ISO 13954/13955 — read the full explanation
Peel & adhesionPE electrofusion assemblies — peel decohesion and crushing decohesion tests.
Industry
Plastics Testing Machines for Moulded Parts, Pipes and Films
Understand how your plastic material or product responds to mechanical loading. DAK universal testing machines support tensile, flexural, compression and bond testing, with the fixture and measurement configuration selected around your specimen and the result you need.
Applications
Start with the specimen and the question
A moulded tensile specimen, a strip of packaging film and a section of pipe require different test arrangements. Choose the material form first, then follow the methods relevant to your application.
Moulded plastics and rigid specimens
Tensile testing describes strength, stiffness and extension under a pulling load. Flexural testing examines behaviour in bending, while compression testing measures the response to a compressive load. Use the required property and specimen form to select the method, rather than treating these results as interchangeable.
Thin films and sheeting
Film tensile tests measure strength and extension using specimens cut from the sheet or roll. Record the film thickness and test direction: machine-direction and transverse-direction specimens can behave differently. Secure gripping, suitable force measurement and sufficient travel help build a configuration around the film's response.
Plastic pipes
Pipe stiffness testing loads a pipe section radially between parallel plates and relates force to deformation. Pipe dimensions, wall construction, platen arrangement and deformation measurement shape the setup. ASTM D2412 and ISO 9969 address related pipe-stiffness questions, but retain their own procedures and reporting requirements.
Bonded plastic assemblies
A bonded joint needs a test that represents its loading arrangement. Lap-shear testing loads an overlapping bond, while peel methods address separation of suitable bonded layers. Begin with the substrates, joint geometry and required result to choose the appropriate test route.
Beyond tensile
Look beyond tensile strength
Film tear resistance
Tear testing examines how a film resists tearing under a defined specimen geometry. ASTM D1004 addresses tear initiation; this answers a different question from the tensile strength of an unnotched film strip.
Film friction
Friction testing measures the resistance between two contacting surfaces as movement starts and continues. Identify both surfaces and their orientation when specifying the test; film-to-film and film-to-another-surface are different test pairings.
PE electrofusion joint quality
Peel and crushing-decohesion methods assess the separation behaviour of polyethylene electrofusion joints. Their specimen arrangements and failure assessments differ from a conventional plastic tensile test or adhesive lap-shear measurement.
Configuration
Specify the complete testing configuration
Grips and loading fixtures
Thin films need secure contact without unnecessary specimen damage; rigid specimens bring different thickness and holding requirements. DAK offers vice and pneumatic grip options for suitable plastic specimens, alongside flexural and compression fixtures. Select the holding arrangement around the specimen geometry, surface and loading direction.
Strain and extension measurement
Small-strain stiffness measurement and large-extension testing place different demands on the measurement system. Consider gauge length, expected strain and specimen behaviour when choosing contact or video extensometry. Crosshead movement and specimen strain describe different measurements; use the measurement required for the result being reported.
Working force and test space
Specify the expected working forces as well as the maximum load. Film tests may need sensitive low-force measurement and generous extension, while pipe sections require space for their diameter and loading plates. Consider the load cell, frame opening, fixture height and available travel together.
Test conditions and reporting
Define the material grade, specimen dimensions, conditioning, loading sequence and required results. For films, include test direction; for bonded assemblies, include the substrates and failure observations. These details connect specimen preparation with test setup, analysis and the report your laboratory needs to produce.
Machines
Choose the DAK UTM for your laboratory
Series 7200 — DAK's flagship UTM
Bring varied mechanical tests, flexible test programming and detailed analysis into one platform. Follow Me mode, Safe Jog and sample protection support specimen setup, while live displays and synchronised video connect the test with its results. Explore Series 7200 for your laboratory's broader testing programme.
Series 9000 — Routine quality control
Run everyday mechanical tests with standalone console operation or PC-based testing, analysis and reporting. The Series 9000 provides a focused route for routine quality control, with frame, gripping and measurement choices built around the specimens and methods your laboratory uses.
Standards
Find your plastics testing standard
Search a designation or filter the existing library by material, test type or standards body. Open the relevant method guide for specimen, procedure and reporting information.
Runs onSeries 7200
ASTM D1894 — read the full explanation
ShearStatic and kinetic coefficients of friction of plastic film and sheeting.
ASTM D1004 — read the full explanation
TearTear resistance (Graves tear) of plastic film and sheeting — initiation tear.
ASTM D1621 — read the full explanation
CompressionCompressive properties of rigid cellular plastics (foam boards, insulation).
ASTM D1623 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile and tensile-adhesion properties of rigid cellular plastics.
ASTM D1708 — read the full explanation
TensileMicrotensile properties of plastics using miniature specimens (limited material availability).
