Silicone Rubber Tensile Testing Machine

Silicone Rubber Tensile Testing MachineStructural Composition

• Mainframe: Serving as the main framework of the testing machine, it is usually made of high - strength steel to ensure that it can withstand large forces without deformation during the test. A vertically movable crossbeam is installed on the mainframe, which is used to fix the fixtures and apply the test force.
• Transmission System: It is responsible for transmitting the energy of the power source to the specimen to achieve the loading process. Common transmission methods include screw drive, chain drive, etc. The screw drive has the characteristics of high precision and good stability, enabling precise control of the test speed and displacement.
• Control System: This system controls the operation of the testing machine, including setting test parameters (such as test speed, loading method, target force value, etc.), monitoring the test process in real - time, and automatically adjusting the test state according to preset conditions. For example, when the set maximum force value or elongation rate is reached, the control system can automatically stop the test.
• Data Acquisition and Processing System: It collects the electrical signals transmitted from force sensors, displacement sensors, etc., converts them into digital signals, and then stores and analyzes them. It can plot curves such as force - displacement curves and stress - strain curves, automatically calculate mechanical performance indicators of silicone rubber such as tensile strength, elongation at break, and elastic modulus, and generate test reports.

3. Testing Applications for Silicone Rubber

• Tensile Property Testing: Through tensile tests, key indicators of silicone rubber such as tensile strength, elongation at break, and stress at a given elongation can be determined. Tensile strength reflects the ability of silicone rubber to resist tensile failure, elongation at break reflects its deformation ability before fracture, and stress at a given elongation represents the stress borne by silicone rubber at a certain elongation rate. These indicators are crucial for evaluating the performance of silicone rubber in different application scenarios.
• Tear Property Testing: Since silicone rubber may be subjected to tearing forces in actual use, tear strength testing is essential. By using specific tear test methods (such as right - angle tear, trouser - shaped tear, etc.), the ability of silicone rubber to resist tearing can be measured, providing a reference for the design and material selection of silicone rubber products.
• Compression Property Testing: For some silicone rubber products that need to bear compressive loads, such as sealing washers, compression property testing can evaluate their elastic and permanent deformation characteristics under compression. For example, measure the compression stress of silicone rubber at a certain compression rate and the residual permanent deformation after unloading.

4. Selection Considerations

• Range: Select an appropriate range according to the expected maximum force of the silicone rubber. If the range is too small, it may cause equipment overload and damage; if the range is too large, it will affect the measurement accuracy. Generally, the test force value should be within the range of 20% - 80% of the testing machine's range to obtain more accurate measurement results.
• Accuracy: Force measurement accuracy and displacement measurement accuracy are important indicators for measuring the performance of the testing machine. For materials like silicone rubber that have high requirements for mechanical properties, it is recommended to choose a testing machine with a force value accuracy of within 1% and a displacement accuracy of 0.01mm or higher.
• Fixtures: Due to the soft texture of silicone rubber, specially designed fixtures need to be selected to ensure that the specimen can be firmly clamped during the test, avoiding slippage or premature fracture at the fixture. For example, fixtures with serrations or the addition of rubber pads can be used to improve the clamping effect.
• Software Function: A testing machine with powerful software functions can more conveniently perform operations such as test parameter setting, data acquisition and analysis, and report generation. For example, the software should be able to automatically draw various test curves, statistically analyze the data, and generate standard test reports according to different standards.