Bollard Grips for Tensile Testing

Products > Tensile Grips > Bollard Grips

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Bollard Grips are used on a Universal Testing Machine to perform tensile tests on filament material such as string, thread, wire and yarn.  The specimen is wrapped around a bollard or post and then secured with a vise grip mechanism.  The term bollard comes from the maritime industry and is used to describe a thick, short post on a ship deck or dock which is used to wrap a rope around to anchor the vessel.

There are a few different types of bollard fixtures available depending on the strength of the material and the diameter of the bollard. A larger diameter helps to reduce uneven stress on the sample and premature test breaks. Most users will know which design they prefer, however suggestions can be made based on the type of material to be tested. Simple yarns and filaments can be tested with the simpler, small diameter bollard grips. Higher tensile strength samples such as thin wires and performance textile threads are tested with the larger diameter. Pneumatic versions of the bollard grips are also available which help to speed up set-up time and make the testing more uniform.  

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Another advantage of the bollard grip is that is uses less sample material than our lower cost Rope Grips. 

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Bollard Grip Counter-Weight

Bollard grips are sold in pairs and one of the grips is slightly different than the other. The top grip which attaches to the end of the load cell has a counter-weight for balance. The balanced grip hangs perfectly off of the load cell and ensures good measurement data. 

100 lb. Pneumatic Bollard Grip- 200 N

This small pneumatic fixture is great for low tensile strength samples such as yarn. 

500 lb. Pneumatic Bollard Grip- 2.5 kN

The pneumatic bollard grip is one of the most popular grips for testing thin, cylindrical materials. This fixture is perfect for testing fishing line.

1K lb. Bollard Grip - 5kN

The 1K Bollard Grip has a wide diameter and is mechanical. A vise grip is used to tighten the sample down. This grip is great for testing wire and high tensile strength filaments. 

1K lb. Pneumatic Bollard Grip - 5kN

The 5kN Pneumatic Bollard Grip is a nice option for high throughput testing environments. These grips can take a minimum length of about 250mm.

For testing cords and other cylindrical specimens over 5kN and higher, please visit our Rope Grips page.