Impact Testing Services
Ensuring your products stay durable and reliable often comes down to one question. How do your materials behave when they are hit, dropped or knocked.
What impact testing tells you about your materials
When a material faces a sudden force, it does not always behave the way it does under slow, steady loading. A part that feels strong in everyday use can still crack, shatter or fail the moment it takes a knock. Impact testing is how you find that out before your customers do.
By measuring how your materials absorb and resist sudden energy, you can prove they will survive real-world conditions, spot hidden weaknesses early and make informed decisions about design changes. The result is fewer surprises later, safer products and the evidence you need to demonstrate compliance.
You also protect your reputation. Catching a brittleness problem in our lab is far cheaper and far less painful than discovering it through a product recall. And because we are UKAS accredited, the evidence you walk away with carries real weight with regulators, customers and certification bodies.
Impact testing methods we offer
Every product is different, so we adapt the method to suit your material and the standard you need to meet. Here are the main approaches we use.
Charpy impact testing
Charpy testing measures the energy a notched sample absorbs as it fractures under a swinging pendulum. It is one of the most widely recognised ways to assess the toughness of metals and polymers, and it gives you a clear, comparable value you can use for quality control and material selection.
Izod impact testing
Izod testing also uses a pendulum, but the sample is clamped upright rather than supported at both ends. It is a popular choice for plastics and composites, helping you understand how your material resists a sharp blow and how consistent that resistance is across batches.
Pendulum impact testing
Where a standard calls for a controlled, repeatable strike, our pendulum testing delivers a precise amount of energy every time. That consistency is what lets you trust the comparison between one sample and the next.
Drop weight and falling dart impact testing
For sheets, films, panels and finished products, we drop a known weight from a set height to replicate the kind of knocks your product faces in handling, transport and use. This is ideal when you want to see how a whole component performs rather than a small machined sample.
Tailored and conditioned impact testing
Some products only reveal their weaknesses in the cold, the heat or after ageing. We can condition your samples before testing and build custom rigs for non-standard shapes, so the test reflects the conditions your product will really meet. If your requirement does not fit a standard method, talk to us. Designing bespoke test setups for tricky materials is something we genuinely enjoy.
Why Choose Our Impact Testing Services?
- Consistent and Timely Results: We recognise the importance of both speed and consistency. Our efficient processes and calibrated equipment ensure swift turnaround times without compromising the reliability of your impact resistance data. You’ll receive clear, concise reports highlighting key impact properties, enabling prompt and confident decision-making.
- Solutions Tailored to Your Needs: Whether you require strict adherence to standardised impact test methods or a more specialised approach for unique product designs, we adapt our services to your requirements. We offer flexible solutions, from standard simple drop tests to customised pendulums and environmental conditioning.
- Compliance and Traceable Quality: We prioritise meticulous record-keeping, ensuring full traceability of our impact testing procedures. This includes the calibration of our impact testing machines and instrumentation, documented staff competency, and a clear chain of custody for your samples. Our services help you confidently meet industry specifications and demonstrate the inherent toughness of your materials.
Key Outcomes You Can Expect from our Impact Testing Services:
- Consistent application of Impact Force: We deliver repeatable applications of impact energy to validate a materials resistance to specific requirements or determine it’s limits and assess the damage sustained
- Complete Traceability of Testing Process: We maintain detailed records of all aspects of the impact testing process, including machine calibrations, operator qualifications, and sample handling, providing confidence of testing integrity.
- Validation of Product Safety and Durability: By rigorously assessing the impact resistance of your materials, we help you demonstrate the safety and long-term durability of your products under real-world stress conditions.
- Confidence in Meeting Industry Standards: Our traceable impact testing data provides the necessary evidence to demonstrate compliance with relevant industry standards and build trust in the resilience of your materials.
Materials we test
Our impact testing services cover a broad range of materials, including:
- Metals and alloys, from steels to lightweight aluminium
- Plastics, polymers and engineering thermoplastics
- Composites and reinforced materials
- Coatings and protective finishes
- Construction and building products
If your material is not listed here, it is still worth a conversation. We test a wide spread of products and we are happy to advise on the best approach for yours.
Industries we support
Manufacturers across many sectors rely on us to validate how their products hold up under sudden stress, including automotive, aerospace, construction, packaging, electronics and consumer goods.
Whatever your field, the goal is the same. Clear evidence that your product is tough enough for the job.
Our Commitment to Service Delivery:
- Straightforward Sample Submission: We’ve streamlined our sample submission process to make it as easy as possible for you to get your materials tested.
- Collaborative Communication: We work closely with you to fully understand your testing objectives and ensure the impact tests are conducted according to your specific requirements.
- Comprehensive and Understandable Reports: Our impact testing reports are designed to be clear, concise, and directly applicable to your quality assurance processes.
- Dedicated Technical Support: Our knowledgeable team is readily available to answer any questions you may have and provide ongoing support.
Need To Test Your Products Impact Toughness?
How impact testing fits with your wider testing programme
Impact resistance is one piece of the durability picture. Depending on your product, you may want to look at how it performs under other kinds of stress too.
Our tensile testing services measure strength and ductility under pulling forces, while our compression testing services show how your materials behave under crushing loads. If surface durability matters, our hardness testing services assess resistance to indentation, and our shear testing services reveal how materials respond to forces pushing in opposite directions. For products that carry load over long periods, our creep testing services track slow deformation over time.
You can explore the full range on our mechanical testing services page. And if your product also faces tough conditions in the field, our environmental testing services cover everything from temperature and humidity to weathering.
To see exactly which standards we test against, browse our standards database. You can also learn what our accreditation means for you on our UKAS accredited testing page.
Impact Testing Standards We Test Your Products Against
The impact tests described in ISO 21809-1 and ISO 21809-2 are crucial for evaluating the...
ECE Regulation 21 establishes uniform provisions for the approval of vehicles concerning their interior fittings,...
EN 61386-22 specifies particular requirements for rigid conduit systems used for cable management. Conduit systems...
JIS G 3320 specifies requirements for hot-dip galvanized steel sheets and coils. Hot-dip galvanization is...
EN 13497 specifies methods for determining the resistance to impact of thermal insulation products used...
Eota TR006 provides guidance for the European Technical Approval (ETA) of metal injection anchors used...
Impact Testing Frequently asked questions
What is impact testing used for?
Impact testing shows how a material or product behaves when it is hit by a sudden force. It helps you assess toughness, find hidden weaknesses, validate product safety and demonstrate compliance with industry standards.
What is the difference between Charpy and Izod impact testing?
Both use a swinging pendulum to fracture a sample, but the sample is held differently. In Charpy testing the sample is supported at both ends and struck in the middle. In Izod testing the sample is clamped upright and struck at the top. The right choice usually depends on your material and the standard you need to meet, and we are happy to advise.
Which materials can you carry out impact testing on?
We test a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, polymers, composites, coatings and construction products. If you are unsure whether your material is suitable, get in touch and we will talk it through.
Can you test products at different temperatures?
Yes. We can condition your samples before testing so the results reflect the real conditions your product will face, whether that is cold, heat or after a period of ageing.
How do I send samples for impact testing?
We have made sample submission as straightforward as possible. Contact us with a few details about your product and what you need to achieve, and we will guide you through the next steps.
How quickly will I get my results?
Other Mechanical Testing Services we offer
Need to know how tough your product really is?
Talk to our team today about your impact testing requirements and we will put together a tailored quotation. You will be dealing with experienced engineers from the very first conversation, not a generic enquiry desk.