What is a high strain rate test?

A high strain rate test determines material properties across various test speeds (up to 20 m/s) to simulate high speed impact events.

Why do people conduct high strain rate tests?

People conduct high strain rate tests to understand how materials will perform during high strain rate events such as automobile accidents or munitions explosions. These tests are also used to determine the safety of sports equipment, and the reliability of fasteners and welds. High-rate tests can be employed to create FEA models and other forms of simulations as well.

What equipment is needed for a high strain rate test?

High-rate test systems need to run tests at the correct strain rate, and capture high-quality data during a short timeframe. These tests require heavy-duty load frames with high-rate actuators and piezoelectric load measurement transducers. Other equipment needed for high-rate testing includes accumulators, specialized grips or fixtures, high-speed non-contacting strain measurement system, and often an environmental simulation system.