Material Analysis and Component Testing

Mechanical and physical component and material testing

• Static tensile/compression testing with mechanical and optical strain measurement
• Three/four point bend testing, ILSS
• Adhesion testing between materials, e.g. shear tensile testing
• Notched bar impact testing (1-25 J)
• Impact testing by means of drop towers (70/300 J), CAI Compression after Impact
• Hardness testing (HR/HBW/HV/Shore A, B)
• Dynamic mechanical analysis DMA
• Determination of electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity*.
• Manufacturing possibilities of standardized test specimens, e.g. shoulder bars, bonded shear tensile test specimens, ...

Optical and microscopic component inspection

• Visual inspection by process specialists
• Component inspection by computer tomography CT and ultrasonic methods
• Light microscopy with various contrast methods
• Scanning electron microscopy SEM for high resolution and depth of field

Material and surface analysis

• Organic material and additive analysis using FTIR and FTIR microscopy
• Elemental analysis using SEM-EDX
• Separation methods (extraction, microwave ashing, chromatography*)
• Surface tension (contact angle)
• Thermal analysis methods: DSC & DSC-OIT, TGA-DSC
• Molecular weight determinations with solution viscometers and GPC*
• Moisture measurement (Karl Fischer titration)

Rheological investigations

• Melt flow rate (MFR, MVR), flow curves
• Rheometers for liquid to highly viscous fluids at different temperatures

Resistance simulations

• Heat and climate change tests
• UV and weathering tests*
• Chemical resistance and stress crack tests
• Corrosion testing in salt spray facility

*) in cooperation with partners

Mechanical testing

• Universal testing machine 500 N – 250 kN
• Impact pendulum 1-25J
• Drop tower
• Creep (up to 1kN load) and relaxation tests
• Hardness Testing machines for Rockwell/Brinell/Vickers
• Shore hardness tester
• Ball indentation hardness tester
• Abrasion/erosion test rig
• Dynamic mechanical analysis DMA (-100 ... 400°C, 0.01 - 200 Hz)

Testing devices for the analysis of the fracture behavior of bonded joints

• DCB (double cantilever beam)
• ENF (end notch flexure)
• MMB (mixed mode bending)
• T-joint for the validation of the fracture behavior of bonded components

Specialties for elastomers

• Biaxial testing of elastomers
• Planar tests
• Hydrostatic compression testing

Optical and microscopic testing

• ATOS Compact Scan 5M resp. ARAMIS 3D Camera 6M
• Computed tomography CT RX Solution DeskTom CT (130kV)
• OmniScan MX2 ultrasonic flaw detector
• Optical microscopes, Olympus / Leica
• Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDX) Jeol JSM IT200

Material and surface analysis

• Thermal analyzers Mettler DSC 3+, TGA-DSC 3+, each with autosamplers
• FTIR spectrometers, coupled with microscope: Thermo Fisher Nicolet iN10 & iZ10
• Krüss MSA mobile surface analyzer
• Electrical conductivity: Milliohmmeter MRG10
• Moisture analyzer Metrohm (Karl Fischer titrator with automated sample preparation

Rheological tests

• High pressure capillary rheometer: Göttfert Rheograph 25
• Rheometer Haake Mars 40
• Melt flow rate MFR, MVR: Göttfert MI-4
• Liquid viscometer Hunter LVDV-2T
• Permeability meter (self-made to determine the resin permeability of fibrous structures)

Thermal tests

• Constant climate chamber C 40/200
• Constant climate chamber KMF 240
• Drying oven TR120 & TR450
• Various precision thermal aging ovens
• Thermal imaging camera Optris PI 200

Introductory article on the subject of failure analysis

Polymeranalytik vom Feinsten
Affolter, S.: Polymeranalytik vom Feinsten, KunststoffXtra 3/2020, S. 18-19

Schadensanalyse an Kunststoffbauteilen
Affolter S.: Schadensanalyse an Kunststoffbauteilen

Introductory article on the subject of aging of thermoplastics

Long-Term Behaviour of Thermoplastic Materials
Affolter, S.: Langzeitverhalten von Thermoplasten