NG-FWT1 and NG-FWT2 – Drop Weight Impact Testers (up to 2000 J)

It delivers a controlled falling weight impact to a specimen and records how the material absorbs that energy. Drop height, impact speed and energy are all set on the machine, so the same event can be repeated across a test series rather than approximated.

Labs use it to compare impact resistance and damage tolerance between materials, production batches, weldments and finished parts, and to reproduce real events such as drops and collisions under conditions you can document.

The NG-FWT1 and NG-FWT2 cover impact energy up to 2000 J (1475 ft/lb), with the model chosen from the energy the method actually calls for rather than from the maximum available.

The range depends on the model. The NG-FWT 200VP starts at 0.3 J and reaches 294 J (0.22 to 217 ft/lb), while the NG-FWT 2000VP covers 2.5 to 1814 J (1.8 to 1337 ft/lb).

Between those two sit the 400VP, 600VP, 800VP and 1000VP, so the platform can be matched to the energy you actually need instead of buying headroom that never gets used.

Energy comes from the combination of drop weight and fall height, both of which are set through the control system. To match a model to your specimen and energy target, request a quote.

Fall height runs from 25 mm on every model up to 1000 mm on the 200VP and 3700 mm on the 2000VP. Position accuracy is 0.5 mm across the range.

Impact speed follows from the height: 0.7 to 4.42 m/s on the 200VP, and 1 to 8.52 m/s on the 2000VP. The 600VP reaches 6.26 m/s with a 2000 mm drop.

Because positioning is electronically controlled rather than set by hand, the same height is reproduced test after test, which is what keeps an energy series comparable.

Weight sets run from 0.5 kg upward, with the maximum depending on the model: 30 kg on the 200VP, 600VP and 1000VP, 37.5 kg on the 400VP, 50 kg on the 2000VP and 70 kg on the 800VP.

Weight accuracy follows OIML classes. The weights can also be calibrated in line with legal metrology requirements and certified by a laboratory accredited to EN ISO/IEC 17025.

That certification matters when the energy value has to survive an audit, because the reported energy is only as good as the mass behind it. Contact us to arrange weight certification with the order.

The platform covers falling weight and pendulum-style impact methods across plastics, composites and metals. On the plastics side that includes ISO 6603-2, ISO 7765-2 and ASTM D3763.

For metals the list includes ASTM E208, ASTM E23 and ASTM A370, and for composites ASTM D7136 and ISO 18352.

Aerospace programmes are covered through Airbus AITM 1.0010, Boeing BSS 7260 and DIN 65561. Which fixtures a given method needs is worth confirming before the order.

Damage resistance testing on composite laminates is one of the platform's main applications, and the configuration follows the method you work to, most often ASTM D7136 or ISO 18352.

These methods depend on a defined impactor, support fixture and energy level, so the specimen sees the same event every time. The automated positioning system sets that energy without operator judgement.

For laminate work the instrumented option is usually worth having, because the force trace shows where delamination began rather than only what energy went in.

It records the force signal through the impact instead of reporting energy alone. The measuring electronics run at up to 4 MHz, which is fast enough to resolve the initial peak and the way load falls away as damage develops.

The package includes the SPEED measurement unit for acquisition, with the extra channels handled in DROPTest-BASIC. Instrumented mandrels can be identified automatically and operate within the accuracy classes of EN ISO 7500-1 and ASTM E4, with linearization available.

If your method reports peak force or energy to maximum force rather than total absorbed energy, this option is not optional in practice. Contact us to confirm what your standard requires.

Directly at the frame through an LCD touchscreen running DROPTest-S. Fall height, energy, drop weight and impact speed are shown live during the test, so the operator confirms conditions without leaving the machine.

Control sits on a Siemens PLC, with all electronics gathered in a central Rittal enclosure. Parameters are set on screen and the sequence runs from there.

For deeper evaluation the machine pairs with a PC running DROPTest-BASIC, which is where structured workflows, stored results and reporting live.

It turns single tests into a managed dataset. Results go into a searchable database that filters by order, date and your own fields, so a batch from six months ago can be pulled back without hunting through files.

Sample types, naming conventions and test parameters are editable, which means the software follows your internal procedure rather than forcing a new one. Test preparation is guided step by step with visual instructions tied to the method.

Reporting covers PDF output and export to CSV, MySQL or MS SQL. Licensing is unlimited, so it can be installed across several systems without counting seats. To add it to an existing machine, request a quote.

With the optional cooling expansion the machine supports controlled impact testing down to -90 °C. The machine also integrates with temperature chambers and high-temperature furnaces where a method calls for testing above room temperature.

Conditioning time is handled in software: DROPTest includes programmable cooling cycles aligned with EN ISO 148-1 and ASTM E23, so the interval between removal from the bath and impact stays inside the limit.

Temperature data can be transferred from connected chambers and thermometers straight into the record, which keeps the conditioning evidence with the result.

The machine is built around a Simatic S7 safety PLC with electromechanical interlocking, and the safety circuit is TÜV certified with its own control and monitoring path.

Safety performance follows EN ISO 13849-1 and 13849-2, and critical functions are double-fused so a single fault does not remove protection. Guards and access doors are monitored in real time rather than checked only at start-up.

Emergency stop behaviour and controlled access follow EN ISO 13850 at SIL 1. The design also meets the European Machinery Directive requirements for this class of equipment.

The frame takes geometries from flat coupons through formed parts to complete assemblies. What decides the setup is the support fixture and impactor the method specifies, not the frame itself.

