The Testing Times

If you are noticing variations in results from your tensile tests, and these cannot be attributed to the material under test, it is worth considering the condition of your test specimen gripping equipment. In particular grip faces e.g. face profiles on metal jaws, condition of rubber faced jaws and grip pressure activation systems e.g. springs, quality of pneumatic air or hydraulic oil – often these parts are consumable items and will wear over time. Regular servicing (preventative maintenance) and calibration is your best insurance that this type of problem should not occur during normal machine use, progressive and undetected wear of the gripping system faces is one of the biggest contributors to poor testing results. Remember that in almost all cases grip face wear will take place and regular checking and replacement (when necessary) should be a prerequisite of a proficient testing laboratory. For more information please contact the Tinius Olsen Help Desk on +44 (0) 1737 765001 o

I'm afraid that I've brought a bit of a bug to Tinius Olsen... Everyone seems to be developing blogs. (I think you can get a cream for it from a good pharmacist). If you want to learn about testing plastics, try this. http://www.testingplastics.com/ If you'd like to learn about testing metals, try this. http://www.testingmetal.com/ If you are a student looking for testing advice or examples try this. http://www.schooloftesting.com/ And of course testing textiles can be found here... http://www.testingtextiles.com/ Harry, Earl, David and Sylvia are all specialists in their specific areas and are happy to help... The question and answers section is very informative.