75 Years of Instron
Instron has been a world leader in materials testing since our foundation in 1946. Though many things have changed over the years, our devotion to testing excellence has always remained the same. Here's a look back on some of the highlights from the past 75 years.
How it Started
A Country in Need
Everyone has seen pictures of the the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landing at Normandy, but did you know that those paratroopers were using some of the first nylon parachutes ever created?
With silk being unavailable due to the war, scientists in the early 1940's were desperate to identify substitute materials that could be used for the construction of parachutes. Two of these men were Harold Hindman and George Burr.
A New Machine
Working out of his lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harold Hindman realized that no testing machine available was capable of adequately evaluating new textiles such as nylon and rayon. His colleague George Burr, however, was working with a new device called a 'strain gauge' that was being used to evaluate building materials used in earthquake zones.
Harold and George put their heads together and created a new testing instrument that used a strain gauge as a load cell transducer. This innovation allowed the new machine to test at a much higher frequency than anything else available at the time, perfect for evaluating textiles.
Instron is Born
Harold and George's new machine quickly proved its worth by accurately measuring the dynamic mechanical properties of nylon parachute cord and helping to identify it as a viable replacement for silk in the manufacturing of parachutes. In addition to helping the war effort, their prototype testing machine was so successful that they decided to form their own company, Instron Engineering Corporation, in 1946.
Did you know?
The original Instron testing machine incorporated a unique cross-head drive system, which was similar to the radar antenna positioning drive on naval warships.
1950's
Early Days
To help get started in the early years, Instron entered into a partnership with Matherson Machine Works of Quincy, MA, which provided them with office space and employees. The first lot of Instron testing systems were produced in a mattress warehouse owned by Matherson. Since everyone was working round the clock, the mattresses came in very handy during nap time!
Out for Delivery
One of the first Instron systems to be delivered was to the Textile Research Institute in Princeton, New Jersey.
The First Tabletop Tester
During the mid 1950's Instron designed and introduced its first tabletop tester. For the first 15 years of operation, three of the major components in the machines were WWII surplus parts.
Dealing with Data
Instron's first venture into automated readout and data acquisition for testing paper was in 1957, long before personal computers arrived on the scene. Automated printout of data was accomplished by an solenoid-operated mechanical NCR calculator designed by Instron engineers. During this time period Instron also built an automated pencil lead testing machine before any industrial robots existed.
Did you know?
The move to the new Canton facility took place over a single weekend, and by Monday morning the factory was operating at full capacity.
Home Sweet Home
After relocating several times to rented facilities around the Boston area, it was finally time for Instron to build a home of its own. In 1957 Harold and George laid the cornerstone for a new, state of the art factory in Canton, MA.
1960's
Instron Crosses the Pond
In 1960 Instron expanded to the United Kingdom, founding Instron Limited in High Wycombe, UK. Instron Ltd. was established to cope with the growing demand for manufacturing, marketing, sales, and servicing requirements in Europe.
Boom Time for New Age Materials
During the 60's materials technology was advancing at a rapid rate. The world's most cutting edge companies relied on Instron to help them break new ground.
Things Start to Heat Up
In 1964 Instron debuted the first optical and long travel extensometers, as well as our first environmental chamber. In 1965 we introduced the first load strain control system for electromechanical machines.
A Gripping New Development
The 1960's saw the development of some of our most popular products, including the earliest versions of our mechanical wedge grips and pneumatic grips.
Did you know?
The name "Instron" is a contraction of the words "instrument" and "electronics".
Let's Get Digital
Other Instron achievements in the 1960's include the first digital test recording device (an incremental punched tape system) and the data analyzer in our Model 1161, which was the first use of a microprocessor in a materials testing system.
Instron Arrives in Japan
In 1965 Instron Japan Company Ltd. was founded to support the marketing and service requirements for the Asia Pacific region.
Instrons in Action - Soda Solutions
As Instron systems grew in popularity, they started being referenced in patents for all types of products and materials, including this one for pull tabs on aluminum cans.
Automotive Achievements
The 1970's marked some of Instron's most important contributions to the automotive testing industry, with the invention of our seat belt testing grips and the first road simulation machine. We also began production of our popular 1120 Series tabletop systems.
Shake it Up
In the 1970's we introduced a shaker system for vibration testing. Our first shaker systems were introduced both as stand-alone machines and as a composite system alongside a servo hydraulic test frame.
European Expansion
In 1976 Instron opened new manufacturing plants in France and Germany.
Instron to the Rescue!
When New England was hit by the famous Blizzard of '78, Instron headquarters was buried under more than three feet of snow. The building was commandeered by the Red Cross as an emergency evacuation site, and over 400 people were housed and fed at the Instron factory for five days until the roads became passable.
1980's
Instrons in Action - Run-Flat Tires
Run-flat tires are now common on light trucks and passenger cars because they reduce the need for vehicles to carry a spare. In this 1981 patent, an Instron applies 1000 lbs of compressive force to a punctured specimen in order to test the strength of the design.
