The Testing Times

Testing thermoplastic materials for puncture resistance is recognized as an important aspect for ensuring product quality as stated in the ASTM D4830 standard. Tinius Olsen’s test specific attachment, the model S348, implemented on a H5K-S machine, is best suited for this test. The configuration complies with the key test parameters of ASTM D4830, having a tensile testing machine, ring clamp attachments capable of clamping without slippage, and solid steel rod with hemispherical end & hardness range of 50 to 60 HRC. A specimen of the fabric is clamped between grooved, circular plates of the ring clamp attachment, which is itself secured in an H5K-S tensile testing machine. A steel rod, attached to a load cell in the movable cross-head of the tester,   is lowered onto the specimen at a constant rate until the specimen ruptures; the resultant rupture force, in N or lbf,   of the thermoplastic fabric is captured and reported. Now what makes it even better is that the punct