Leartiker: Characterization of Long-Term Properties of Polymer Materials with the Kappa Multistation
Case Study
- Customer: Leartiker
- Location: Markina-Xemein, Spain
- Industry: Research Institute & Academia
- Topic: Research into the long-term material properties of polymer materials under different environmental conditions.
January 2025
Leartiker addresses today's sustainability requirements and the associated comprehensive knowledge of the long-term behavior of polymer materials. The Kappa Multistation from ZwickRoell is the right solution to handle these challenges.
Leartiker
Leartiker is a technology center located in Markina-Xemein (Basque Country) that specializes in polymer technology. The center’s mission is to create added value for the business sector through its R&D activities and the appropriate transfer of its results. It is part of the Basque Network for Science, Technology and Innovation (RVCTI) (as a multi-focus technology center) and the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA). In addition, Leartiker is a non-profit cooperative within the MONDRAGON Corporation, which is the leading Basque business group and the largest cooperative in the world.
The Leartiker project is based on a cooperation model that transforms knowledge into added value, facilitates diversification processes and creates new jobs, mainly at the local level.
The task
Wanted:
Today's sustainability requirements demand increasingly comprehensive knowledge of the long-term behavior of polymer materials, especially materials used for applications with structural requirements in the transportation (automotive, railroad, aerospace), electrical appliances, electronics and leisure sectors.
In order to examine the response of a material to the effects of long load application times, temperatures or humidity, real application conditions are usually simulated using advanced testing systems in which the evolution and degradation of thermomechanical properties are analyzed. One possible approach is to perform standardized tests, another is to develop new accelerated methods to speed up the process without losing the ability to predict the lifespan of materials and manufactured products. Leartiker explores both approaches.
The ZwickRoell solution
Found: Kappa Multistation for diverse testing applications
The Kappa Multistation is a compact and flexible electromechanical creep testing machine with five individually controlled load axes. This cost and space efficient testing system is ideal for a wide spectrum of specimen materials, and is considered the specialist for creep tests on plastics and composites. The Kappa Multistation meets the ISO (ISO 899) and ASTM (D2990) standards for creep and stress relaxation tests, which ensures that the results are recognized worldwide and applicable across all industries. This flexible testing system is ideal because it enables a wide range of applications at ambient temperature, low and high temperatures (temperature ranges from -60 °C to +180 °C), and with precisely controlled humidity (between 20% and 90% relative humidity). Strain is measured on the five specimens using the non-contact videoXtens, which are attached to each of the axes without influencing the specimens. Using ZwickRoell’s solution, Leartiker is taking on a pioneering role in the characterization of long-term effects on polymer materials. The advanced capabilities allow both standardized and innovative test methods to be carried out with unsurpassed precision and efficiency.
The result
Achieved:
Investing in the Kappa Multistation from ZwickRoell will enable the technology center to improve and expand its test methods. The stated primary objectives are to reduce the time required to run tests and to be able to predict the behavior of materials even more accurately. In recent years, Leartiker has developed various test methods in order to achieve a more precise characterization of the behavior of polymer materials. These include not only standardized long-term tests (creep and stress relaxation tests) but also accelerated test procedures, which can be shortened by five individually adjustable load axes and the precise environmental control of the Kappa Multistation without compromising the accuracy of the predictions.
Collaboration with component manufacturers and material suppliers has led to the development of customized procedures for specific applications (e.g.: testing automotive components for sustained mechanical stress in combination with temperature changes and high humidity). The solution from ZwickRoell will make a significant contribution to accelerated development cycles, improved forecasting models, better collaboration with industry and more efficient, data-supported material selection in the future. Leartiker’s expertise, combined with ZwickRoell’s Kappa Multistation, positions them as leaders in polymer characterization. As a result, Leartiker supports the industrial sector in the development of materials and products that meet the highest requirements in performance and reliability.
“The acquisition of the Kappa Multistation from ZwickRoell has changed Leartiker's approach to long-term testing of polymers. By combining technical precision with innovative methods, we meet the requirements of modern applications and at the same time support sustainability goals.”
Aitor Arriaga, Researcher, Leartiker
ZwickRoell testing machine at Leartiker
