ASTM D1335-12 is used to measure the force required to pull a tuft from a pile flooring sample. Tuft bind testing of artificial turf surfaces is very important when quality testing manufactured product to ensure that the artificial turf passes industry standards for durability.
The challenges of testing to this standard are:
- Gripping tufts
- Fixtures in accordance with the standard
Instron Solution:
- Gripping tufts – The tufts are often short and difficult to maneuver into the grips or fixture. To ease the process of gripping, we recommend an upper grip or fixture that is easily removable. Hemostats fixed to the upper grip via a hook have proven to work very well. Advanced side acting grips or pneumatic side acting grips can be used to grip the hook or hemostat directly.
- Fixtures in accordance with the standard – A specimen holder must be fixed to the lower grip or base of the machine. For this test, we constructed our specimen holder using 2-inch diameter PVC pipe, which we prepared according to the requirements of the standard. We made a 2x2-inch cutout so that the backing material opposite to the tuft being tested would not come into contact with the surface of the tube. We wrapped an 8x6-inch specimen around the circumference of the pipe, aligning the cutout directly below the tuft being tested. We then gripped tufts using hemostats, as mentioned previously.
It is important to review ASTM D1335-12 in order to fully understand the test setup, procedure, and results requirements.