Materials Testing
Non-destructive and destructive materials testing examines the mechanical loading of a material up to break or up to a specific deformation.
Through material characteristic values materials testing delivers a clear definition of the material properties, which in turn allows for the comparison between different materials.
Materials testing is not only performed at research institutes, it also helps companies obtain valuable knowledge for the development of new products, and the improvement of existing products.
Test overviews Test methods Destructive materials testing Non-destructive materials testing
Test machines for static materials testing Test machines for dynamic materials testing
Test Methods for Materials Testing
There are a variety of test methods that can be applied in materials testing:
- In (quasi-) static testing or static materials testing loading on the specimen is slow and constant. In static materials testing the strength and deformation behavior of specimens and components, predominantly subjected to tension, compression, and flexure, as well as shearing or torsion, is determined. Static materials testing, relative to dynamic materials testing is performed with lower test speeds.
- For dynamic testing the specimen is subjected to an impact load or the load periodically influences the specimen over a longer period of time.Dynamic materials testing refers to the (destructive) test on materials or components, which is performed with quick movement (dynamic).Examples include pendulum impact testers, drop weight testers, high-speed tests (puncture or high-speed tensile tests).
- Cyclic materials testing/fatigue testing:in cyclic materials testing, loading on the specimen takes place in continuously recurring load cycles. Depending on the machine, these load cycles can be in the form of tensile/compression, pulsating or alternating load in sinusoidal shape, triangle shape, etc.
Destructive Testing
In destructive testing, specimens are extracted from a material and tested for mechanical or chemical loads. The specimen is destroyed or altered (on the surface). After the test, the tested component, or material specimen can no longer be used.
Destructive materials testing plays a particularly an important role in the automotive and aerospace industries, since material fatigue presents a very high risk factor in these sectors. At the same time, materials and components testing has become indispensable in the medical industry.
In most test methods the specimen is destroyed:
Non-Destructive Testing
In non-destructive testing (NDT), the quality of a specimen is tested without damaging it. In this way it can be ensured that the material quality is high enough for further processing and that it can reliably withstand loads for the long-term.
Non-destructive test methods include:
- Hardness testing
- Static and dynamic friction test
- Rebound test
- Components testing
- Function test
Application Examples for Non-Destructive Materials Testing
Parts and Components of a Materials Testing Machine
Fundamentally all materials testing machines have comparable parts and components. Many different components are adapted to the load frame:
- Electronics
- Specimen grips
- Extensometers
- Load cells
- Software
- Drive
- Crosshead

ZwickRoell – Your Industry Materials Testing Expert
Materials testing includes a variety of test methods with which the behavior and material characteristics of standard specimen materials or finished parts and components (components testing) under mechanical, thermal or chemical loads are determined. The test method requirements vary among different industries.
Our machines are used in research and development and quality assurance in more than 20 industries. Our experts have a detailed understanding of the individual requirements of the different industries and meet your specific testing needs with state-of-the-art solutions.
Products for Static Materials Testing
The ZwickRoell Group is a global leading supplier of static materials testing machines specifically designed for tensile, compression, flexure, shear, and torsion tests.
Our static materials testing machines are suitable for testing applications in all areas, whether in quality control or research projects, delivering outstanding performance in challenging materials and components testing situations.
