Accurate, Trusted, Reliable COMPOSITES Testing Systems

For over 75 YEARS, the Instron® brand has been widely recognized for producing the most advanced mechanical testing systems in the world. Our systems are designed by industry experts, vetted by active members of major standards organizations, and supported by a global network of skilled and experienced service technicians. This comprehensive approach allows us to back each Instron system with an unmatched level of industry and application expertise designed to support it throughout its lifetime. 1,500+ employees A highly-educated, experienced, and diverse workforce Representing 160 countries,...

COMPOSITES TESTING SOLUTIONS Application-Based Testing Solutions Composites present a unique set of challenges for product developers and engineers who need to measure the material's mechanical properties. As the popularity of composites continues to grow, so does the need for testing equipment that can safely, accurately, and efficiently characterize these complex materials. Instron’s universal testing machines are designed to perform the most common types of testing used in the composites industry, including but not limited to in-plane tensile, through thickness tensile, interlaminar shear,...

SCAN THE QR CODE to learn more about Instron’s composites testing solutions Instron® test systems are designed to withstand decades of high force testing while also making it easy to change the system configuration in order to perform different test types. Our industry leading software makes system operation simple and intuitive for both new and experienced users. Maximize Uptime: Pre-loaded bearings, precision ball screws, a thick crosshead and base beam, and low-stretch drive belts increase performance and help reduce shock damage during specimen failure. Ensure Audit Compliance: Frames are...

COMPOSITES TESTING SOLUTIONS Systems at a Glance For over 75 years, Instron® has supplied more than 50,000 testing systems to the world’s leading manufacturing, educational, scientific, and research institutions. We offer a wide range of systems for static, dynamic, and impact testing of composite materials. TENSION, COMPRESSION, AND BEND Universal Testing Systems Instron’s universal testing machines can perform tensile, compression, shear, flexure, torsion, peel, and other mechanical tests on composite materials and structures to meet ASTM, ISO, and other industry standards. Our high-capacity...

SCAN THE QR CODE to learn more about our materials testing systems Instron offers servohydraulic and electrodynamic systems with force ranges from 1 kN to 5,000 kN (200 lbs to 1,000,000 lbs), for dynamic testing of composite materials and components. Our drop tower systems are designed to qualify the impact resistance of composites and other materials. These machines range from basic un-instrumented to fully instrumented systems with ultra high-speed data acquisition. Servohydraulic and Electrodynamic Systems Drop Weight Impact Systems Composites Testing Solutions | 07

Instron® offers both manual and hydraulic grip types capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures. Moving body manual and hydraulic wedge grips are recommended for testing composite materials as they provide reliable gripping of test specimens while maintaining accurate and repeatable alignment that meets Nadcap requirements for aerospace testing. When it is necessary to change the test setup, Instron offers piggyback adapters that allow composite test fixtures to be attached directly to the grips. Through piggybacking, the grips can stay on the testing system to maintain any valid...

COMPOSITES FIXTURES Solutions for Composites Testing Supported Gauge Section Compression Test Fixture Unsupported Gauge Section with Shear Loading Compression Test Fixture Combined Loading Compression Test Fixture ASTM D695, ASTM D3846, Boeing BSS 7260, SACMA SRM-1, prEN 2850 Compression testing of composites without anti-buckling guide plates is often preferred, as the free unsupported length is more representative of true compression behavior. This method relies on the accuracy of the alignment between the upper fixture and the lower fixture while introducing the compression load. In addition,...

SCAN THE QR CODE to learn more about our composites fixture offerings Compression After Impact - “Boeing CAI” Fixture Compression After Impact - Airbus AITM 1-0010 The “Boeing CAI” fixture is used to test the impact resistance of carbon and other fiber-reinforced polymer composite laminates. These materials are prone to great reduction in compressive strength even when the impact load is insufficient to cause visible damage. The post-impact compression test is used to assess the relative performance of different composite laminates with different fiber matrix combinations. Laminates are subjected...

COMPOSITES FIXTURES Solutions for Composites Testing Flatwise Tension Test Fixtures Climbing Drum Peel Fixture Boeing Open Hole Compression Fixture ASTM D6484, ASTM D6484M, Boeing BSS 7260 This fixture is designed for ASTM C297 testing to determine the bond strength between the facing and core of a sandwich core panel, or the strength of the core itself. The specimen is bonded to thick loading blocks and then subjected to tensile loading applied via the blocks. The fixture can be used to test a variety of different sandwich core materials including honeycomb core structures and continuous core...

V-Notch Shear Test Fixtures Composites Rail Shear Flexural and Interlaminar Shear Bend Instron® shear test fixtures are designed for in-plane or interlaminar shear testing of composite materials. The V-Notched Rail Shear Method was introduced in 2005 under ASTM D7078 and includes the distinctive V-notches in the specimen design, which serve to create a localized and approximate uniform shear stress zone between the notches. This fixture is used to determine the in-plane shear strength of a composite laminate panel in accordance with ASTM D4255. ASTM D4255 describes both 2 rail and 3 rail methods...