Compression Testing

Materials behave differently in compression than they do in tension, so it can be important to perform mechanical tests which simulate the conditions the material will experience in actual use.

Compression testing is typically used to test plastics, foam, rock, concrete and asphalt. It is rarely used to test metals.

Compression Testing is also used in product testing to evaluate the behavior of finished products. For example, a hypodermic needle may be pushed into a material to see how easily it penetrates and to assess its sharpness.

DDL provides specialization in container testing for all types of industries. This application of a DDL Material Test System (below) used small compression platens and a low force compression load cell to provide lateral compression capacity of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles.

Watch A Compression Testing Video