Force Measurement Or Materials Testing – Which Is It?

Force Measurement Or Materials Testing – Which Is It?

Tensile and compression testing, depending on the application’s complexity, can be categorized either as materials testing or force measurement.

Materials testing is the scientific analysis of materials such as metals, elastomers, and textiles, requiring the measurement of stress, strain, modulus of elasticity, elongation, and other calculations. Common applications include the tensile testing of aluminum, bending force of plastics, and the compression force of foams.

Force measurement is a simpler testing method, usually requiring only the measurement of force and distance. It is more often prescribed for testing components and assemblies than materials. Recently, this term is used more interchangeably with materials testing and tensile testing as advancements in force measurement equipment blur previously well-defined boundaries.

Before selecting equipment, identify the test objective, determine the expected force range, assess sample dimensions, and estimate the sample extension or deformation.