Instron Products
August 22, 2025
How to Connect Transducers to Instron Systems: Four Methods
Instron users can connect third-party sensors and transducers to their test systems such as strain, temperature, pressure, displacement, or electrical resistance.
June 12, 2025
Is Your Testing Lab Windows 11 Ready?
Windows 10 Pro support ends in October 2025, so get your lab ready for Windows 11.
June 11, 2025
Pharmaceutical Spotlight: Expanding Testing Capability for Drug Delivery Devices
Instron created a portfolio of fixturing and bespoke systems for testing devices and components.
December 6, 2024
Reducing Variability in High Temperature Materials Testing
Increasing the efficiency of aircraft engines requires not only innovation in materials and design, but also improvement in the quality of testing data.
January 29, 2024
Bluehill Impact for Pendulum
Bluehill Impact for Pendulum delivers a powerful, user-friendly experience for impact testing.
Posted By Erica Deserti
June 23, 2023
Mechanical Testing in the Biomedical Industry
Discover the key challenges faced by the biomedical industry in mechanical testing.
June 12, 2023
5 Steps to Effective Mechanical Testing Automation for Biomedical Labs in CDMOs
The production of auto-disable (AD) safe-injection devices is a core activity for many contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). Mechanical testing assesses the safety and efficacy of AD syringes before they go to market. With the AD device industry set to grow to over $13.3 billion by 2028, laboratories within CDMOs will perform more tests more frequently. Here we look at how cobot-based systems can help these labs cope with growing workloads by maximizing repeatability and efficiency.
Posted By Nick Erickson
January 30, 2023
Ductile to Brittle Transition Temperature
How to achieve optimal accuracy and throughput with a drop weight impact testing machine
Posted By Andrea Incardona
October 3, 2022
Top 5 Considerations When Selecting a Pendulum Impact Testing Machine
Most critical factors to look out for when selecting pendulum impact test equipment
Posted By Francesca Pinto
June 29, 2022
Top Benefits of Semi-Automation for Materials Testing
Learn how a semi-automated testing system can help labs achieve improved throughput, efficiency, repeatability, and safety.
Posted By Nick Erickson
June 3, 2022
How To Decrease Variability in Test Results with Specimen Protect
Specimen Protect is a feature of 6800 Series universal testing systems and system retrofits that limits unwanted forces applied to the specimen during loading.
Posted By Nick Erickson
May 4, 2022
Drop Weight Impact Test: Top Tips for Accurate Results
Drop weight impact test calculations measure the toughness of polymers and composites used in many automotive and aerospace applications. Ensuring that these calculations are as accurate as possible is critical.
Posted By Francesca Pinto
April 18, 2022
Alignment Tips for the AutoX750 Extensometer
Five easy steps to achieve proper alignment for the AutoX750 automatic contacting extensometer.
Posted By Nick Erickson
March 15, 2022
Using a 3-Jaw Chuck for Materials Testing
In this video Instron Applications Engineer, Charlie Pryor, discusses how a 3-jaw chuck is a useful accessory to have in the lab for compression, tensile, torsion, rigidity, and tack testing applications. Compatible with Instron MT torsion testers, universal testing machines, and the torsion add-on, the 3-jaw chuck can be used to mount a variety of attachments, including probes, screwdriver bits, custom-made adapters, and can even be used to clamp directly onto specimens.
Posted By Nick Erickson
January 17, 2022
Manual or Automatic Melt Flow Index Testers
Melt flow index testers come in all shapes and sizes, from completely manual machines to largely automatic solutions. Here we look at the main benefits of combining manual and automatic features within the same plastic melt flow index tester solution.
October 1, 2021
Pendulum Impact Testing Machine or Drop Tower
How to choose the correct Impact Testing Equipment for the application
August 23, 2021
Product Spotlight: Component Test Plate
In this video Instron Applications Engineer, Sammi Sadler, discusses a variety of ways the component test plate can be used to increase the versatility of your single and dual column universal testing systems. The component test plate is a drilled and tapped metal plate that gets mounted to the base of the testing frame. The entire surface is covered by an array of M6 threaded holes that make it ideal for performing tensile, compression, flexure, peel, and puncture testing on components and end products. It’s also commonly used to mount standard and custom grips and fixtures off-center.
