RSQ Test Labs | Product Reliability, Safety, and Compliance Testing
Focus on common lab tests and equipment used for reliability, safety, & quality tests.
Take a look at some videos we prepared about some common lab tests and test equipment. You’ll have a better understanding of what you need and how they’ll benefit you.
Universal Test Machine
A UTM or Universal Test Machine is a critical piece of lab test equipment as it can be used to perform so many helpful tests. We explain how it works, the tests it can perform (tensile, compression and bend, single and double shear, proof, and more), and its benefits to you.
Impact Test
We introduce the impact test machine (or Charpy impact tester) commonly used for assessing the impact resistance of products and materials.
You’ll learn about the physics of impact testing, benefits of doing it, and who needs to do it.
Hardness Test
Watch an overview of different types of destructive and non-destructive hardness test machines, where they’re used, industries that benefit from this test, and the different types of hardness testers, including Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, and Shore (Durometer).
Surface Roughness Testing of Machined Surfaces
XRF Alloy Analyzer
The XRF alloy analyzer, a piece of lab testing equipment that helps you to identify the elemental composition of metal alloys.
This is beneficial in terms of the types of testing we do, because finding out that the material you’re using is not exactly what is required has deep repercussions on safety, reliability, and quality.
Profile Projector
We explain how the profile projector, (also known as an optical comparator or shadowgraph projector), is used.
In our lab we use it to check the complex profile of a component, detect defects such as burrs, indentations, and scratches, and compare a component with the golden sample in strict detail.
How To Test The Tensile Strength Of Steel
Steel is often used in applications where its tensile strength is important. This video covers:
- Why steel tensile strength is so important
- How to check the tensile strength of steel (following the ASTM A370 testing standard for mechanical testing and procedures of steel products)
- How to examine the tensile test results and what the data means
- The formula used to determine the steel’s tensile strength
Brinell & Vickers Hardness Tests for Steel
When designing a steel component or product you test hardness in order to determine how well it will resist deformation or abrasion.
This video covers:
- The Brinell hardness test (equipment, test method, and formula from ASTM E10)
- The Vickers hardness test (equipment, test method, and formula EN ISO 6507)
- Which steels need which test
- How to apply HV values
- Which test is more accurate
Rockwell Testing For Steel Hardness
Hardness is key for durability and toughness as it’s the steel’s ability to resist indentation and abrasion. Rockwell testing measures the depth made by an indenter (either ball or diamond-shaped) after a preliminary and then the major load is applied, creating a baseline and final indentation. The HRC is calculated based on the difference between those indentations. The Rockwell test is often considered to be easier to conduct and more accurate than Brinell and Vickers hardness tests.
How To Test Steel Toughness
The different steel alloys have differing toughness and this is important to understand their properties when sourcing steel.
Toughness measures a metal’s ability to maintain its integrity while being bent (pressed, pulled, or deformed). Metal that can handle more energy (such as a hammer blow) and bend without breaking is tougher than that which breaks more easily. This video shows how toughness is tested for.
Corrosion Testing For Steel
This video explores corrosion testing for steel as it may corrode under the wrong circumstances. This testing for the type of steel you’re sourcing for your products or components is important if corrosion is likely to affect their functionality, quality, or safety. You’ll learn:
- What the ‘salt spray test’ (ASTM B117 or ISO 9227) is and its process
- How to check an item’s corrosion resistance following the test
- The effects of corrosion to look out for
Checking Plastic Flexural Strength
This video focuses on checking and testing plastic flexural strength. We need to understand how plastics can resist deformation under load in order to know their suitability for our products. You’ll see a flexural test setup, how a test is performed, and the parameters we test to.
We also include some common plastic materials and their respective flexural properties so that you can select the best type for your job.
Plastic Hardness Testing
Let’s look in detail at plastic hardness testing. You’ll discover the shore (durometer) hardness test (or rockwell hardness test) which is commonly used to measure hardness. We’ll also discuss the different scales which are used on the different types (grades of ‘softness’) of polymers, like plastics and rubbers, that may be being inspected. Also included are numerous shore plastic hardness examples which will show you which products are more durable and their maximum penetration properties.
How To Test The Tensile Strength Of Plastic
Manufacturers of plastic products need to understand the results of this common mechanical test as plastics have different elongation properties which makes them useful in specific applications. In the test, polymers are pulled by a machine under force until they break. We show and explain the plastic tensile test procedure, which plastics have greater elongation properties, and how to read and assess the results.
Plastic Impact Testing
Why conduct plastic impact testing?
You want your plastic products to be reliable for end users and to resist cracking or breaking when being dropped. Impact tests, typically an izod pendulum test, help to ascertain how a polymer can resist impacts. We’ll closely describe the impact test, how to perform it, and give you an example and results. Finally, we share a table of common polymers that you may be using, along with their impact strengths and values.
Checking The Density Of Plastic
Plastic density is particularly important, as it strongly influences the application of the different types of polymers, especially in the case of PE which has several different densities and can be categorized as low or high density (the latter resulting in stronger and stiffer PE). Finished products or raw plastic pellets can all be checked for the correct density to assure their strength. To test plastic density we will usually use a plastic densitometer. Plastic is lowered into water and the displacement allows us to ascertain its density. We’ll show you an example and the formula used to work out density.
How To Test The Tensile Strength Of Plastic
Plastic Impact Testing
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