Reviewed by Anurag Mishra (Sr. Technical Consultant)
Compression testing is a significant mechanical test that examines how a material behaves when it's crushed or compressed. It is a critical test for quality control in manufacturing and construction since it assists in verifying the strength of the material and when it will break or undergo shape change.
One major problem in all of these areas is employing materials that are not capable of withstanding the weight, which might make things difficult later. The compression test comes in handy by indicating whether a material can tolerate the pressure it will experience. Concrete, metals, and ceramics must be ensured they be safe and meet the required standards.
A compression test is a mechanical test used to determine how a material behaves when subjected to a compressive force—that is, when it is being squished or pressed together. This test measures key properties such as compressive strength, yield point, and deformation characteristics. These factors help assess how well a material can withstand loads that reduce its size or volume.
Compression tests evaluate a material’s ability to resist being compressed under load. They provide important information such as the elastic limit, which is the point where the material no longer returns to its original shape after the force is removed; the yield point, where it begins to deform permanently; and the compressive strength, which is the maximum force the material can withstand before failure.
Compression tests are essential in testing how low-ductile or brittle materials perform when under pressure. Compression tests assist in determining things such as the modulus of elasticity, the proportional limit, and the strength you obtain once these materials begin to yield or break. The following are the primary uses:
Material Choice – Helps engineers select appropriate materials for particular work.
Safety Testing – Ensures parts can support the weight without failing.
Research and Development – Helps develop stronger and more reliable materials.
Conformance Testing – Ensures products comply with required regulations or industry standards.
The compression test is based on the principle of axial compressive force applied to test samples and the measurement of their response to the load. It follows some simple rules regarding stress and strain, such as Hooke's Law, which states that the amount that a material is deformed is proportional to the amount of applied load.
In a compression test, compressive strength may be calculated by the formula.
F = P/A
Here, F represents compressive strength in megapascals (MPa)
P is the highest load in Newtons (N) that the material will withstand before failure
A is the cross-sectional area in square millimeters (mm²), which is subjected to the load.
Compression tests test the ability of a material to withstand squeezing. There are various kinds of tests depending on what type of material, how it's applied, and what you want to learn about it. The following are some of the usual types of Compression tests:
These tests examine how materials such as metals, plastics, concrete, and ceramics respond to pressure. A sample is compressed with increasing intensity until it deforms or cracks.
Purpose: To observe how a material responds when weight is put on it, which assists in selecting appropriate materials for construction or mechanical purposes.
Typical Materials Tested:
Concrete (to test strength)
Metals (to measure yield strength and flexibility)
Plastics and composites (to observe how they deform)
This test determines the amount of weight a product or container can support from the top before flexing or collapsing.
Purpose: In the packaging industry, it's important to ensure that items such as cans and bottles can be stacked and shipped without shattering.
Typical Materials Tested:
Plastic bottles
Aluminum cans
Jars and boxes
The Edge Crush Tester is used to perform this type of test to measure the strength of corrugated cardboard by compressing its edge until it buckles.
Purpose: It is used to forecast how a box will nest, which is useful for packaging.
Typical Materials Tested:
Cardboard shipping and packaging
Carton quality inspections
Squishing a spring and taking a measurement of the force it emits as it squishes is what this is. The spring is positioned between two test plates.
Purpose: To determine the stiffness of the spring, load-bearing capacity, and functionality under various conditions.
Typical Materials Tested:
Suspension systems in cars
Electronics
Industrial equipment
The compression test identifies how material behaves when subjected to crushing loads by subjecting it to axial loading until failure or deformation. The following are the steps explained for the working of a compression test procedure:
Pick a test specimen that meets the right size and surface finish based on standards like ASTM or ISO.
Make sure it’s clean, has no defects, and is shaped correctly, usually either cylindrical or cubical.
Turn on the compression testing machine. If needed, calibrate it.
Install the right platens or fixtures for the test and set your test parameters.
Position the specimen in the middle of the lower platen to ensure that the load is uniformly distributed.
Position it correctly to prevent any unequal loading.
Begin the test by applying pressure slowly at a constant rate.
The machine will press down using the upper platen on the specimen.
Monitor the load applied and any deformation in the shape of the specimen (strain).
Look for any failure or crack signs.
Continue to load until the specimen fails (such as fracturing or buckling) or reaches a set deformation limit.
Automatically or manually stop the test.
Obtain the maximum load at failure and determine compressive stress using the formula σ = P/A.
If you recorded strain data, plot the stress-strain curves.
Also, determine important numbers such as compressive strength and modulus of elasticity.
Record the test conditions, specimen information, maximum load, deformation, and observations.
Compare your results with the material specification or standard.
In the medical industry, compression tests are used to evaluate the strength and durability of materials such as implants, prosthetics, syringes, and packaging. These tests ensure that medical components can withstand the forces they encounter during use, helping to maintain safety, reliability, and performance in critical healthcare applications.
Compression tests assist in determining how reliable and resilient the materials that are used in medical devices are. This is crucial because devices must withstand stress when they are being used or stored.
These tests also determine how efficiently medical devices such as syringes and inhalers function. They make sure that the devices dispense medicine properly and are safe for patients to use.
Testing is crucial for packaging materials that keep medical devices safe during transport. It makes sure that the packaging can handle bumps and drops, so nothing gets damaged.
Compression tests help evaluate how well implants, like stents or joint replacements, will hold up over time. They can show if there are any issues with the materials or design, helping to ensure the implants can withstand body stresses.
Medical compression tests are conducted based on guidelines to ensure everything is accurate and uniform. The guidelines address how one should conduct tests, interpret results, and ensure that data is reliable.
Compression testing is a crucial technique for monitoring the behavior of products and materials under pressure. It offers crucial information on strength and durability, which is crucial for construction, packaging, and healthcare industries. There are different tests for different needs, making sure that products are safe and reliable.
Manufacturers and engineers can choose the right materials and design better products if they know the basics and follow standard procedures. In short, compression testing ensures that materials and products are safe and reliable in industries.
+91 9313 140 140 
info@testronixinstruments.com