June 15, 2021
How to Test the HDT of 3D Printing Materials
Instron Products How to Test the HDT of 3D Printing Materials Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) tests play a vital role in 3D printing, especially in fused deposition modeling (FDM) and Polyjet applications. The HDT is one of the most crucial properties for polymer-based 3D printing materials as well as for 3D-printed prototypes and parts. Using […]
March 9, 2021
Will Product Failure Put Your Company at Risk?
Instron Products Will Product Failure Put Your Company at Risk? How the Bluehill® Traceability Module Helps Reduce Risk in Your Safety Critical Industry To understand the value of Bluehill’s Traceability module to the wider materials testing industry, it is helpful to first understand why the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requires medical device and pharmaceutical companies operating […]
February 3, 2020
Traceability Webinar + Q&A
Instron Products Traceability Webinar + Q&A Q&A From the Live Webinar Can users modify their own theme/background color or the test screen layout? There is a permission in security that can be set to disable a user’s ability to edit the workspace. By turning this permission off, users cannot change graph settings like the x-axis […]
January 17, 2019
Biaxial Testing of Medical Devices
Instron Products Biaxial Testing of Medical Devices A Guide for Choosing the Right Biaxial Testing System The demand for medical consumables has never been greater. Manufacturers of common devices such as syringes, orthopedic implants, and medicine bottles are seeing an increased demand for their products, thanks in part to an aging global population. As demand increases, so does […]
January 16, 2018
Bluehill® Universal Software: Top 5 FAQs
Instron Products Bluehill® Universal Software: Top 5 FAQs While maintaining all of the power and flexibility found in previous versions of Bluehill software, our latest static testing software, Bluehill Universal, was built from the ground up for touch interaction and boasts many advanced new features, such as pre-loaded test methods, QuickTest in seconds, and enhanced data […]
May 24, 2017
When You Don’t Take Advantage of Software Updates
As Technical Support Manager at the Instron® corporate headquarters, I have answered my share of customer questions and hopefully brought more clarity to testing operators. Through this kind of customer exposure, my team and I are constantly taking note of feedback to make our products better. In particular, we receive calculation requests, discover bugs, and think of new features for our software products. As we develop and release software updates, many of these suggestions are added.
April 13, 2017
What Does “Touch-friendly” Software Actually Mean?
Instron Products What Does “Touch-friendly” Software Actually Mean? As part of the simplification process of Bluehill Software, the team also devised ways to quickly make modifications to the workflow that fall right in line with the touch experience. Something simple, like modifying the data presented in the live data display, users can just tap […]
April 3, 2017
Micro Three-Point Bend Testing for Microelectronics
Instron Products Micro Three-Point Bend Testing for Microelectronics Take a look at the variety of micro bend test fixtures. Reliability analysis of electronic packages and components is a critical step in microelectronics, as these packages are widely used in portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. Studying electrical performance may not be enough, as […]
February 12, 2017
Traceability: What is it, and Why is it Important in Testing of Materials?
Instron Products Traceability: What is it, and Why is it Important in Testing of Materials? One link/tier further down this chain is Instron’s 130,000lb deadweight stack Primary Force Standard. Since this stack of deadweight has been calibrated with traceability reaching all the way back to the IPK, we can say how accurate our deadweight […]
December 1, 2016
August 31, 2016
What Value Does ISO 9001 Add?
