Testing the Limits: A Look at Hybond’s Advanced Tensile Testing

There’s been a fantastic upgrade to an essential piece of testing equipment in Hybond’s laboratory:
Our newly installed Tensometer allows us to carry out tensile testing with even greater precision and control.

Following a recent upgrade, the Hybond team got a first-hand look at our Tensometer in action. From capturing the exact moment a bond gives way to analysing the results in detail, this advanced machine allows us to provide manufacturers with highly accurate, data-driven results as we work alongside them to achieve outstanding outcomes in adhesive bonding.

THE TENSOMETER UPGRADE

TENSILE TESTING IN ACTION: FOUR SUBSTRATE DEMOS

DEMO 3 – HIGH-STRENGTH FLEXIBLE MARINE FABRIC

Demo 3 tested a high-strength, flexible marine fabric. The material is confidential, but the plotted graph tells a story. The bonded sample achieved a maximum load of 317 N, with some minor delamination of the material visible at the peak — a fantastic result demonstrating that the bond is stronger than the substrate. This test highlights the precision of the Tensometer in capturing detailed, real-time data and gives insight into how flexible materials behave under tensile stress.

DEMO 4 – COMPOSITE PANEL

Demo 4 involved a composite panel with a semi-rigid substrate bonded to a fully rigid substrate using a 1K foaming PU adhesive.

We captured a fantastic video showing the material breaking rather than the adhesive failing, with the piece ejecting at the end of the test – a fun, dynamic demonstration of the Tensometer in action.

The accompanying graph shows the typical pattern of a natural material breaking: although the fracture is quite uniform, the graph is slightly jagged due to the natural splintering of the wooden substrate. This demo illustrates both the precision of the Tensometer and how different substrate types can affect bond performance results.