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Mechanical test facility (MTF)

State of the art test equipment

A unique service to boost uptake of advanced materials

The Mechanical Test Facility (MTF) is fully equipped with a comprehensive range of state-of-the-art test machines offering a capability suite servicing a range of materials for all sectors of industry.

Machine

Product/service

Loading modes

Main use

Materials

Download PDF​  click on image

Instron 5969 (±50 kN)

  • Low-mid range mechanical testing
  • Training

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure
  • Shear
  • Tear
  • Peel
  • Puncture
  • Quasi-static tests
  • Creep
  • Cyclic loading

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • Coatings
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron 5985 (±100 kN)

 

  • Mid load range mechanical testing (non-ambient)
  • Training

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure
  • Shear
  • Tear
  • Peel
  • Puncture
  • Quasi-static tests
  • Non ambient materials characterisation

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • Coatings
  • AM
  • Metals

 

Instron 5985 (±250 kN)

 

  • Mid load range mechanical testing
  • Training
  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure
  • Shear
  • Tear
  • Peel
  • Puncture
  • Quasi-static tests
  • Non ambient materials characterisation

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • Coatings
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron 5985 (±250 kN)

 

  • Mid load range mechanical testing
  • Training
  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure
  • Shear
  • Tear
  • Peel
  • Puncture
  • Quasi-static tests
  • Ambient materials characterisation

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • Coatings
  • AM
  • Metals

 

Instron 8862 Low-Cycle-Fatigue (LCF)

 

  • Low-cycle fatigue (LCF) mechanical testing

 

  • Compression
  • Tension

 

  • ISO 12106 & ASTM E606 for strain-controlled fatigue testing, used for simulating mechanical loading into plastic region
  • Materials testing driven by demand from aerospace, automotive and power generation industries

 

  • Coatings
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron E3000 ETMT

 

  • Electro-thermal mechanical testing

 

  • Compression
  • Tension

 

  • Measurement of mechanical properties and microstructural stability under thermal exposure of specimens with cross-sections don to 2 mm x 1mm

 

  • AM
  • Metals

Instron 8802 (±250 kN)

 

  • Mechanical durability testing
  • Fatigue life characterisation

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure

 

  • Low-cycle fatigue of coupons and components; tension-tension, compression-compression and tension-compression regimes
  • Crack onset and growth
  • Frequencies up to 20 Hz

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron 8802 (±100 kN)

 

  • Mechanical durability testing
  • Fatigue life characterisation

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure

 

  • Low-cycle fatigue of coupons and components; tension-tension, compression-compression and tension-compression regimes
  • Crack onset and growth
  • Frequencies up to 20 Hz

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM
  • Metals

 

Instron 8872 (±25 kN)

 

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure

 

  • Testing undertaken at quasi-static rates and fatigue frequencies typically up to 20 Hz

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron VHS 160/100-20

 

  • Determination of rate dependent mechanical properties

 

  • Compression
  • Tension

 

  • Crash impact of automotive materials and components
  • Materials characterisation; quasi-static to strain rates of 1000/s; 20m/s actuator speed
  • Cumulative damage of aerospace components under high strain rate impact

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron 8801 Thermo-Mechanical-Fatigue (TMF) (±100 kN)

 

  • Characterisation of materials under combined thermal and mechanical cyclic loading

 

  • Compression
  • Tension

 

  • Effects of different loading phases on materials
  • TMF crack initiation in superalloys for gas turbines generators
  • TMF life prediction of hot section components in jet engines

 

  • AM
  • Metals

 

Instron 8805 (±1,000 kN)

 

  • High load range quasi-static and fatigue mechanical testing

 

  • Compression
  • Tension
  • Flexure
  • Quasi-static and cyclic fatigue of structural elements and small components e.g. stiffened composite panels

 

  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM
  • Metals

Instron E3000 (ElectroPuls)

 

  • Low load range quasi-static and fatigue mechanical testing

 

  • Compression
  • Tension

 

  • Quasi-static and fatigue testing of small-scale test  coupons and components
  • Composites
  • Polymers
  • AM

Metals

   

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