Overview
Puncture fixtures use a sharp or dull piercing implement such as a plunger or ball to burst through a sample specimen. Most samples are made of a flexible material such as a fabric, however many types of materials can be used such as packaging plastic or sheet metals. There are a few key characteristics that all puncture fixtures possess. The first is the hole opening, and different ASTM specs such as F1306 or D4822 will require different diameters. The second piece is the puncture implement, also known as a plunger, needle, or ball like in ASTM D3787. Most puncture fixtures use the standard 5/8" adapter, however larger and more robust puncture jigs can be machined to order.
Anti-Slip Ring
Certain materials such as plastic films have a tendency to slip in puncture fixtures which are not designed well. Universal Grip offers puncture fixtures with an anti-slip ring which is machined with 5 concentric ridges. These ridges interlock with the base in a wave pattern which helps to create a better grip on the sample. The ridges or grooves also help to create a uniform hold on the sample which prevents any non-uniform stress on the specimen.
Puncture Plungers
Different shaped puncture plungers are used depending on which test is being run. The two most important characteristics of any puncture testing jig are the diameter of the puncture tip, and the diameter of the puncture hole. It's important to keep the elongation of the material in mind. There must be enough travel for the plunger to successfully perforate and rupture the sample. The video at the top of the page shows a specially designed puncture test fixture for high elongation samples with over 4 inches of travel.
Puncture Fixture - Custom
Puncture fixtures can come in all shapes and sizes. If you are trying to test a new material, or you have a specific plunger/hole opening combination in mind, we can build it for you.
ASTM F1306 Puncture Fixture
This type of puncture fixture is for plastic barrier films that are commonly used as packaging materials. For a complete overview of ASTM F1306, please visit our ASTM Page.
ASTM F1342 Puncture Fixture
ASTM F1342 governs a test for measuring the puncture resistance of needle on protective clothing. This procedure is used to test protective gloves and suits which are utilized to handle hypodermic needles.
ASTM E643 Puncture Fixture
This fixture is used to puncture a piece of sheet metal with a ball. The ball can either be of the Erichsen or Olsen variety. For more information on ASTM E632, please visit our ASTM Page.
ASTM F2878 Puncture Fixture
The hypodermic needle puncture fixture is used to test protective clothing. For a full summary of ASTM F2878, please visit our ASTM library.
ASTM D3787 Puncture Fixture
This fixture tests the ball burst resistance of textiles. A summarized description of ASTM D3787 is available in our library.
ASTM D4032 Puncture Fixture
The stiffness of fabric can be calculated using a circular bend procedure. The fixture for the ASTM D4032 test works in a very similar fashion to a puncture jig.
ASTM D4833 Puncture Fixture
This puncture fixture tests the puncture resistance of geomembranes which are commonly used to hold back rocks and dirt. For a full overview on ASTM D4833, please see our ASTM page.
ASTM D5748 Puncture Fixture
This puncture jig tests the protrusion resistance of plastic stretch wrap film that is commonly used when shipping packages. For more information on ASTM D5748, please visit our library.
ASTM D6241 Puncture Fixture
The puncture resistance of geotextiles is tested with the ASTM D6241 puncture fixture.
ASTM D6797 Puncture Fixture
The ASTM D6797 Puncture Fixture is very similar to the one for D3787, in fact, it is exactly the same. This test is used for testing the burst strength of textile specimens.
ASTM D732 Shear Punch Tool
ASTM D732 describes the testing of a plastic sheet by means of a shear punch tool. The full test is described in our ASTM overview.