Start from the property you need to measure, and the machine follows from that. As a quick guide:

• For hardness of a finished part or an incoming batch, use a hardness tester.
• For strength, yield, elongation or modulus, use a universal testing machine.
• For toughness or brittle behaviour, often at temperature, use a pendulum impact tester.
• For samples that must be cut, mounted and polished before analysis, use metallography preparation.
• For standard tensile or Charpy blanks machined to tolerance, use specimen preparation.

After that it comes down to two things: the capacity you need (force range and specimen size) and the standard you test to. Our engineers size the system with you, so you don’t pay for headroom you’ll never use, or hit a ceiling a year later.