Standard fixtures cover the common falling dart and puncture arrangements on plastics and rigid sheet, and the supported plate arrangements used for composites.

Custom supports and procedures can be prepared where a customer method or an industry standard needs something specific. Send the drawing or the method and we will confirm it: contact us.

Footprint is compact for the class: 800 mm wide and 570 mm deep on the 200VP through 1000VP, and 900 by 670 mm on the 2000VP.

Height is the dimension to plan around, because it follows the drop. The 200VP and 400VP stand 2620 mm tall, the 600VP 3650 mm, the 1000VP 4680 mm and the 2000VP 5650 mm.

Machine weight runs from 362 kg on the 200VP to 616 kg on the 2000VP, so floor loading and door clearance are worth checking before delivery is scheduled.

Supply is 230 to 240 V at 50 or 60 Hz with a 16 A fuse. Power rating without accessories is 820 VA on the smaller models, 1000 VA on the 800VP and 1000VP, and 2000 VA on the 2000VP.

Operating temperature is 10 to 35 °C with humidity below 90 percent. Storage tolerates -35 to 55 °C, which matters more than it sounds when a machine crosses a winter shipping route.

Noise stays below 65 dB, low enough for a shared laboratory without a dedicated enclosure. If your supply differs from 230 V, contact us before ordering so the machine ships configured correctly.

The platform integrates into fully automated robotic cells where test sequences run without an operator at the machine, which suits production QA with steady volume.

Automation removes the two places where throughput usually leaks: repositioning between tests and the delay while conditioned specimens wait for a free operator.

Whether it pays back depends on your test count per shift. Request a quote with your volume and we will scope it honestly.

An optional horizontal axis lets impact energy be measured at more than one point on a specimen, rather than only at a single fixed location.

It is used where damage tolerance varies across a part, for example on a panel with ribs or joints, and a single central impact would not represent the component.

An anti-reflection system is available alongside it to keep optical sensing stable where surfaces would otherwise scatter the signal. Send the part drawing and we will confirm the axis travel you need: contact us.

A pendulum swings a hammer through a notched specimen and reports absorbed energy for methods such as ASTM E23 and ISO 179-1. A drop weight tester delivers a vertical impact to a supported specimen or part.

The difference matters when the specimen is not a standard notched bar. Sheet, panels, pipe and finished assemblies are tested by falling weight because a pendulum has nowhere to hold them.

Both have their place, and many labs run both. Our pendulum systems are listed under pendulum impact testing equipment.

Falling weight impact on thermoplastic pipe and fittings follows ASTM D2444, and puncture behaviour on film and sheet follows ISO 7765-2 and ASTM D3763.

Each of these fixes its own impactor geometry, support ring and specimen conditioning, so the fixture set is what changes between them, not the frame.

Tell us which of these you report against and the quote will include the right supports rather than a generic kit.

Repeatability comes from three things being fixed rather than judged: drop height, drop weight and the specimen support. Positioning is electronic with 0.5 mm accuracy, and weights are certified.

The frame contributes as well. It is built for rigidity and resistance to dynamic interference, which limits the vibration that would otherwise blur one test against the next.

What remains under your control is specimen preparation and conditioning, which is why the software ties cooling timing to EN ISO 148-1 and ASTM E23 rather than leaving it to a stopwatch.

Drop weights can be calibrated to legal metrology requirements and certified through a laboratory accredited to EN ISO/IEC 17025, which gives you a traceable energy value rather than a nominal one.

Instrumented mandrels are handled separately: they operate within the accuracy classes of EN ISO 7500-1 and ASTM E4, and linearization is available to tighten measurement quality.

The software also includes a built-in calibration mode, so routine checks between certifications stay inside the same workflow. Weight certification and verification of the instrumented channel can be arranged with a new machine or on one already in service: contact us with the serial number and the accuracy classes your quality system has to show.

Reports are generated as PDF directly from DROPTest, with the test parameters carried through rather than typed in afterwards.

For analysis outside the software, datasets export to CSV, MySQL or MS SQL. That covers both a quick spreadsheet check and a feed into a laboratory information system.

The interface is multi-language, which is worth knowing for organisations running the same procedure across sites in different countries. Reporting requirements vary by standard, so it is worth settling which fields your method demands before the software is configured.

Start from the highest energy your method requires, then check the fall height that energy needs with the weight you intend to use. A 2000 J requirement and a 30 kg weight put you at a tall frame, which is a room decision as much as a machine one.

Then confirm the low end. The 200VP through 800VP start at 0.3 J, while the 1000VP and 2000VP start at 2.5 J, so a lab testing thin film alongside heavy parts may need the smaller frame rather than the largest.

Send the standards you report against and the specimens you handle, and we will name the model: request a quote.

The machine is designed so a trained operator can set and run a test from the touchscreen, but the handover covers fixture changes, weight handling and the software workflow, which is where mistakes actually happen.

Guided test preparation in DROPTest carries part of that load afterwards, with step-by-step visual instructions attached to each method.

For laboratories adding drop weight testing for the first time, it is worth scheduling the session around your own specimens rather than demonstration parts. Send the methods you report against and the handover is built around them: contact us.

Technical support covers the machine, the fixtures and the software, including help matching a new standard to the configuration you already own.

Because DROPTest licensing is unlimited, adding a workstation later does not turn into a licensing conversation, and the database moves with you.

For service, calibration or an added option such as cooling or instrumentation, the fastest route is a quote request with your machine details, or contact us directly.