Tensile test on components
Standardized strength tests of materials, e.g. on the basis of the tensile test according to DIN EN ISO 527, do not provide any information about the actual strength of a component in the planned application. Influences such as the fiber orientation actually existing on the component, the fiber length distribution, influences of the material pretreatment, machine selection and processing parameters as well as the realistic load situation cannot be taken into account when determining pure material data. The conditions for tension rod production are optimal as far as practicable and in most cases cannot be compared with the situation of a component.
If component strengths are calculated from the strength values determined on standard test specimens using calculation methods from the fatigue strength or finite element method (FEM) – if necessary in combination with an injection molding simulation – good approximate values of the component strength are obtained, depending on the complexity of the assembly and the quality of the material data.
Nevertheless, a practical test of the strength actually achieved, including all relevant error influence possibilities from the various process steps, is usually unavoidable.
The challenge in component testing is on the one hand to reproduce the load situation in reality as well as possible under laboratory conditions and on the other hand to clamp the component adequately.
The BARLOG Plastics test laboratory offers the possibility to test components – for example in a tensile test – for their actual load capacity. The in-house tool shop supports the laboratory in the fast and uncomplicated production of customer-specific component fixtures for the tensile testing machine (see example Fig. 1). For the customer, this combination enables fast and cost-effective testing of the components produced in the series process and a practically relevant strength statement for the application.
The test scenarios are selected and defined in consultation with the customer. The focus is always on performing the tests close to the application.