How to measure the Melt Flow Index of recycled and biodegradable plastics

Melt flow index testers are routinely used to ascertain the quality of recyclable, recycled, and biodegradable plastics. But the expanding use and variety of these materials pose new challenges to the melt flow rate testing process. Here we look at how the latest melt flow testers can help.

Mechanical Testing of Additive Manufactured Components

A video discussing some of the most important considerations for testing additively manufactured, aka 3D printed, components. As the technology and application capabilities continue to grow, additive manufacturing or 3D printing is becoming an increasingly popular way for a wide range of manufacturers to create products or components with highly complex shapes and unusual geometries. In this video we compare the mechanical properties of an additively manufactured component that has been printed in two different orientations. We also discuss how testing 3D printed materials differs from more traditional manufacturing methods such as injection molding or subtractive manufacturing methods. We perform a tensile test using a 6800 Series universal testing system, AVE 2 video extensometer with Digital Image Correlation (DIC) software to show the strain map and identify areas of stress concentration while the force is being applied.

Falling weight impact testing for simulation precision: meet Lamborghini

Explore the benefits that Automobili Lamborghini has with Falling Weight impact testing to meet simulation precision

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.

5 steps to selecting hammers for your pendulum impact testing machine

The hammer is a critical component of a pendulum impact testing machine. There is now a wide range of hammers to choose from, covering a broad energy spectrum. Selecting the correct device is key to ensuring repeatable pendulum hammer impact test results. Here are some key considerations and features to look out for to maximize efficiency, safety and accuracy.

How is an Impact Drop Tower used in Testing Automotive Parts

Why Impact Testing is Important to Automotive Manufacturing With safety being a major priority in the automotive sector, it is vital that manufacturers have accurate information about how automotive components will perform under different conditions. Impact resistance is one of the most important properties for parts designers to consider, as well as the most difficult to quantify. Estimating the performance of a material directly benefits the production costs and improves the value of the final product.

Wedge Peel Impact Test on Adhesives

ISO 11343 is a standardized Wedge Peel Impact test method used to measure the resistance of high-strength structural adhesives. 

How to test carbon fiber impact strength

Pendulum Impact Testing Machine or Drop Tower

How to choose the correct Impact Testing Equipment for the application

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.

Origami-based structures under Impact load

Meiji University (Japan) is using a 9450 impact drop tower to uncover the structural dynamic behaviour associated to the real compression phenomena of their Origami based structures.

Drop Tower Tensile Impact Testing for High Strain Rate Measurements

If you are dealing with CAE simulations, considering materials’ properties at high-strain rates is critical to get reliable predictions of your product performance. With the combined use of an impact Drop Tower system equipped with Bluehill Impact Software, tensile-impact accessories, High Speed Camera and Digital Image Correlation software, it is possible to evaluate the longitudinal strain of the specimen when impacted under tensile-Impact conditions