High-precision materials testing for a leading Chinese innovation center – ZwickRoell supports the Materials Academy JITRI with customized testing systems
Case Study
- Customer: Materials Academy - Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI)
- Location: Suzhou (Provinz Jiangsu), China
- Industry: Academic research / testing service provider
- Topic: Test arrangement for a testing infrastructure with a wide range of applications
August 2025
The Materials Academy of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) trusts testing solutions from ZwickRoell. Two Kappa LA-Spring machines, a Kappa Multistation with climatic chamber, and a Z010 TEW universal testing machine were acquired to equip a new laboratory and cover as wide a range of applications as possible.
MATERIALS ACADEMY - JIANGSU INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE (JITRI)
The Materials Academy of Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI) was founded in December 2019 in Suzhou. It is supported by the Jiangsu Provincial Government, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the China Iron & Steel Research Institute and the China Baowu Steel Group. The academy's goal is to efficiently transfer materials science insight into industrial applications. This involved working closely with leading companies, universities and research institutions, integrating research, industrial needs and existing resources into a comprehensive innovation system.
The academy currently employs over 340 people, including management staff, project teams and postgraduates and is investing heavily in expanding its technological infrastructure. 600 million RMB has been allocated solely to the “Material Characterization Platform,” with testing equipment worth nearly 300 million RMB already installed. The platform overs a wide range of services for microstructure and materials analysis and is accredited by CMA, CNAS and NADCAP. The Materials Academy plays a key role in both national and international networks.
As part of the further expansion, a new laboratory building was constructed, serving as a central element for research and industrial applications. The goal was to establish a comprehensive testing infrastructure there, enabling the testing of a wide range of materials under standardized conditions – from standard plastics to high-temperature alloys.
The task
With the construction of the new laboratory, the Materials Academy faced the challenge of acquiring testing machines that cover a wide range of applications while meeting the highest standards for precision, compliance with standards and long-term reliability. Both metallic and polymeric materials were to be tested under varying climatic conditions, at high temperatures and under static and cyclic loads.
The testing system requirements included:
- High-temperature creep and creep relaxation tests on metals
- Long-term creep tests on plastics under defined climate and temperature conditions
- Tensile, flexure and complex combination tests on thermoplastic, elastomer and film- and foil-type specimen.
Another requirement was the integration into a modern laboratory environment with flexible usability, easy handing, automated evaluation and long-term operation reliability.
Kappa LA-Spring 50 kN (2x)
For high-temperature tests on metallic materials, JITRI opted for two Kappa LA-Spring testing machines with a maximum test force of 50 kN. The systems are designed for:
- Creep tests with strain measurement (to ISO 204, ASTM E139)
- Breakage tests under static load
- Stress relaxation tests with constant strain (to EN 10319)
- Creep tests without strain measurement
The versatile lever arm creep testing system with pretensioned spring enables tests at ambient temperatures of up to 1,150 °C directly on the specimen. The strain measurement takes place using an axially attached contact 4-rod extensometer with a variable measuring length of 18 to 100 mm. The systems are designed for long-term tests up to 100,000 hours. Round specimens with threaded head M12 are mainly used, designed with collars to precisely secure the extensometer.
Kappa Multistation 5 x 10 kN
For parallel creep tests on plastics, ZwickRoell supplies the Kappa Multistation, a modular solution with five independent test stations with a capacity of 10 kN. This system enables:
- Creep tests in accordance with ISO 899-1
- Flexure creep tests in accordance with ISO 899-2 with 3-point flexure test kit
- Stress relaxation tests with constant elongation
- User-defined load-strain cycles (incl. ramps, steps, flexible load curves)
- Tensile and flexure tests under variable loads
The machine is equipped with a climatic chamber that allows temperatures from -40°C to +250°C and relative humidity from 20% to 95%. With these prerequisites, it was possible to cover the required special test conditions such as 85°C at 85% RH. The strain measurement is performed without making contact, meaning there is no influence on the specimen, with the videoXtens, which can precisely record even the smallest changes in length over long periods of time. Each test axis is equipped with a non-contact video extensometer (videoXtens), which measures the strain with high precision and in compliance with standards – with accuracy class 1 – even in the event of temperature fluctuations. The testing machine is designed for a test duration of up to 10,000 hours per test.
Universal testing machine Z010 TEW AllroundLine
A Z010 AllroundLine universal testing machine is used for classical testing requirements in the medium force range. This universal testing machine is equipped with a temperature chamber, which enables controlled tests up to +250°C. It is particularly flexible for tests on:
- Technical and high-performance thermoplastics (to ISO 527-1/-2, ASTM D638),
- Elastomers and rubber (to ISO 37, ASTM D412, ISO 23529)
- Thin films/foils and special materials
The machine is equipped with modular guides on which the temperature chamber is mounted so that it can slide. This facilitates access to the test area as well as the combination with different extensometers or test fixtures. In this case, the makroXtens II is used as an extensometer. makroXtens II is a universal, high-resolution extensometer for tensile, compression, flexure and cyclic tests on plastics, composites, hard foam materials and metals that have low to average specimen strain. The resolution and measurement accuracy over the entire measurement range is very high (accuracy class 0.5 to EN ISO 9513). Compression and flexure tests can be performed by simply changing the sensor arms The measuring system can be used for measurements inside and outside the temperature chamber, which is ideal in this case.
The result
A flexible, versatile, and sustainable solution
With the customized solution from ZwickRoell, the Materials Academy JITRI has set up a testing laboratory that sets international standards in terms of versatility, precision and compliance with standards. The systems used make it possible to reliably characterize metallic and polymeric materials under realistic conditions, whether at ambient temperature, in the high temperature-range or under defined climatic conditions.
ZwickRoell supported JITRI not only by supplying the machines, but also by providing technical advice and application expertise in the field of long-term tests. The solution contributes significantly to achieving the goal of the Materials Academy: To advance the development and industrialization of new types of high-performance materials on a scientifically basis.
The successful implementation also forms the basis for future expansions, for example in the direction of additive manufacturing, functional materials or automated testing solutions for large series. With the new testing center, JITRI is setting another milestone on the way to becoming the leading innovation platform for materials technologies in China – supported by the reliable testing technology from ZwickRoell.
