Why Do I Need Material Testing?

Materials testing and mechanical testing are important functions employed across nearly all industries for both research and development and quality control.  To service the vast array of testing applications, ADMET offers a wide range of materials testing machines that vary in size, force capacity and speed and can be equipped with environmental chambers and fluid baths for testing in in-situ like conditions. Our software and controllers are also flexible enough for users to perform their own specialized tests.  

Materials testing machines are measurement systems and industry requires that the measurements are both accurate and repeatable.  ADMET testing systems meet both ASTM and ISO calibration standards for accuracy and repeatability and are backed by an ADMET service organization that is ISO17025 certified. 

Material testing is essential for several reasons, including ensuring safety, reliability, and quality in various applications. Here are some key reasons why you might need material testing:

Safety – Ensuring that materials meet safety standards is critical in preventing accidents or failures, especially in industries such as aerospace, automotive, construction, and energy. Material testing can help identify potential weaknesses and ensure materials are fit for their intended purpose. An example where safety is directly related to material testing is bridge material and construction.  Although material failure is not the sole reason for bridge failures, materials testing is a crucial step for selecting the right materials, validating the bridge design and verifying the construction process as the bridge is being built. Read more here.

Quality Control – Material testing allows manufacturers and suppliers to maintain consistent quality in their products. This can help to build a strong reputation, increase customer satisfaction, and reduce the likelihood of product recalls or defects.

When determining the test criteria, quality control professionals will look into mimicking how products will actually be used. Consequently, a test regime to subject a product to real-world conditions may include multiple loading profiles (tension, compression, peel, torsion, cyclic fatigue etc.) under a range of environmental conditions (freezing temperatures, corrosive environments, etc.).  ADMET machines are performing end-use product tests on  solar panels, mattresses, watch bands, hip and shoulder implant prostheses, vascular stents, egg cartoons, and more.

Compliance with Regulations and Standards – Many industries have specific regulations and standards that materials must adhere to. Material testing ensures that these requirements are met and can help prevent legal or financial issues related to non-compliance.

Research and Development – Material testing plays a crucial role in the research and development of new materials and products. It helps engineers and scientists understand material properties, optimize designs, and develop innovative solutions to various challenges.

Cost-effectiveness –  Identifying and addressing material issues early in the development or manufacturing process can save time, money, and resources in the long run. Material testing can help prevent failures that might require costly repairs or replacements.

Determining Material Properties – Testing helps in understanding the physical and mechanical properties of a material, such as strength, elasticity, ductility, hardness, and fatigue limit. This knowledge is fundamental when designing and engineering new products. The key principle of materials testing is applying mechanical loading to a test specimen. In tensile testing, the stress-strain curve is used to determine several important mechanical properties including: tensile strength, elongation, yield strength, reduction of area, and Modulus of Elasticity and provides information on ductility and toughness. 

Stress Strain Diagram

Read more about properties measured in tensile testing here.

Life-cycle Analysis –  Material testing can provide valuable information on the long-term performance and durability of materials, allowing manufacturers to make informed decisions on material selection and design.  Fatigue testing systems are key to performing infinite life analysis.  ADMET offers servo-electric, servo-hydraulic, axial-torsion and planar biaxial fatigue testing systems for determining the fatigue life of medical and dental implants, metals, composites, polymers and more. Access ADMET Fatigue Testing Systems here.

ADMET Fatigue Testing Machines

Troubleshooting and Failure Analysis –  When a product or component fails, material testing can help identify the cause of the failure. This can lead to improved designs, better material selection, and ultimately, a more reliable product. 

Environmental Impact – Material testing can help determine the environmental impact of materials and products, enabling manufacturers to make more sustainable choices and comply with environmental regulations.

Materials testing is vital to ensuring the safety, quality, and compliance of materials and products in a wide range of uses.  As a result, it is important that the engineers and technicians performing these tests are properly trained in selecting and conducting them.   

How To Conduct Reliable Material Testing

Material testing must yield data that is accurate, reliable, repeatable, and consistent. The three points below will help in making sure your testing is reliable:

1- Following a testing standard & industry guidelines

ASTM and ISO mechanical testing standards provide guidelines for how to perform tests and determine the physical, mechanical, and metallographic properties of certain materials. ASTM and ISO test standards include information on the test specimen preparation, test procedure(s), test setup and equipment recommendations. 

Choosing the right test method depends on the material and the industry. In addition, certain industries follow industry-specific guidelines when submitting test results. For example, in the United States, the medical device industry follows device-specific guidelines outlined by the US Food and Drug Administration. These thorough documents are used to ensure product testing is reliable, repeatable, and consistent when submitting regulatory approval to the US FDA. Read more here.

2- Selecting the right equipment

The testing performed by an organization relies heavily on the personnel and the equipment used. With proper training, the laboratory personnel can ensure test methods are properly followed and the equipment is correctly used so that tests are accurate, reliable, repeatable, and consistent. 

Material testing machines are electromechanical or hydraulic machines equipped with test fixtures and other applicable accessories. ADMET testing machines feature closed-loop control systems with a feedback loop that continuously sends information from the closed-loop controller to the motor and also from the motor to the closed-loop controller. This constant feedback allows certain variables such as the load rate and the stress rate to remain as specified throughout the tests. Closed-loop systems provide higher accuracy due to the ability to react immediately to possible changes. In addition, the material testing software includes preset test methods, fields to enter pass/fail criteria, graphing capabilities, automatic transducer identification, and more. To learn more about all options, contact us here.

3- Following organizational quality requirements

Organizations in the industries we work with have quality management systems set in place to ensure that quality goals are met. Quality managers responsible for planning and implementing such processes work with the quality lab to determine the test criteria, the calibration intervals, test equipment maintenance and selection. When material testing is performed, in addition to complying with test standards and industry guidelines, an organization will need to follow internal quality requirements.

Contact Information

Capable of performing tests according to ASTM and ISO standards, ADMET testing machines are versatile and highly configurable. Product lines cover MicroTesters small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and servo hydraulic testing frames that are  large enough to be several stories high. 

The ADMET Sales Team is staffed entirely by engineers with years of experience in materials and mechanical testing.  Our sales approach is geared to ask relevant questions necessary to diagnose and determine your testing requirements.  Only then will we present solution(s) that are cost effective and meet your testing needs.  ADMET also prides itself on it’s willingness to modify a system to ensure your tests are performed according to specifications.   Contact us for your material testing needs.