Scissor Grips are a type of self-tightening fixture used for tensile testing. These grips are ideal for wider/thicker samples of bone, elastomers, foam, plastics, or wood. The Scissor Grip uses a spring to create tension and drive the jaw clamps together. This tensile grip is often chosen because it can open much wider than self-tightening roller grips or wedge grips.
The spring tension force is highest when the grip is wide open and smallest when the grip is almost closed.
As the test progresses, the grip maintains a positive lateral force on the sample which prevents slippage. Scissor fixtures work best for samples that are somewhat soft and have a good degree of thickness, usually above 10mm or 1/2 of an inch. If the specimen has a tendency to thin out and slip from a vise grip, then scissor grips are a great solution.
Other grips that provide positive lateral tension for wider samples include the Pneumatic Grips.
450 lb. Scissor Grips - 2 kN
The 2kN Scissor grips use spring tension to increase the clamping force. The lateral force increases as a function of the opening span. This fixture's opening goes from 0-28mm.
1K lb. Scissor Grips - 5kN
1,000 lbs. or 5kN. 0-19mm opening (sample thickness). 50mm width. These types of self tightening scissor grips are often used in conjunction with a benchtop universal testing machine for rubber and elastomer testing.
4.5K lb. Scissor Grips - 20kN
20kN Scissor grips have a few options, specifically around the grip face. This scissor fixture is pictured with a wave grip face, but others including blank, serrated, or V jaws for round samples are available as well.
11K lb. Scissor Grips - 50kN
The 50kN Scissor Grips are commonly used for wood and construction material testing applications.
Heavy Capacity Scissor Grips
Once tensile tests go over 50kN a high capacity grip is necessary. These grips are similar to wedge grips, however they can accommodate much thicker samples. Scissor grips are designed for softer materials like wood and are not ideal for testing harder materials such as metals and composites.