The purpose of tensile or mechanical testing is to measure the effect of force on a particular material or component, or on the adhesive or fastener that bonds two materials together. Modern universal testing machines (UTM) offer additional capabilities, including proof or creep testing, compression loading, flex or bend loading, and cyclic testing to name a few. The selection of a universal testing machine should be based upon the features it offers and ability to perform tests in accordance with a particular testing standard that may be required. Testing standards and procedures are published by a variety of standards organizations. Some of the most significant standard organizations include ASTM, ISO, Military, JIS and DIN.
A universal testing machine is a useful tool for achieving and maintaining high quality production as well as assuring vendor quality as part of the receiving inspection process. Most manufacturers of UTMs offer different types of test machines, machine dimensions and capacities, data acquisition and computer control. Recent advances in technology make in-house testing easier and more affordable and capable of generating results and analyses that were not possible a decade ago.