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Many composites are crafted from a polymer matrix that is bolstered with an engineered, artificial or natural fibre (such as aramid, carbon, glass, etc.) or other reinforced materials. This polymer matrix safeguards fibres from external, environmental damage and also transfers the load between the fibres. The fibres within the polymer matrix provide strength and rigidity to reinforce the matrix – ultimately resisting cracks and fractures.
Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Ltd (WMT&R) carries out all composites testing at the dedicated Composites Centre of Excellence. This state-of-the-art composites testing facility is Nadcap. A2LA ISO 17025 accredited and fully staffed with experienced, dedicated composites testing personnel. To learn more about our certificates and accreditations, please visit our accreditations page.
WMT&R's substantial onsite capabilities allow for customisation of each project to your composites materials and mechanical specifications. We provide mechanical testing of composites, thermal analysis of composites, physical properties analysis of composites, and customised and standardised composites testing solutions.
WMT&R provides unique customer advantages in composites and non-metallic materials testing, including custom analysis, superior turnaround time, and an extensive scope of composites testing.
We design and write our proprietary software to analyse your test results.
To ensure the best turnaround time on your projects, we design and machine our specialised fixtures. Expedited services are available, ask us how.
For your unique testing needs we have the resources, experience, and testing capacity to answer all of your materials questions for any application, customisable to your needs.
We have the flexibility and resources to accommodate a broad range of sample sizes with our machine capacity ranging from 10 grams to 453,592 kg (1,000,000 lbs).
We are specialists in conducting composites on many different types of specimens including adhesives, honeycombs, thermoset and thermoplastic composites, laminates, fibre reinforced composites, sandwich core materials, resins, and films.
We have the variety of customisable test setups and equipment at temperatures ranging from cryogenic to over 1649°C (3000°F); as well as environmental conditions from high humidity and immersion in fluids.
Our non-metallic and composites testing are supported by our internal machine shop, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to manufacture test specimens to meet any customer schedule.
WMT&R's composites centre is equipped with an array of mechanical testing capabilities. The non-metallic composites centre has hundreds of hydraulic, electro-mechanical, drop tower and pendulum impact test frames to test essential characteristics of composites materials. Non-metallic materials including plastics, composites, films and adhesives can be tested for strength, flexibility, fatigue and many other physical properties.
To strengthen the depth and quality of composites testing results, Westmoreland Mechanical Testing & Research, Ltd. has a range of thermal analysis equipment at the Composites Centre. Our thermal analysis testing equipment includes:
The DLF-1200 provides a high-performance laser-flash analysis over a wide range of test temperatures. With high precision, quick response, non-contact measurement of the sample surfaces, WMT&R determines the material's ability to transfer and store heat through the laser pulse and ensuring your materials are fit for its intended application.
The Dynamic Mechanical Analysis machine measures the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of materials such as thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, ceramics, and metals. The DMA provides WMT&R with the ability to perform glass transition tests on larger materials and increases the number of variables for those tests. The DMA machine has a fluctuating temperature range as well as humidity control and fluid bath options for additional testing information for your materials.
Thermomechanical Analysis studies the properties of materials, such as dimension or mechanical properties, as they change with temperature. The process of thermomechanometry ensures a stress is applied to a material, and the resulting strain is measured while the material is subjected to a controlled temperature program, mimicking conditions that would affect a material in applications.
The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measures enthalpy internal energy changes in samples due to variations in their physical and chemical properties as a function of temperature or time, determining biochemistry and heat flow of materials. This instrument is built to measure energy directly and allows precise measurements of heat capacity, enabling measurements of characteristic properties of a material. It can provide analysis of chemical reactions in materials such as fusion and crystallisation events, glass transition temperatures and oxidation, ensuring safety screening, stability, and integrity of chemical composition.
Thermogravimetry, through the Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) device measures the change in weight of a sample as it is heated, cooled, or held at a constant temperature. It is primarily used to characterise material composition. Applications include plastics, elastomers and thermosets, mineral compounds, and ceramics. The TGA can provide information about chemical phenomena including chemisorptions, desolvation and dehydration, decomposition, and solid-gas reactions such as oxidation or reduction.
WMT&R understands the physical complexities of composites. That is why the Composites Centre has the capabilities to test the physical properties of these materials to help answer your materials development and application questions. Through physical testing of composites, WMT&R can provide more comprehensive composites testing results to determine whether a particular composites material is the right resource for your end applications and engineering specifications.
We provide an array of physical testing standardised tests on composites materials, including:
WMT&R provides standardised and individualised customer specifications for composites testing. With the assistance of our Mechanical Engineering Department and our full-service in-house Machine Shop, we can design and fabricate specialised fixtures for your unique testing needs. Additionally, Metallographic and Microscopic Analysis are available through our state of the art Analytical and Metallographic Labs.