Advantages of Universal Testing Machine

The main advantage of investing in a universal testing machine is that the device can be used to test the strength, durability, and suitability for most any material. A universal testing machine has the capability to pull, compress, bend, or stretch material to its breaking point. It is primarily used by laboratories that manufacture and or mould different types of plastics.

A universal testing device features one or two vertical columns mounted on a base. A second horizontal plate contains attachments that are used to hold the sample and slides up and down during stress testing samples. Dual vertical column machines are preferred by most laboratories as they can handle larger samples in terms of size and weight.

Determining tensile strength is the most common test performed in a universal testing machine. This is done by holding one end of a sample in place while the other is pulled away until two sides are torn apart. The same process is used for testing flexural strength, except that the machine pushes on the end of the sample rather than pull on it. Some materials are flexible enough not to break, giving no final results.

Universal testing machines are also capable of shear and compression testing. In a shear test, a metal blade is brought into the material at a constant rate until a piece of the sample is sheared off. In a compression test, a sample is pressed down between the machine's plates until it loses form or breaks. This test is commonly used to measure plastic foam strength or determine just how easily plastic bottles lose their shape.  Current models of universal testing machines feature digital controls and software that eliminate the need for a specialised recorder, which was first used to log test information meant to be read and interpreted by a specialist.