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For people, place, prosperity and planet, we deliver impact with measurement science

Advanced engineering materials

Mechanical testing services

A comprehensive range of tests

Our high-quality, bespoke mechanical testing and consultancy services provide customers with the confidence they need that the materials they use are durable and suitable for their intended purpose. 
We offer a wide range of standardised and non-standardised testing for a variety of different classes of materials (such as composites, polymers, metals, ceramics and adhesives). Each material type has a number of tests that best characterise its performance and durability. Further information is available in our good practice guides.

We have specialist knowledge on: 

Composites and polymers
  • In-plane and through-thickness (3-D) properties 
       Tension, compression, shear, flexure 
       Elastic moduli and strength 
       Thin and thick sections 
       Environmental conditioning (thermal, hot/wet, chemical) 
       Fatigue (constant and variable amplitude): +/-100 kN 
       Hot-wet fatigue (up to 90°C/85% RH) 
  • Structural (open-hole-tension, open-hole-compression, sandwich constructions, bonded and bolted joints) 
  • Residual stresses – layer removal, incremental slitting 

  • Nano/micro modulus, hardness and creep (polymers) 

  • High temperature nanoindentation 

  • Adhesive and coating strength 

  • Strain measurement via strain gauges, digital image correlation, optical fibre Bragg grating sensors

Metals and ceramics
  • Bespoke and standard uniaxial testing to 1100 °C 
  • Ambient and high temperature low cycle fatigue
      Alignment, elastic modulus, cracking of coatings (combined with AE) 
  • Creep 
      Isothermal, dynamic temperature / load
  • Miniaturised testing 
     Max force capability of 4 kN
     Small punch
     Electro thermo mechanical tested (ambient to solidus temperature)
  • Ductile brittle transition temperature
      4 and 4-Point bending of coatings
      Temperatures up to ~ 1000°C 
  • Scanning Indentation Microhardness Measurement 
  • Hardness – Vickers, Rockwell, Brinell, Knoop indentation 
  • Nano indentation, micro pillars and beams 
  • X-ray diffraction 
     Phase ID, hot stage, residual stress

    Miniaturised testing
  • Electro-thermal mechanical testing machine (ETMT) enables complex mechanical tests on very small test-pieces up to their solidus temperature

  • Max force capability of 4 kN
      Tests can be performed on electrically conducting materials up to the melting point
      Phase changes are readily detected by changes in resistivity
      Can be used on a very wide range of hard metals, cermets and metal alloys, including nickel, titanium and iron based systems
Materials characterisation
  • 3D microstructural analysis
  • AFM
  • Comparative analysis
  • Contact and non-contact measurement testing
  • Data analytics
  • DIC
  • Dielectric and microwave testing
  • Dimensional analysis
  • Fractography
  • Mechanical testing
  • NDT
  • Powder processing rheology
  • Powder metallurgy
  • Surface analysis
  • Thermophysical analysis
  • XCT
Durability and life prediction of materials
  • Accelerated moisture/humidity conditioning – atmospheric & pressure
     Environmental exposure
     Steam and water immersion
     Chemical exposure
     Thermal cycling
  • Fatigue
  • Dynamic/impact testing
  • Creep
  • Residual stress
  • Corrosion and wear
  • Environmental exposure stress cracking
Thermal analysis
  • Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
  • Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)
  • Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)
  • Thermomechanical analysis (TMA)
  • Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
  • UKAS accredited provision of reference materials used to calibrate commercial measurement apparatus.
Failure analysis and investigation
  • Comprehensive and complementary suite of capabilities enabling rapid identification of root cause of failure and identification of potential solutions
Non-destructive testing
  • Digital Image Correlation (DIC)
  • X-ray CT (XCT)
  • Ultrasonic C-scan
  • Microwave imaging
  • Pulse thermography
  • Laser shearography​
  • Supporting industry in materials characterisation, process monitoring, long-term performance assessment and damage monitoring
Properties for process modelling
  • Linear and radial in-plane permeability
  • Through-thickness permeability
  • Preform compressibility
  • Instrumentation for flow front detection
  • Rheology
  • Cure shrinkage measurement
  • Providing measurements and advice on thermal, fluid and physical properties across a wide range of temperatures ​
  • Properties characterised include: density, rheology/flow, preform/resin permeability, thermal expansion/analysis (such as glass transition temperature, degree of cure), cure distortion/springback
Design and modelling
  • Expertise in modelling of advanced materials, components and structures enabling prediction of performance and failure analysis

Tackling uncertainties in mechanical testing

Codes of practice for uncertainties in mechanical testing were developed within UNCERT, a project partly funded by the EC's Standards, Measurement and Testing programme. Its aim was to simplify the way in which uncertainties for 17 mechanical tests on metallic materials are evaluated. These are intended for all those interested in measurement and testing and particularly for practicing engineers, technicians, and managers in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Find out more about NPL’s research on Mechanical testing

Contact us

Our research and measurement solutions support innovation and product development. We work with companies to deliver business advantage and commercial success.
Contact our Customer Services team on +44 20 8943 7070