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Friday, February 18, 2011

Can You Give me a Letter Certifying that my Test is in Accordance with “ ASTM xxx” or “DIN yyy” ?

Well, no, we can’t do that. But before you gasp in astonishment and start to look around for a manufacturer that can, let’s discuss the reasons why.

A test standard details many things to which a material test must conform. Many of these are under Instron’s full control – for example, the rate of load application of a load frame or the software algorithm code for a particular calculation. But the test must also conform to many things outside of Instron’s control, such as the specimen alignment, the choice of grips and grip jaws, and the set-up of the test control parameters.


When Instron certifies that a test instrument “meets the requirements of ASTM xxx or DIN yyy”, we are confirming that the items under our control have been measured, validated, and verified in accordance with our ISO 9001 certification. We also publish letters of conformance that detail the extensive test processes that we apply to our software products.

The final certification of the actual test and associated test results must come from you. But you can rest assured that the test equipment that you are using, when properly maintained and regularly calibrated, fully meets the requirements of the published standards.

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