Going Digital
As computers became more sophisticated we introduced the first fully-digital electromechanical testing system (4200) and the first fully-digital servo hydraulic system (8500). We also debuted our popular Testmaster robotic system, the first commercially available fully automated testing system.
Expanding Product Lines
The 1980s also saw the development of several new products, including biaxial servo hydraulic machines and the first automatic extensometer.
Acquisitions
Over the years, Instron has made several significant acquisitions, greatly expanding our range of materials testing systems and giving us more than 500 years of collective experience in the industry.
The first of these purchases was Severn Furnace Limited, purchased in 1989 from Severn Science LTD. This organization had built its reputation on the design and manufacture of advanced high temperature furnaces and thermal equipment, and we were excited to welcome them into our family.
Instron Expands in Asia
In 1982 Instron Korea was established, and in 1983 we opened our first sales office in China.
1990's
Racing Towards a New Century
In the 1990s we began marketing our first non-contacting video extensometer. We also produced a system to test near absolute zero, the McLaren rig (the first fully-digital four poster rig), and the Labtronic 8800 digital simulation component test control system.
IST Acquisition
Instron purchased the structural testing business from Schenck Testing Systems in 1996. This expanded our portfolio of products that test automobile performance and became known as Instron Structural Testing (IST).
Instrons in Action - Polymers for Ponies
Hoof pads are often used in conjunction with horse shoes to treat various pathologies within a horse's foot. Pad materials must be malleable enough to conform to the animal's foot while also strong enough to support its weight. This 1993 patent uses an Instron rheometer to analyze polymers for a new custom-fitting hoof pad.
Dynatup Acquisition
Instron acquired Dynatup in 1997 and incorporated its excellent impact testing equipment into our product portfolio.
SATEC Acquisition
In 1998 Instron purchased SATEC Systems, Inc. Today the SATEC brand is known as the Industrial Series for Instron’s hydraulically powered universal materials testing machines. Click here to read about the history of SATEC.
2000's
New Systems for a New Millennium
The new century brought several exciting new products innovations, including the ElectroPuls Series for electrodynamic fatigue testing and our popular 5900 Series systems.
Onwards and Upwards
In 2005, Instron was acquired by ITW as the foundation of their test and measurement platform. We also moved our factory from Canton to Norwood. The new facility was just a few short miles away from our original location, but try telling that to the guys who had to move our deadweight stack...
CEAST Acquisition
In 2008 Instron acquired CEAST. This Italian-based company is well known for its comprehensive testing equipment and includes systems for assessing the impact, rheology, and thermo-mechanical properties of polymers.
Did you know?
An Instron 8870 was featured on CSI Miami Season 2, Episode 11. Because nobody on the show knew how to operate the system, sales specialist Kent Wallace was recruited to be on camera. The episode, "Complications," aired on January 5, 2004.
A New Generation of Software
As computing moved forward at breakneck pace, Instron kept up by introducing the first generation of our Bluehill and WaveMatrix software for static and dynamic testing systems.
Norwood Headquarters
Our Norwood facility is where all of our static testing systems are manufactured. It also houses our famous deadweight stack and a top notch applications lab where visitors can see our systems in action.
2010s
Straining for Perfect Strain Measurement
The second decade of the new century started out with several updated strain measurement solutions, including the AutoX750 automatic extensometer and the AVE2 non-contacting video extensometer.
Expanding on Automation
In 2015 we launched the AT3 three axis non-robotic automatic tensile testing system for plastics and other lightweight materials. These systems are fully self-sufficient can run for hours with no human interference.
Instrons in Action - Medical Balloons
Catheters, feeding tubes, and other medical devices are held in place inside the body by small inflatable pouches, known as balloons. In this 2019 patent, an Instron system was used to measure balloon elongation.
Touching Up Our Software
In 2017 we introduced Bluehill Universal, the first materials testing software designed for touchscreen interaction.
How It's Going
The Future of Testing
In 2020 Instron launched the latest generation of mechanical testing systems, the 6800 Series. Our 6800 Series offers up to 5 kHz data acquisition and 0.5% accuracy down to 1/1000th of load cell capacity. It also comes equipped with our Operator Protect system architecture to make testing simpler, smarter, and safer than ever before.
Helping the World Move Forward
Instron is always around to help when things get tough. This 2021 patent uses an Instron system to perform a shear test on carbon nanofiber tubes. These tubes are part of an air filter designed to fight SARS COV-19.
75 Years of Innovation
Over the years, Instron systems have been cited in more than 18,000 patents and have helped shape progress in the aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronics, and raw materials industries.
The World Standard
75 years after Harold and George first put a strain gauge inside a load cell, Instron has become the world standard for materials testing systems. Over the years we have installed more than 50,000 systems worldwide, and 95% of the world's largest manufacturing companies use our systems to meet their testing needs.
