LEAST EXPENSIVE Plastics test machine?

Least Expensive Test Machine Considerations

Clearly stated requirements that are limited (e.g. " tester for ASTM D790") lower costs. Help us understand your goals and needs. Our modular 'lego-like' product line makes it possible to buy affordably and expand only as needed. In quasi-static tests, a standalone controller offers an affordable proven solution. Even though they are 'standalone' they feature multiple software options for machine control, data export, curve plotting and analysis. They serve production testing applications well - where a PC may not be welcomed. Low forces and slow speeds are less expensive than high loads at high speeds. A test machine's load capacity affects the price of a test machine. Single Column frames are less expensive than dual column frames. Plastic Test Machines with Standalone Controls - ratings up to 4500 lb

Do you value VERSATILITY in your Plastics test machine?

Most Versatile Test Machine Considerations

Discuss your needs with an experienced TestResources applications engineer. Your long term objectives and immediate test needs drive the configuration requirements. The more we understand your goals and focus, the more we can optimize a test system. We can offer a 'universal solution' to the extent we understand what you mean by the phrase. Crosshead and actuators with high force and high speed ratings also provide increased testing flexibility. Testing plastics can demand a machine with as much as 20 kN (4500 lb) load capacity. Plastic composites and engineered products may require even higher loads. A flexible test machine can serve multiple operators running different tests that change daily. Testing service labs run different tests all day long, and researchers always face undefined needs. Our software driven controllers deliver great flexibility. They are required for fatigue tests and materials characterization testing. PC Based Computerized Plastic Test Machines A fatigue test machine offers the ultimate in flexibility because it performs both static and dynamic tests.

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Tensile Grips for Plastics – Manual, Spring Loaded, and Air Operated

The two most common challenges of gripping plastics show up as inconsistent results and test samples that fail in the grips. Both problems can be solved by our application engineer helping you make the correct choice of grip type with attention paid to the loading and aligning of the sample before the test. With our application engineer involved, we guarantee a solution - or your purchase returned.

Screw action side acting grips are the least expensive grip and generally adequate. Interchangeable jaws make it possible to grip both fragile films and rigid plastics with the same grips.

Vice Screw Action Grips - for plastics

Pneumatic side-acting grips offer both self-aligning and adjustable clamping pressures that provide consistent clamping forces from one specimen to the next.

Pneumatic Side Action Grips - for plastics

Wedge style grips provide a 'bite' to handle higher load capacity test samples (rigid plastics or composites).

Wedge Action Grips - for plastics

Pneumatic Wedge Action Grips - for use in chambers

Spring loaded grips come in a variety of types including scissor or pincher style, eccentric roller style and a variety of other forms.

Spring Scissor & Pincer Grips - selected for plastics

Spring Eccentric Roller Grips - selected for plastic films

Capstan Style Grips are used in testing plastic strapping, monofilament fishing line and other plastic flat and round samples.

Capstan Grips for Sheet and Round Samples

Compression Platens, Probes, and Puncture Fixtures

Compression tests offer their own challenges worthy of a conversation with an applications engineer. Some test samples, such as structural plastic foam, require a fixed and self aligning compression platens (spherical seats).

In other applications, the sample deformation is relatively small and so machine deflection is not representative of sample strain. In those cases, a special deflection sensor (LVDT or other type) needs to be mounted across the platens.

Compression Platens, Probes and Fixtures

3 & 4 Point Flexural Bend Fixtures

Plastic materials have a relatively low strength compared to metals and composites. So the selection of a bend fixture is based on sample size, rather than load rating.

Flexural Bend Fixtures selected for plastics

Extensometers and Deflectometers for Plastics Tests

When the machine crosshead position sensor data is inaccurate for the specific test method, measuring sample strain with an extensometer is the remedy. We offer extensometers specifically designed for testing plastics, including a long travel unit for testing thin film, a non-contacting laser extensometer for high temperature applications, a biaxial unit for poissons ratio and many standard extensometers with different travels and gage lengths.

Extensometers & Deflectometers for Plastics Testing

High and Low Temperature Chambers and Related Products

Since plastics are viscoelastic by nature, they perform differently at hot and cold temperatures. High and low temperature environmental chambers with temperature controllers are configured to match your load frame and special grips and extensometers available.

High & Low Temperature Chambers for Plastics Testing

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