Mechanical
NPL has extensive facilities and expertise for characterising the mechanical properties of materials. The current capability ranges from conventional test methods carried out according to ISO standards and customer specifications, to unique, bespoke equipment for evaluating the properties and performance of complex material systems and components.
Work is focused on developing advanced test methods for characterising the mechanical performance of a diverse range of material types including metals, polymers, ceramics, composites, coatings, adhesives, biological structures, textiles and even food products, under controlled laboratory conditions and environments, and a range of length scales, from miniaturised to large-scale testing.
For more information, please contact: Jerry Lord
Mechanical Measurement research
- NPL research has focused on evaluating hardness testing on brittle materials, but its unique depth sensing microhardness mapping equipment can map hardness over large areas of a wide variety of materials.
- NPL has developed the electrothermal mechanical testing machine (ETMT) in order to enable complex mechanical tests on very small test-pieces.
- NPL research in the measurement of multiaxial properties.
- NPL is one of the leading laboratories in the development of measurement techniques for nano-scale instrumented indentation.
- NPL has considerable experience and the facilities to provide test methodologies and models that are required to avoid the catastrophic consequences that can result from the failure of materials in a wide range of different commercial applications.
- TENSTAND was set up as a 3-year project, funded by the EU under the programme "Promoting Competitive & Sustainable Growth".
- A collection of the Codes of Practice for the determination of uncertainties in mechanical testing.