- Universal
- 5 kN - 100 kN
- Tensile test
- Compression test
- Flexure test
- Simple test applications
- Universal
- 5kN - 250kN
- Tensile test
- Compression test
- Flexure test
- Universal testing applications in a medium force range
- Metals
- Composites
- Textiles
- 330 - 2,500 kN
- Tensile
- Compression
- Flexure
- Shear
- ISO 6892
- ISO 15630
- ISO 898
- Academia
- Up to 2.5 kN
- Tensile test
- Compression test
- Flexure test
- Institutions of higher education
- Universities
- Foam materials
- Automotive
- 5 kN - 10 kN
- Compression tests
- Cyclic indentation tests
- Pulsating compressive strength tests
- Metals
- 600 - 5,000 kN
- Tensile
- Compression
- Flexure
- ISO 6892
- ISO 15630
- ISO 898
- Metals
- Ceramics
- Composite material
- Components
- 100 - 250 kN
- Tensile
- Compression
- Flexure
- Tests with particularly high precision
- Up to 10 kN/axis
- -40 to +250°C
- Creep
- Stress Relax
- SIM, FNCT
- Tensile
- Compression
- Flexure
- ISO 899-1
- ISO 899-2
- ASTM D2990
- ISO 3384-1
- ISO 16770
- ISO 527
- ASTM D638
- Metals
- 100 - 1,000 kN
- Cupping test
- Earing test
- Hole expansion test
- Forming limit curve
- ISO 20482
- DIN EN 1669
- ISO 12004
- ISO 16630
- Plastics
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- 2.5 - 250 kN
- 2 - 2,000 Nm
- Uniaxial or biaxial torsion test
- Plastics
- Metals
- Medical
- Paper
- Academia
- 2 kN - 150 kN
- Biaxial tensile test
- Determination of stress values at the intersection point of the specimen
- 1 kN - 100 kN
- Tensile
- Compression
- Components
- Fatigue
- Flexible range of application
- High test speed
- Universal
- Components
- Metals
- Automotive
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 50 kN - 500 kN
- Fatigue
- Fracture mechanics
- ISO 12106
- ASTM E606
- DIN 50100
- ASTM E399
- ASTM E647
- ASTM E466
- Components
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 50 - 2,500 kN
- Fatigue
- Fracture mechanics
- ISO 12106
- ASTM E606
- DIN 50100
- ASTM E399
- ASTM E647
- ASTM E466
- Components
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 10 kN - 25 kN
- Fatigue
- Fracture mechanics
- ISO 12106
- ASTM E606
- DIN 50100
- ASTM E399
- ASTM E647
- ASTM E466
- Components
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 10 kN - 100 kN
- Fatigue
- Fracture mechanics
- ISO 12106
- ASTM E606
- DIN 50100
- ASTM E399
- ASTM E647
- ASTM E466
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 10 kN - 250 kN
- 250 - 1000 Nm
- Tensile incl. torsional oscillation
- Compression incl. torsional oscillation
- Plastics
- Metals
- Automotive
- Composites
- 25 kN - 160 kN
- 12 m/s - 20 m/s
- High-speed tensile tests
- Puncture tests
- ISO 6603-2
- ASTM D3763-02
- ISO26203-2
- SEP 1230
- ESIS P7-00
- Metals
- Automotive
- Medical
- Academia
- Construction materials
- 25 - 1,000 kN
- Fatigue
- Fracture mechanics
- Tensile
- Compression
- DIN 50100
- ASTM E399
- ASTM E647
- ASTM E466
- ISO 6892
- 1 kN - 100 kN
- Tensile
- Compression
- Components
- Fatigue
- Flexible range of application
- High test speed
- Universal
- Components
- Medical
- Electronics
- 1 kN - 10 kN
- Fatigue
- Tensile
- Compression
- ISO 18489
- ASTM F2193
- ISO 14801
- ASTM F1798
- ASTM F1717
- Metals
- 120 Nm
- Rotating bar bending fatigue tests
- DIN 50113
- ISO 1143
- Predominantly plastics
- 50 joules
- Charpy
- Izod
- Dynstat
- Impact tensile
- Predominantly metals
- Up to 750 joules
- Charpy
- Izod
- Tensile impact
- Brugger
- Wedge impact
- ISO 148-1
- ISO 14556
- ISO 11343
- ASTM E23
- BS131-1
- ZF 15-53
- JIS Z 2242
- GOST 9454-78
- Plastics - materials testing
- 650 joules
- Puncture
- Charpy
- Izod
- Impact tensile
- Components testing
- 2000 joules
- Components
- Puncture
- Charpy
- Izod
- Impact tensile
- Metals
- 1650 joules
- Drop weight test (Pellini)
- ASTM E208
- SEP 1325
- Metals
- 100,000 joules
- Drop weight test
- API-RP 5L3
- DIN EN 10274
- ASTM E436
- Elastomers
- Rubber
- Foam
- DIN 53 512
- ISO 4662
- BS 903 Part A8 Method B
- ASTM D7121, Method B
- DIN 13 014
- Medical
- Electronics
- Metals
- Automotive
- Building materials
- 1 kN - 250 kN
- 10 - 2,500 Nm
- Torsional vibration
- ASTM F1717
- ASTM F2706
- ISO 12189
- ISO 7206-6