MTS Systems Logo Contact Us
  • Industries
    • Automotive
      • Passenger Cars & Light Trucks
      • Driver Assisted & Autonomous Vehicles
      • Electric & New Energy Vehicles
      • Heavy Trucks & Commercial Vehicles
      • Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)
      • Racing & Motorsports
      • Recreational Vehicles
      • Motorcycles
      Automotive

      Automotive

      320 kph

      flat-belt roadway enables precise replication of motorsports cornering maneuvers

      Read the Case Study
    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Textiles
      • Wood
      • Paper Products
      • Universities
      Materials

      Materials

      1500 degree Celsius

      solutions for testing high-temperature alloys, composites, ceramics and polymers

      Read the Article
    • Aerospace
      • Fixed Wing Aircraft
      • Helicopters & Rotary Wing Aircraft
      • UAM (Urban Air Mobility)
      • Delivery Drones
      • Supersonic Aircraft
      • Space Structures
      Aerospace

      Aerospace

      20% increase

      in testing speeds using state-of-the-art cross-coupling compensation technology

      Read the Article
    • Biomedical
      • Orthopedic
      • Medical Devices
      • Dental
      • Hospitals & Universities
      Biomedical

      Biomedical

      1 in 1,000 children

      will need corrective scoliosis surgery

      Read the Case Study
    • Civil Engineering
      • Multi-Hazard Engineering
      • Seismic Engineering
      • Structural Engineering
      Civil Engineering

      Civil Engineering

      1.32 million pound

      force capacity enables the testing of very large specimens all the way to failure

      Read the Case Study
    • Rock Geomechanics
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal Energy
      • Mining
      • Construction
      • Carbon Sequestration
      • Research
      Rock Geomechanics

      Rock & Geomechanics

      3x stronger

      concrete materials make it possible to carry higher loads

      Read the Case Study
    • Energy
      • Wind Energy
      • Oil & Gas
      Energy

      Energy

      56 MNm

      overturning moment capacity enables testing of the largest wind turbine drivetrains

      Read the Article
    • Rail
      • Commuter Trains
      • Freight Trains
      • High-Speed Trains
      Rail

      Rail

      550 kph

      test system enables lab-based studies of high-speed rail operating environments

      Read the Article
  • Applications
    • Materials Applications
    • Test Type
      • Tension
      • Compression
      • Fatigue & Fracture
      • Flexure & Bend
      • Shear, Peel & Tear
      • Torsion
      • Non-Contacting Strain Measurement
      • High Temperature
      • Bi-Axial & Multi-Axial
      • High Rate
      • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test Standard
      • ASTM Test Standards
      • ISO Test Standards
      • EN Test Standards

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Fasteners & Welds
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Wood & Paper Products
      • Additive Manufacturing

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Automotive Applications
      • Full Vehicle
      • Axle & Suspension
      • Steering System
      • Drivetrain
      • Dampers
      • Elastomeric Mounts & Bushings
      • Tires
      • Exhaust System
      • Body Mounted Components
      • Cooling System Components
      • Transportation & Packaging
      • Motorcycle
      • Farm, Construction, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Applications
      • Complete Full-Scale Structures
      • Sub-Assemblies
      • Sub-Systems
      • Flight Control Systems
      • Airframe Components
      • Rotary-Wing Components
      • Gas Turbine Component Fatigue

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Applications
      • Orthopedic
      • Biomechanic
      • Medical Device
      • Biomaterial

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Applications
      • Civil Structures
      • Structural Sub-Assemblies & Components
      • Non-Structural Systems
      • Oil Rig Stay Cables
      • Construction Materials

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Applications
      • Wind Turbine Testing
      • Oil & Gas Pipeline

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock Geomechanics Applications
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal
      • Nuclear Waste Storage

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Applications
      • Rail Car Suspension Components
      • Rail Car Coupler
      • Rail Car Wheels & Rail
      • Rail Car Axles
      • Rail Car Bogies
      • Complete Rail Cars
      • Rail Car Pantographs
      • Railway Track & Road Bed
      • Catenary & Trolley Wire

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Products
    • Automotive Systems
      • Full Vehicle Test Systems
      • Subsystem & Component Test Systems
      • Tire Test Systems
      • Damper Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Modular Components

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials Test Systems
      • Static Materials Test Systems
      • Dynamic Materials Test Systems
      • Extensometers
      • Grips
      • Fixtures & Platens
      • Furnaces, Chambers & Fluid Baths
      • High Temp Subsystems & TMF
      • Load Cells / Force Transducers

      Materials

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Systems
      • Turnkey Control & Data Acquisition
      • Turnkey Hydromechanical Power Distribution
      • Test Article Safety Solutions
      • Series 261 Structural Pressure Test Controller
      • High Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition Systems