Instron Products What Value Does ISO 9001 Add? At Instron®, we recognize the importance and the impact of your test results. When used in an R&D application, our equipment is helping you make business decisions about new processes or new materials. In a QC setting, we understand that our customers sometimes use our equipment […]
August 1, 2016
Non-Contacting Strain Measurement Techniques in Fatigue Testing of Polymer Matrix Composites
Non-Contacting Strain Measurement Techniques in Fatigue Testing of Polymer Matrix Composites
February 19, 2016
Penn State Students Receive a Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Penn State engineering students tour Instron manufacturing facilty
January 15, 2016
December 8, 2015
Increase Efficiency Without Sacrificing Safety
Instron Products Increase Efficiency Without Sacrificing Safety An Instron geotextile customer was conducting materials testing nearly around the clock. They were not able to keep up with demand and were building another plant to respond to the market. The company had a positive experience with their current Instron testing system and wanted to invest in […]
October 13, 2015
Instron Supports MassChallenge Startups
Instron Products Instron Supports MassChallenge Startups MassChallenge: Catalyze a Startup Renaissance MassChallenge’s mission is clear: Catalyze a startup renaissance. The organization’s model serves as the largest startup accelerator in the world to help early-stage entrepreneurs succeed with no equity required and financial prizes awarded. When entrepreneurs are empowered to challenge old conventions and create new […]
July 9, 2015
Building a Business Case for Modernisation: An Interview with Nick Shrubsall
Our own Nick Shrubsall, Product and Marketing Manager for Instron’s Dynamic Upgrades and Accessories business, talks to AZoM about their Lab Health Check campaign for upgrading old equipment and helping improve reliability, productivity and capability.
March 28, 2015
Future Engineers Taking a Hands-on Approach at WPI Using Instron Equipment
Instron Products Future Engineers Taking a Hands-on Approach at WPI Using Instron Equipment As a proud Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) alumna, Meredith Platt ’01 couldn’t help but be excited to see a fellow female engineer at WPI engage in real-world applications and seeing firsthand how globalization is more than a term in a textbook. “It’s […]
March 18, 2015
Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Programs
Instron Products Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Programs Recently, the Instron team had the honor of visiting local schools to support their Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs. At the Hardy Elementary Science Night in Wellesley, Massachusetts, we were able to explain the concept of force with a show-and-tell demonstration. We brought […]
February 23, 2015
The MPX Series of Motorized Pendulum Impact Testers: An Interview with Matthew Spiret
Instron Products The MPX Series of Motorized Pendulum Impact Testers: An Interview with Matthew Spiret By Stuart Milne Matthew Spiret, Sales and Product Support Engineer, talks to AZoM.com about the new MPX series of motorized pendulum impact testers from Instron and the range of benefits they offer to the industry. Could you give an overview […]
September 10, 2014
Helping to Provide the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval
Instron Products Helping to Provide the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval Ever wonder how the beauty industry can make their claims? Research and testing is behind the development of beauty products to determine the best technologies, formulas, and products to meet goals. When consumers want to hear the validity of the claims, they look to […]
September 4, 2014
Testing a Student-Made Off-Road Vehicle
Instron Products Testing a Student-Made Off-Road Vehicle When Northeastern University students visited our Norwood, Massachusetts headquarters, Instron employees had a chance to ride an off-road vehicle. As a platinum sponsor, Instron assisted the student engineers in their quest to finish first. Instron employees taking a ride in the student-designed car For the Baja SAE […]
August 7, 2014
Consumer Reports Uses Instron for Bend Testing Smartphone
Consumer Reports Uses Instron for Bend Testing Smartphone Consumer Reports sought to test LG’s G Flex smartphone, which claims to bend to life’s curves. The material properties of rigid plastic, aluminum, and glass typically are used in mobile devices, and one would assume they would be difficult to bend. LG has claimed that the smartphone […]
Extensometer Slippage
Instron Products Extensometer Slippage Some of our customers are frustrated when they experience slippage of their strain gauge extensometers. Close examination of their extensometer knife-edges often reveals wear that has rounded the edge, increasing the likelihood of slippage. If you are experiencing extensometer slippage, take a close look at your knife-edges. For replacement parts, please […]
May 12, 2014
Wedge Action Grips: Which is Moving?
