Mechanical Testing

Mechanical Testing and Failure Analysis.

Tensile, fatigue, environmental, and failure investigation with in-house equipment and access to third-party accredited labs where needed. Ontario-based.

Physical Testing

Mechanical & Physical Tests

Tests performed on polymer, rubber, composite, and metal specimens. Results delivered with full data files, curves, and a written summary. Custom rigs designed when standard fixtures do not fit.

Tensile & Compression Testing

Stress-strain characterization for material qualification, supplier comparison, and product validation. ASTM D638, D695, and related standards.

Tensile strength, yield stress, elongation at break
True stress-strain curve generation
Room and cold temperature conditions
Multi-specimen statistical reporting

Three-Point Bend & Flexural Testing

Flexural strength and modulus for flat specimens, panels, and structural sections. ASTM D790 and equivalent.

Flexural strength and modulus of elasticity
Custom span configurations
Ductile and brittle failure mode characterization

Fatigue & Cyclic Testing

Life cycle testing using a programmed ABB industrial robot cell, applying repeatable multi-axis loading profiles that replicate real use conditions more accurately than single-axis machines.

Programmable multi-axis loading profiles
High-cycle durability programs
Design variant comparison under identical loading
Interim inspection and condition monitoring

Pull, Peel & Tear Testing

Adhesive peel, bond strength, and tear propagation for bonded assemblies and flexible materials. ASTM D1938 trouser tear testing used in documented product improvement work.

Tear propagation per ASTM D1938
Peel adhesion at variable speeds
Pull-out and interface bond strength

Ageing & Environmental Testing

Accelerated ageing and environmental conditioning for long-term performance validation. Protocol designed to applicable ISO, ASTM, and CSA standards.

Thermal cycling across specified ranges
UV exposure and weathering
Salt spray and corrosion resistance
Accelerated ageing protocol design

Drop Weight & Impact Testing

Energy absorption and failure mode characterization under dynamic loading. Custom fixtures designed for non-standard product geometries.

Impact energy and peak force measurement
Failure mode analysis
Custom fixture design where needed

Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis & Root Cause Investigation

Tests performed on polymer, rubber, composite, and metal specimens. Results delivered with full data files, curves, and a written summary. Custom rigs designed when standard fixtures do not fit.

Root Cause Investigation

Structured investigation using physical evidence, test data, and simulation to identify the actual cause of failure, not just the visible symptom. Reports suitable for internal review, regulatory submission, or legal use.

Root cause analysis (RCA) and FMEA
Design improvement recommendations
Written report for internal or external use

FEA for Failure Investigation

Simulation used to reconstruct failure conditions, test hypotheses about root cause, and evaluate design changes before physical prototypes are built.

SolidWorks and ABAQUS simulation
Stress concentration and failure mode correlation
Design modification evaluation

Experience with SEM, TEM, and fractography is available for results interpretation. Specialist access can be sourced and coordinated where these techniques are required, work is not performed in-house.

Material Characterization

Material Characterization & Computational Analysis

Quantitative material behaviour modelling for research, process optimization, and simulation calibration, combining physical test data with computational methods developed through published academic and industrial work.

Constitutive & Flow Stress Modelling

Development of constitutive equations describing material stress-strain behaviour as a function of strain rate, temperature, and deformation history, for use in FEA simulation or process design.

Flow stress and rheological characterization
Hyperbolic-sine and power-law equation fitting
Processing map development

ANN & Data-Driven Modelling

Artificial neural network models trained on experimental data to predict material behaviour across parameter ranges where physical testing would be impractical. Published work on AA7075 demonstrated improved prediction over conventional equations.

ANN model development and training (MATLAB)
Flow stress prediction across strain rate and temperature
Validation against physical test data

Optimization & Custom Subroutines

Genetic algorithm optimization for process parameter selection, and custom VUMAT subroutine development in FORTRAN for material models that go beyond ABAQUS built-in libraries.

Genetic algorithm optimization (MATLAB)
Custom VUMAT subroutines for ABAQUS (FORTRAN)
MATLAB post-processing and FEM output pipelines

Experience with DIC and high-strain-rate deformation testing is available for results interpretation and analysis, available on a case-by-case basis where these methods are required.

In-House Equipment

Available In-House

Universal Testing

Tensile, compression, bend, peel
Room and low-temperature conditions
Custom grip and fixture design

ABB Robot Fatigue Cell

Multi-axis programmable loading
High-cycle durability testing
Custom end-effectors available

Drop Weight Rig

Impact energy and peak force
Failure mode characterization
Custom drop fixture design

Need a third-party accredited lab?

Standards consultation, specimen preparation, lab identification, and results review are available through Lab Support.

TESTING SUPPORT SERVICES

Not Sure Where to Start? We Handle That Too.

Not every client comes with a test plan already written. Some need help figuring out what standard applies, which lab is right, or what condition the product needs to be in before testing begins. That entire process can be supported from the first question to the final verified report.

Have a test to run or a failure to investigate?

Describe the material, the product, and what needs to be answered.

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