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Systems
      • Orthopedic Test Systems
      • Biomechanic Test Systems
      • Medical Device Test Systems
      • Biomaterial Test Systems

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Systems
      • Seismic Simulators & Shake Tables
      • Multi-Axial Subassemblage Structural Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Seismic Isolation Bearing Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • STEX Pro Software

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Static Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Rain Erosion Test System
      • Wind Turbine Bearing & Drivetrain Test Systems
      • Oil & Gas Pipe / Coupling Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock & Geomechanics Systems
      • Rock Mechanics Test Systems
      • Polyaxial Rock Test System

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Systems
      • Air Spring Test System
      • Railway Damper Test System
      • Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) System
      • 4-28 Channel Bogie Frame Test System
      • Bogie Vibration & Characterization System
      • Pantograph Wear & Performance System
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Damper Durability Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test System Components
      • Actuators & Servo-Valves
      • SilentFlo™ Hydraulic Power Units
      • 295 Hydraulic Service Manifolds
      • Stands & Frames
      • Load Bearing Components
      • FlexTest® Controllers
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition
      • SWIFT® Evo Wheel Force Transducers

      Test System Components

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Software & Monitoring
      • RPC® Connect Software
      • TestSuite™ Software
      • AeroPro™ Software
      • STEX™ Pro Software
      • Elastomer Testing Software
      • Damper Testing Software
      • MultiPurpose TestWare® (MPT)
      • First Road Interact Software
      • Multi-Pump Control Manager
      • Equipment Monitoring

      Software & Monitoring

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Services
    • Services
      • Calibrations & Metrology
      • Consulting & Engineering Services
      • Equipment Monitoring
      • Routine Maintenance & Fluid Care
      • Repairs & Remanufacture
      • Relocation Services

      Services & Support

    • Plans
      • Software Support Plans
      • Technical Support Plans
      • Service Plans
      • Extended Warranty

      Services & Support

    • Training

      Training Courses

    • Parts

      Parts

    • Support

      myMTS Portal

  • Company
    • Our Company
      • About MTS
      • Global Presence
      • History

      Our Company

    • Careers

      Careers

    • Sustainability

      Sustainability

    • Suppliers
      • Supplier Home
      • Products & Services

      Suppliers

  • Solution Finder
  • Contact Us
  • R&D Test Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • myMTS Portal
  • Global Sites
  • Search
Home > 29 Tips to Protect Against Dust & Debris When Testing Composites

29 Tips to Protect Against Dust & Debris When Testing Composites

mts composites testing
Preparing a carbon fiber composite specimen for testing.

Keeping dust and debris from damaging your test equipment when testing polymer matrix composites, fiber reinforced plastics and ceramic matrix composites can be challenging. Follow these simple suggestions to help protect valuable testing equipment and achieve better results.

Use Physical Barriers

  1. Wear latex gloves to protect your hands and the specimen.
  2. Shield yourself and the equipment from debris and dust with a Test Area Enclosure or an environmental chamber.
  3. Protect the grips by using a piece of latex rubber sheeting with the appropriate temperature rating to make a barrier between the base of the specimen and the top of the lower grip. The sheeting needs to have a hole that is slightly smaller than the specimen, so that it can be stretched over the specimen and then laid flat across the top of the lower grip.
  4. In an excessively dusty environment, place the standalone controller in an industrial cabinet that includes additional dust protection to prevent contamination.

Start with a Clean Specimen

  1. Make sure the specimen is dust-free before the test.
  2. Remove loose fibers so they do not fall into the grips during loading.

Vacuum Early & Often

  1. Remove fibers and specimen dust after each test with an industrial-rated vacuum cleaner designed for use with these materials.
  2. If possible, the vacuum cleaner should automatically start just before the specimen breaks so that most of the dust and debris can be collected before it compromises the test equipment.
  3. In servohydraulic systems, fibers or dust can enter the low-pressure seal area and cause leaking and damage as well as contaminate the system’s hydraulic fluid supply. Since composite testing debris like carbon fibers, glass fibers and ceramic dust function as abrasives, even smaller particles can be particularly damaging to hydraulic components. The best way to protect against this damage is to regularly use an industrial vacuum cleaner to remove the debris and dust.

Minimize Lubrication

  1. For grips, only use a minimal amount of grease to ensure that the wedges move easily in the grip body during closing and opening of the grips. Excessive use of grease will collect more fibers and specimen dust, instead of protecting the grips.
  2. For electromechanical systems, only lubricate the lead screw and ball screws slightly once a year. Inspect from time to time, and if contamination is noticed, clean the system.