Instron Products Wedge Action Grips: Which is Moving? Janice Tan Wedge action grips are a very popular choice for gripping high-strength materials, such as metals and composites, because the strong clamping force ensures that specimen slippage is eliminated. All wedge grips work by multiplying a relatively small input force into a higher clamping force. In […]
February 25, 2014
Software Module Increases Test Frequency for Fatigue Testing of Composites and Polymers
Instron Products Software Module Increases Test Frequency for Fatigue Testing of Composites and Polymers Senior Applications Specialist for Dynamic Systems, Peter Bailey shares with AZoM how the Specimen Self-Heating Control (SSHC) module to WaveMatrix™ Materials Testing Software can enhance fatigue testing of composites and polymers. SSHC optimizes test frequency by maintaining consistent specimen temperature and […]
October 8, 2013
Poisson’s Ratio Testing With A Biaxial Extensometer
Poisson’s Ratio Testing With A Biaxial Extensometer Elayne (Schneebacher) Gordonov Poisson’s Ratio has proven to be a challenging calculation for obtaining both repeatable and accurate results. To improve repeatability, we typically recommend grips that provide consistent clamping pressure, such as pneumatic side acting grips. In addition, alignment devices can be mounted on these grips to […]
August 15, 2013
Industry Insights Series with David Fry
Instron Products Industry Insights Series with David Fry David Fry Working alongside our friends at AZOM, they developed a series of engaging interviews with a few of our global colleagues. In the recent series, I was able to discuss metals testing requirements with a focus on the latest European metals standard, ISO 6892 and high […]
March 19, 2013
Instron Supporting Britain’s Economic Growth
Instron Products Instron Supporting Britain’s Economic Growth The BBC sheds light on where to place bets for Britain’s future economic success. The recent segment displays a repertoire of Instron’s single column 3300 machine, dual column 5900 machine, and Bluehill® software running tests at the Tissue Regenix laboratory.
March 6, 2012
Selecting a Pressure Transducer for Your Capillary Rheometer
Instron Products Selecting a Pressure Transducer for Your Capillary Rheometer It is common to refer to pressure transducers by their full-scale range in megapascals (1 MPa is 145 psi). The accuracy is 0.25% of the full scale of the pressure transducer. To obtain the highest quality data, the recommended minimum pressure is about 10 times […]
March 6, 2012
Hobas Pipe USA Installs Giant Custom-Built Instron Frame
Instron Products Hobas Pipe USA Installs Giant Custom-Built Instron Frame HOBAS® Pipe USA, a producer and supplier of fiberglass-reinforced polymer mortar pipe systems, produces pipe and pipecoupling products in a wide range of sizes. Worldwide population growth has increased the demand for bigger water supply and sewage pipes. Consequently, the pipe diameter range was set […]
March 1, 2012
A Very Deep Investment
Instron Products A Very Deep Investment The challenges of testing Fiber Reinforced Concrete (FRC) go well beyond what we would normally think of with respect to concrete testing. The difference lies in the fact that most of the valuable information from an FRC test comes after the concrete fails. The ability of FRC to resist […]
February 21, 2012
Engaging with Our Readers: Survey Findings
Instron Products Engaging with Our Readers: Survey Findings Two weeks ago we included a survey within TechNotes asking our readers to take a few moments to give us feedback on the Instron Community Blog. We received a great response and various comments on what you would like to read about. Everyone who responded will soon […]
February 8, 2012
30 Years and Counting
Instron Products 30 Years and Counting 30 Years and Counting …. This month, we’re featuring Randy Riddle, one of our very own Application Engineers. Not only is he a family man, a grandfather to three beautiful granddaughters, and the Mayor of Grove City, PA since 2004, but he has found the time to fit in […]
January 24, 2012
Creation of a New Generation of Testing Instruments: Part 2
Instron Products Creation of a New Generation of Testing Instruments: Part 2 Last week, we introduced a little bit of history into our blog by discussing the need to develop a testing instrument that could accurately test the new thermoplastic material of parachutes back in the 1940’s …. Below, we finish the conversation by talking […]
January 19, 2012
Creation of a New Generation of Testing Instruments
Instron Products Creation of a New Generation of Testing Instruments Not too long ago, Joe Amaral presented at the ASTM week on the creation of testing systems and how Instron came to be. Taking his generous synopsis, I’ve broken it down into 2 parts. We’d enjoy hearing from you and your first experience testing on […]
January 11, 2012
Sometimes You Never Know Where This Job Will Take You
Instron Products Sometimes You Never Know Where This Job Will Take You Have you ever seen or tested on an Instron 8150 frame? Well, if not, they are huge. While doing a repair on a 8150 frame at a customer site, our Service technicians had to go to the roof of the building to perform […]
