Why test?  There has always been, and there will always be, a need to test products and materials to prevent disasters. Critical physical parameters must be measured to quantify performance and strength ensuring our safety and the safety of our environment. 

As examples of what could happen without sufficient testing:

The Titanic ship, considered indestructible by its designers and engineers, sank on its maiden voyage, as we all know. The cause has been attributed to the mild steel used in the rivets that held the steel hull plates together – the cold temperature made them brittle and caused the ‘unzipping’ of the hull plates when it hit the iceberg – 1,523 people died as a result.

On July 17 1981 during a dance contests the Hyatt Regency Skywalk in Kansas City, collapsed at its base under the weight of pedestrians killing 114 people and injuring 200 others.

In April 1988, an Aloha Airlines flight 243, scheduled Boeing 737 plane was ripped apart in mid-flight. A flight attendant was sucked out of the plane and ‘fortunately’ was the only casualty. The cause of the accident was attributed to metal fatigue.

On August 1st, 2007, the eight lane I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis, MN catastrophically failed in the evening rush hour and collapsed into the riverbanks below. Thirteen people were killed and over 100 more were seriously injured. The cause has been attributed to undersized and inadequate steel ‘gusset’ plates used to connect girders together in the truss structure.

These disasters may have all been caused by equipment, design or material failure. It is possible, however, that tragedies such as these can be avoided through the process of physical materials testing. Although natural disasters cannot be stopped, we can try to ensure that all efforts are made to minimize or eliminate any damage caused.

Why turn to Tinius Olsen? 

Since 1880 Tinius Olsen have been pioneers of materials testing machines. Our machines are designed for use in Research and Quality Control to measure and check material’s strength and performance.  Using Tinius Olsen equipment it is possible to perform a wide range of tests on both raw materials and finished components. Tests are implemented by Tinius Olsen in accordance with key international testing standards including ISO, EN, ASTM, IS, and more.

For more information on the importance of testing, feel free to contact us