ASTM D1938 / D1004
TearTrouser tear and graves tear of films.
ASTM D2105 — read the full explanation
TensileLongitudinal tensile properties of fibreglass (GRP/FRP) pipe and tube.
ASTM D2290 — read the full explanation
TensileApparent hoop tensile strength of plastic or reinforced pipe by split-disk method.
ASTM D2412 — read the full explanation
CompressionParallel-plate loading of plastic pipe — pipe stiffness and ring deflection.
ASTM D2990 — read the full explanation
Creep & relaxationTensile, compressive and flexural creep and creep-rupture of plastics (long-duration static load).
ASTM D3163 / D5868 — read the full explanation
ShearLap-shear strength of adhesively bonded plastic and FRP joints.
ASTM D3846 — read the full explanation
ShearIn-plane shear strength of reinforced plastics — withdrawn 2024, superseded in practice by ASTM D5379. Equivalent to: ASTM D5379
ASTM D4885 — read the full explanation
TensilePerformance strength of geomembranes by wide-width strip tensile method.
ASTM D5083 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of reinforced thermosetting plastics using straight-sided specimens.
ASTM D5748 — read the full explanation
Puncture & burstProtrusion puncture resistance of stretch wrap films (slow-rate probe).
ASTM D6272 — read the full explanation
Flexure & bendFlexural properties of plastics by 4-point bending.
ASTM D638 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of unreinforced and reinforced rigid plastics (dog-bone specimens).
ASTM D6693 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of nonreinforced polyethylene and flexible polypropylene geomembranes.
ASTM D6693 / D4885
TensileHDPE geomembrane tensile for landfill and pond lining projects.
ASTM D6862 — read the full explanation
Peel & adhesion90° peel resistance of adhesives.
ASTM D695 — read the full explanation
CompressionCompressive properties of rigid plastics (cylinder / prism specimens).
ASTM D732 — read the full explanation
ShearShear strength of plastics by punch-type shear tool.
ASTM D790 — read the full explanation
Flexure & bendFlexural properties (3-point bending) of unreinforced and reinforced plastics.
ASTM D882 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of thin plastic sheeting and films (<1 mm thick).
ASTM D953 — read the full explanation
TensileBearing strength of plastics (pin bearing, tension or compression loading).
IS 16709-adjacent
TensilePP/HDPE woven sack fabric and seam strength (cement, fertilizer, food-grain packaging).
ASTM D5045 — read the full explanation
Fracture toughnessPlane-strain fracture toughness and strain energy release rate of plastics.
ISO 899-1 — read the full explanation
Creep & relaxationTensile creep behaviour of plastics under constant load.
ISO 899-2 — read the full explanation
Creep & relaxationFlexural creep of plastics by three-point loading, under constant load.
ISO 13953 — read the full explanation
TensilePE butt-fusion pipe joints — tensile strength and failure mode of test specimens.
ISO 13954
Peel & adhesionTensile and peel decohesion testing of PE pipe welded joints.
ISO 13954 / 13955
Peel & adhesionPE electrofusion assemblies — peel decohesion and crushing decohesion tests.
ISO 178 — read the full explanation
Flexure & bendDetermination of flexural properties of plastics (3-point bend).
ISO 527
TensileMoulded part and compound qualification — tensile.
ISO 527-1 — read the full explanation / ISO 527-2 — read the full explanation
TensileGeneral principles and test conditions for tensile properties of moulding and extrusion plastics.
ISO 527-3 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of plastic films and sheets.
ISO 604 — read the full explanation
CompressionDetermination of compressive properties of plastics.
ISO 6259
TensilePE / PVC / PPR pressure pipe tensile and hoop strength.
ISO 6259-1 / -3 — read the full explanation
TensileTensile properties of thermoplastics pipes (PE, PP, PVC pipe specimens).
ISO 6383-1 — read the full explanation
TearTrouser tear and Elmendorf tear resistance for plastic films and sheeting.
ISO 6603-2 — read the full explanation
Puncture & burstInterior and exterior plastic trims, bumpers — tensile and flexural properties.
ISO 844 — read the full explanation
CompressionCompression properties of rigid cellular plastics.
ISO 9969 — read the full explanation
CompressionRing stiffness of thermoplastics pipes.
Showing 1–8 of 44 standards
Next
Discuss your plastics testing requirements
Tell DAK Engineering what you need to test and which decisions the results must support. A useful starting brief includes your material or product, specimen dimensions, required method or property, expected forces and extension where known, and your laboratory location and workload.
For film, include thickness and test direction. For pipes, include diameter and wall construction. For bonded assemblies, describe the substrates and joint geometry. These details help shape a quotation around your application rather than a machine capacity alone.
DAK System manufactures material testing machines in India. Explore our company and support information, or send your testing requirements to discuss a system for your laboratory.