Laboratory resilience test
Impact resistance test: laboratory certified for impact resistance testing
As an industrial company, you must guarantee the impact resistance of your materials and mechanical parts. Impact testing is a standardized mechanical test that assesses a material’s ability to absorb the energy of an impact without breaking. The FILAB laboratory assists you in conducting Charpy and Izod impact tests in accordance with international standards.
What is a resilience essay?
Resilience refers to a material’s ability to absorb the energy of an impact by deforming without sudden breakage. The resilience test, also called the impact bending test or pendulum impact test, consists of breaking a specimen with a single blow using a standardized pendulum.
The two main resilience testing methods
Charpy test (ISO 179 and ISO 148)
- Specimen placed horizontally on two supports
- Impact at the center of the sample
- Most widely used method in Europe
- Applicable to metals, plastics, and composites
Izod test (ASTM D256)
- Vertically embedded specimen
- Cantilever impact
- Primarily American standard
- Ideal for polymers and brittle materials
Toughness is measured in kilojoules per square meter (kJ/m²) and represents the energy absorbed during fracture.
Why conduct a resilience test?
The purpose of impact testing is to determine the resistance of certain parts or materials to impacts. The results allow manufacturers to choose the most suitable materials for specific applications and to optimize manufacturing processes to improve the impact resistance of the materials used.
Industrial applications of resilience testing:
The FILAB laboratory can assist you in carrying out resilience tests
Material qualification: validate impact resistance according to the requirements of your specifications.
R&D: compare several formulations or heat treatments
Failure analysis: understanding the causes of in-service failure
Quality control: detect manufacturing defects affecting toughness
Regulatory compliance: meeting ISO, ASTM, and EN requirements
Sectors affected by resilience testing
- Automotive: safety parts, bumpers, dashboards
- Aerospace: structural components, fasteners
- Construction: metal elements, profiles
- Plastics: packaging, enclosures, equipment
- Railway: structural parts, fasteners
- Energy: pipelines, pressure vessels
Resilience testing standards and methods
Tests on plastics and polymers:
ISO 179-1: Determination of Charpy impact strength
- Method 1eA: Specimen with V-notch
- Method 1eU: Specimen without notch
- Test temperatures: -40°C to +150°C
ISO 179-2: Instrumented impact test (force-displacement curve measurement)
ASTM D256: Izod test on plastics
Testing on metals and alloys:
ISO 148-1: Charpy impact test on metals
- 10x10 mm specimens with V-notch
- Pendant energies: 150 J, 300 J, 450 J
- Tests at different temperatures for transition curve
EN 10045: Charpy V impact test on steels
Resilience testing procedure
Preparing the test tubes
Performing the pendulum sheep test
Calculation and interpretation
Test report
You will receive a detailed report including:
FAQ
The cost of an impact resistance test varies depending on the type of material (metal, plastic, composite), the number of test specimens, the applicable standard (ISO, ASTM), and the temperature tests. Generally, expect to pay between €50 and €200 excluding VAT per specimen. Contact us for a free, personalized quote.
Yes, but with limitations. Impact testing generally requires standardized test specimens. For actual parts, we offer alternative impact tests (ball drop, instrumented impact) that can be adapted to the geometry of your product.
Some materials (particularly carbon steels) exhibit a ductile-brittle transition: they become brittle below a certain temperature. Multi-temperature testing allows us to:
- Identify the transition temperature
- Qualify materials for cold-weather applications
- Comply with standards for pressure equipment or offshore structures
- V-notch (2 mm, 45°): maximum stress concentration, standard method
- U-notch: less severe concentration, for brittle materials
No notch: measures overall resilience, for ductile polymers
The choice depends on the applicable standard and the type of material being tested.
