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For the Perfect Sound - Testing Violin and Guitar Strings

Nowadays, strings for string instruments and guitars are high tech products. The newest materials such as plastics from aerospace technology or biocompatible materials such as titanium are used in the manufacturing process. For example, the traditional behavior of a string with synthetic core is specifically influenced for the duration of its life cycle. Thomastik-Infeld uses testing machines from ZwickRoell to test mechanical properties.

The Vienna-based company Thomastik-Infel is a worldwide leading supplier of violin strings. The key innovation that is still significant to the company's success today is a string with a synthetic core material and various metallic material combinations for winding. Materials testing plays a large role in product development as well as in quality control at Thomastik-Infeld in order to fulfill the highest quality requirements.

The company uses two zwickiLine testing machines for testing the tensile strength of violin strings . A unique challenge posed is having the testing machine grip the strings and string material (0.04 to 1.1 mm in diameter) so that the specimen material is not damaged and does not distort the test result (e.g. by jaw breaks). A special shell-shaped specimen grip is used in this case. The gripping force is applied here by rope friction and knotting as well as wrapping.

"ZwickRoell impressed us not only with their innovative testing technology, but also with their quick delivery of the testing systems and exemplary service support provided", according to Peter Trondl, Quality Assurance and Purchasing Manager at Thomastik-Infeld.

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