Importance of Choosing the Right Materials
Applied Technical Services performs the Izod impact test to determine important physical capabilities of material samples. By quantifying a specimen’s impact strength, charting its ductility, and characterizing its overall impact toughness, ATS’ expert mechanical testing technicians can help clients determine the suitability of their design materials for their final product’s intended use.
Certain materials are more appropriate for a given use than others based on their various characteristics. For instance, some materials hold up well under extreme pressures while others do not — a product designer would keep these traits in mind when selecting component materials for critical applications such as a deep-sea breathing apparatus. Each constituent material’s performance characteristics play an integral role in determining a product’s overall effectiveness. Manufacturers send samples to mechanical testing labs like ATS to verify the many physical properties of design materials. By performing Izod impact testing, we can help them discover whether their plastic materials perform acceptably.
How the Test Works
Our mechanical testing division performs this test on a material sample of standardized dimensions. This specimen is loaded into the Izod tester, where technicians securely clamp it into place. The test equipment itself features a striker of a designated weight attached to a pendulum, which technicians raise to a predetermined height. Testing begins when the striker is released, swinging and striking the material sample, breaking it. Depending on the model of Izod tester, either a mechanical lever will mark the ending position of the striker or an electronic interface will display a measurement in Joules — both represent the amount of energy expended in breaking the sample. This result reveals the Izod impact toughness of the test material. Impact toughness is the measure of both how much impact force is required to cause a material to fracture (impact strength) and how much that material will deform before breaking (ductility). This blend of characteristics directly affects how a material handles taking an impact, which can prove critical to the final product’s ability to resist failure. Ductility and toughness can vary significantly, depending on the temperature to which materials are exposed. Because plastic materials become brittle at colder temperatures, ATS technicians repeat impact tests on samples exposed to a variety of temperatures to determine their low temperature behavior.
ATS’ mechanical testing personnel perform Izod testing to its internationally recognized standard specifications, namely ISO 180 and ASTM D256. Our materials testing lab is ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (A2LA) accredited to perform ASTM D256.
ATS: Trusted Mechanical Testing Provider
ATS has been a trusted testing, inspection, and consulting engineering provider since our founding in 1967. In the last 50+ years, we have grown to serve companies operating around the world from a variety of industries. Of the many we serve, the industries that can most benefit from our impact testing services include:
- Automotive
- Aerospace
- Communications
- Construction
- Defense
- Healthcare
- Insurance / Legal
- Manufacturing
- Nuclear
- Oil / Gas
- Power Generation
- Pulp and Paper
- Renewable Energy
Proficient mechanical testing technicians perform all of ATS’ Izod impact testing and analysis. These individuals are highly experienced in performing Izod testing and a variety of other mechanical testing methods to internationally recognized, industry-specific, and custom client specifications. They return detailed, accurate, clear reporting within a short turnaround window; ATS guarantees results of such quality so that we can empower our customers to make well-informed decisions regarding the physical characteristics of their design materials.
Dedicated to Quality
Because we value our clientele, ATS prioritizes delivering quality in each service we provide. We pursue this goal by operating according to our ISO 9001:2015 registered quality management system. By adhering to this standard, ATS continually improves the quality of our services to satisfy evermore discerning clients.
Our robust customer service program is a key ingredient in providing a successful customer experience. These personnel not only take calls from clients who have questions about the status or details of the services they received — they facilitate customer contact with the very experts who performed those services. ATS’ mechanical testing technicians are accessible and responsive to customers reaching out for assistance, remaining engaged while discussing the matters of interest they raise about the testing services they received. If your company needs Izod impact testing to determine a material’s toughness, contact Applied Technical Services today — we take a closer look.
