Applications of Tensile Testers in Plastic Testing Industries

You can find plastics in the car that you are riding in, your phone case, the packaging, and even the chair that you are sitting on. However, before introducing any of these plastic products to the market, they have to pass through a set of tests to make sure that the products will be able to resist actual strains and stresses in the real world. One of the most fundamental laboratory testing equipment used in this process of quality check is a tensile tester.

What then is a tensile tester machine, and why is it so important in the industry of plastic testing? It is time to discover it in the easiest way possible.

What is a Tensile Tester?

A tensile tester is a machine that is used to measure the force needed to stretch something until it breaks. It does so by explaining the extension of a material before it breaks apart. Just imagine it is a test conducted on materials.

When it comes to plastics testing instruments, this machine can be used to test the strength or tensile strength of the plastic. Different types of plastics have different applications, e.g. some are rigid and some are flexible; so these tests can help manufacturers in selecting the right plastic to use in the right job.

What is the use of Tensile Testing in the Plastic Industry?

Tensile testing is not an optional experiment carried out in a laboratory. It is an essential instrument in plastic creation and quality assurance. You see, here is why it matters:

• Makes it durable or not easily broken: A material made of plastic would be useless should it were too easily broken. Tensile testing machine makes sure that it is able to withstand everyday stress.
• Control of quality. Quality assurance is done during manufacturing by sampling at random to ensure uniformity of products.
• Demands in standards: There are several industries where the plastic components are needed to comply with international or local strength standards.
• Product design: During the design of new plastic products, the tensile test is useful in product fine-tuning to give the desired strength and elasticity.

Applications of Tension Testers in Plastic Testing in Real Life

Since we are in the knowledge of why tensile testing is necessary, we can know where and how tensile tester is used in the plastic industry:

Packaging Industry

Have you ever noticed that the same plastic packaging is very stretchy, but other packaging is harder? This is because they have variant items that require diverse packaging.

Tensile Strength testers are utilised to test plastic films, wraps, and containers to check that they do not easily tear or get punctured during transportation. The plastic used to pack food should be rigid because the food has to be kept safe, but at the same time, flexible so that it can seal properly.

Automotive Components

Most components in automobiles are now created using high-strength plastic, like dashboard, interior trimmings or even some neighboring components. Such sections are exposed to high stress levels, particularly during severe weather conditions.

Tensile tests are carried out on these components to ensure that they can deal with vibration, pressure and sudden impact, such as in an accident or off-road.

Medical Equipment

Medical products such as syringes, surgical instruments, and tubing are made of plastic that must be extremely high quality. There is no space for being weak.

Tensile testers are utilised to ensure that these materials pass the test of being strong. In case a catheter tube breaks in use, this can be life-threatening. This is why the tensile strength tests are so important in this industry.

Consumer Goods

Whether it is toothbrushes, plastic bottles, or mobile phone covers, most consumer goods incorporate a type of plastic. Tensile testing aids manufacturers in determining whether the plastic they are using is brittle or just cool and ready to work with on a day-to-day basis.

This not only adds an increase to customer satisfaction but also minimises the returns and customer complaints.

Building and Infrastructure

Pipes, insulation panels, roofing sheets, all of high-grade plastics. Such materials should be able to sustain different types of weather conditions and loads that might take years or even decades.

Tensile testers also evaluate the elongation levels, breaking strength, and yield point of the construction plastics so as to guarantee they are strong enough to withstand wear and tear.

Aerospace and Defence

In aeronautics, plastics are utilised to decrease weight even though leaving the strength unchanged. Tensile testers can analyse the behaviour of materials under extreme and normal situations on interior panels on aircraft cabins and in wiring insulation.

And if something malfunctions in the sky, that is a disaster. And as such, tensile testing is not an optional part of such high-stakes industries.

Plastic Making Factories

Tensile testers are actually employed in the factories where plastic raw material, such as pellets or granules, is produced and where batches are tested. This aids in the consistency of quality.

Conducting regular tensile tests helps manufacturers know instantly when something is not going as per the schedule in the production line and rectify this mess before thousands of faulty products come out.

What are Tensile Tests on Plastics Measuring?

You may ask, what is it that these machines search? This is how it breaks down:

• Tensile Strength: The greatest force that plastic can resist under tension before it breaks.
• Elongation: The Amount of plastic that stretches before breaking.
• Yield Strength: This is the level of stress when the plastic begins to change shape irretrievably.
• Modulus of Elasticity: The ratio of stiffness or flexibility of the plastic.

The values assist engineers in selecting the most appropriate form of plastic to be used in a given application.

Criteria Used in Testing of Plastics Using Tensile Testing

To have uniformity and reliability, the tensile testing of plastics is conducted in line with the world-recognised standards, including:

1. D638 ASTM (hard plastics)
2. ASTM D882 (used on thin film)
3. ISO 527 (international general plastic testing)

By adhering to these standards, the results become accurate and can be comparable between different labs and businesses.

What is the Mechanism of a Tensile Tester?

Tensile testers are usually accompanied by two clamps (also referred to as jaws). They put the plastic sample between them. One of the jaws is fixed, and the other one moves at a slow rate, stretching the material.

The machine measures the applied force and the stretch of the material as the machine pulls the plastic to the breaking point. It is then used to graph it and analyse it by engineers or quality specialists.

Environmental chambers are also provided in some advanced machines to test a machine in extreme temperature or humidity conditions.

Advantages of tensile testers in the plastic industry

This is the reason why all businesses related to plastic must pay attention to tensile testers:

• Notes product breakdown: Catch vulnerability before it breaks down.
• Expenses are minimised: If you promptly identify early material issues, you will not have to overspend on recalls or redesign your item.
• Develops brand loyalty: Good quality, durable plastic products create brand loyalty.
• Advanced innovation: A  New mixture of plastics can be tested to produce more efficient, safer and superior performing goods.

Final Thoughts

Tension testers are silent guardians in the sphere of plastic manufacturing and the development of the product. They ensure that the various items we use daily, such as bottles of shampoo to aircraft cabin components, are safe, durable and robust.

You can either be a small-scale plastic goods manufacturer or a big industry player, but all those matters can be transformed with an investment in rectified tensile testing. They are not only compliance-minded; they are excellence-focused, all of the time.

That is why next time you see an ideal piece of plastic made that is enduring and elastic, you are likely to look at a tensile tester by Testyourproduct  that may have contributed to achieving that.