Address Leaking Components Immediately

  1. If a significant leak exists in any of the system components, there is a high chance that fibers, dust or particles will get into the hydraulic fluid supply system, which can cause major problems in all test systems and hydraulic components that are a part of the hydraulic distribution system.
  2. Do not start a fatigue test with a leaking grip! At the first sign that some of the fibers are working into the grip bore or as soon as a noticeable oil leak occurs, the grips should be torn down, cleaned and re-sealed. Ensure that the working area is clean, to prevent contamination during the grip rebuilding. This cleaning is an inconvenience that may delay testing, but it is a preferable alternative to costly repairs.
  3. If the system actuator starts leaking, replace the actuator seals or at least check them for contamination. Using an environmental chamber and keeping the system clean will also help protect the actuator seals and minimize premature actuator wear and damage.

Keep Grips & Accessories Clean

  1. Clean the grips and fixtures with a vacuum cleaner after each test.
  2. At the end of the day, remove the wedges if applicable and carefully clean all components and surfaces of the grips.
  3. For fixtures that have bearings that are not able to move freely, clean and lubricate the bearings according to their type. Stainless steel bearings should be soaked in a strong solvent and vigorously rotated in the solvent until the grease and debris is removed. The bearing must be completely dry after the cleaning before it is lubricated again with white lithium grease. If the bearing still does not move freely after cleaning, it should be replaced.
  4. For environmental chambers, use a vacuum system to clean the dust from the inside of the chamber, and finish by cleaning the surfaces with a soft cloth.
  5. Keep extensometers clean and inspect them regularly for contamination. When not in use, remove them from the test area.

Protect Hydraulic System & Components

  1. If hydraulic hoses need to be disconnected, the environment must be completely dust free to prevent contamination of the hydraulic fluid. Contaminated fluid will damage the entire hydraulic system.
  2. Before removing a servovalve, everything should be cleaned very carefully. Use an appropriate solvent to wipe everything off before disconnecting the valve.
  3. Change oil filters as recommended in the maintenance manual for the hydraulic systems.
  4. If the hydraulic power unit is located in the test lab, and physical barriers are not present, then a hydraulic isolator could be used to minimize the risk of dust entering the oil reservoir through the breather and contaminating the hydraulic fluid.
  5. Check hydraulic fluid cleanliness at least once a year, or when the grips or actuator seals have been exchanged.

Additional Considerations for Servohydraulic Load Frames

  1. Using an actuator bellow will help protect the system. Connect the bellow below the grip and then it can rest on the base of the frame or be kept in place by magnetic forces.
  2. A crosshead-mounted actuator can minimize the risk of contamination, but there are other issues that come in play. For example, the alignment fixture and the load cell need to be mounted to the base. The load cell could be mounted to the moving actuator, but this might require acceleration compensation measures.
  3. Both a base-mounted and crosshead-mounted actuator will drop down when the system’s oil supply is shut off, but the crosshead-mounted actuator could damage the surfaces of the broken specimen, if the broken parts are not removed after the test. A base-mounted actuator is easier to service and as with a crosshead-mounted actuator, it is critical to keep the system and actuator clean.
  4. When testing without a physical barrier, use a standalone hydraulic grip supply which can be placed away from the testing area to help prevent fibers and dust from getting into hydraulic supply system.
  5. The columns need to be cleaned, before the crosshead is moved, to prevent fibers and dust from causing damage when trapped in the hydraulic crosshead clamping system.
Composite Specimen

Learn more about composites testing applications

Composites Testing
Also of Interest:
  • Composites Compression Testing >
  • Florida State University: Raising The Bar >
  • Astm D7028 >
Stay Connected
  • INDUSTRIES
  • Automotive
  • Materials
  • Aerospace
  • Biomedical
  • Civil Engineering
  • Rock Geomechanics
  • Energy
  • Rail
  • SALES & SUPPORT
  • Sales Offices
  • Services
  • Training
  • Parts
  • Customer Portal
  • SUPPLIERS
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Products & Services
  • Expectations
  • Workmanship Standards
  • Packaging & Labeling
  • Routing Guide
  • COMPANY
  • About
  • News
  • Careers
  • Culture
  • Sustainability
  • History
  • SOLUTIONS
  • Applications
  • Test Standards
  • Products
  • RESOURCES
  • Learning Center
  • Solution Finder
  • Quality
  • Product Safety
  • Patents
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT: 952-937-4000
  • Online Request
  • Request A Quote
  • Sales Offices
  • BUSINESSES
  • MTS Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • R&D Test Systems
  • MTS SANS China
    • © MTS Systems. All Rights Reserved
    • 952.937.4000
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Sales Offices
    • Cookie Preferences
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept