Durability and Fatigue Testing of Elastomeric Materials and Components

The durability testing of elastomeric components is a particular type of fatigue test or endurance test that helps to characterize the long-term performance of them in situ. Testing is normally carried out as either specific stress tests (load mean level, load amplitude), specific strain tests (load mean level, position amplitude) or any other combination of mean and amplitude.

Using servohydraulic fatigue testing systems in combination with the “Tri-Modal Control" feature of the 8800 digital controller ensures that desired waveform parameters across different control modes are normally achieved. Typical test end criteria are:

• Test time (number of cycles)
• Position (specimen mechanical failure)
• Elastomeric parameter outside specified range

WaveMatrix™ Dynamic Test Software is ideal for general purpose fatigue testing and is designed to calculate the following elastomeric parameters at a user-defined logging interval:

• Elastic Modulus (E’)
• Viscous Modulus (E’’)
• Loss Angle Delta (available as degrees or radians)
• Damping Coefficient (Tan Delta)
• Dynamic Modulus (E*)
• Energy
• Energy Loss
• Dynamic Stiffness (K*)
• Frequency

When these calculations are added to a test method, WaveMatrix allows them to be plotted on the Live Test Workspace during a test and saved to a data file for analysis.