What Is an Impact Tester Used For?

An impact tester is a precision machine used to simulate mechanical shock, collision, or drop that a material or product may experience during transportation, use, or accidental mishandling. This device measures the toughness, strength, and durability of test specimens under controlled conditions. It helps manufacturers understand failure modes, ensure compliance with international safety standards, and improve product design.

Impact testing is essential in a wide range of industries, including electrical appliances, plugs and sockets, plastic products, flexible packaging, and electronic enclosures. At ZHILITONG (ZLT), a company with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing safety testing equipment, impact testers are a core part of our product portfolio. ZLT offers a complete range of testing machines, including pendulum impact testers, incline impact testers, and dart impact testers, designed for different testing scenarios and material types.

Our equipment is engineered for high accuracy, stability, and standard compliance (IEC, UL, ASTM, EN, GB), serving global customers in safety testing labs, manufacturing facilities, and R&D departments.

Introduction About Dart Impact Tester

One of the most commonly used machines in flexible packaging and plastic industries is the dart impact tester. It is designed to determine the impact resistance or puncture strength of plastic films and sheets under standardized free-falling dart conditions.

The dart impact tester evaluates how much energy the film can absorb before rupturing when hit by a falling object (dart) from a certain height. The method is critical for assessing packaging integrity, especially in food packaging, medical packaging, plastic bags, and protective films. For any business manufacturing plastic films, measuring impact resistance is a direct reflection of product reliability and safety.

ZLT's dart impact tester conforms to key global standards like ASTM D1709 and ISO 7765, ensuring accurate test results and wide industry acceptance.

Features of Dart Impact Tester for Plastic Films

When customers search for “best impact tester for plastic packaging” or “how to test plastic film impact strength,” they are often looking for key performance features. ZHILITONG’s dart impact tester integrates advanced design, user-friendly controls, and high-precision data analysis. Some of the standout features include:

• Multiple dart weight configuration options

• Precise drop height adjustment and auto-reset

• Pneumatic clamping for test specimen fixation

• LCD or touch-screen control for real-time display

• Impact energy calculation in g·cm or N·m

• Test mode selection (pass/fail or drop count)

• High-stability base frame and safety guard

• Calibration mode for long-term accuracy

These features are essential for film manufacturers who must ensure their products survive mechanical stress in logistics or consumer handling.

Technical Specifications of Dart Impact Tester

To meet growing technical requirements in flexible packaging QA, ZLT's dart impact testers are built with strict attention to mechanical and digital accuracy. Below is a standard configuration reference:

These specifications are ideal for high-throughput production lines and laboratory settings requiring ISO-compliant reporting.

Applications of Impact Tester Machines in Real Industries

As a professional manufacturer specializing in electrical safety testing equipment, ZHILITONG provides impact testers not only for plastics and packaging but also for a range of electrical and mechanical components.

1. Appliance Impact Resistance Testing

Household appliances such as air fryers, induction cookers, and blenders must meet strict safety standards related to casing durability and internal protection. ZLT’s pendulum impact tester is designed to simulate knocks, drops, and blunt-force impacts, helping appliance brands certify product safety under IEC 60335 and UL 749 standards.

Pendulum impact testing assesses plastic housing integrity, panel strength, and resistance to external force during daily use. These tests are vital to avoid electrical hazards due to casing failure.

2. Plug and Socket Mechanical Testing

ZHILITONG offers a dedicated impact tester machine for power plugs, socket outlets, and power strips. These products are subject to mechanical abuse in homes, factories, and outdoor environments. Standards like IEC 60884-1 require mechanical impact resistance validation to prevent cracking or insulation failure.

ZLT’s plug and socket impact testers feature adjustable drop heights, customized impact heads, and repeatable test settings to simulate real-world force scenarios. They help manufacturers meet certification requirements while reducing failure rates in end-user environments.

3. Transportation Packaging Impact Testing

Incline impact testing replicates horizontal collision forces, often experienced during shipping and handling. Using an incline impact tester, a package or appliance is placed on a moving sled and allowed to hit a fixed obstacle at a controlled speed and angle.

This method is crucial for large, heavy, or fragile products like TVs, refrigerators, and industrial control panels. ZHILITONG’s incline testers come with adjustable impact energy, slope angles, and stopper positions to evaluate packaging performance and product shock resistance.

This type of test is essential for complying with ASTM D5277 and ISO 2244.

How Impact Tester Calibration Ensures Accuracy

As testing becomes more data-driven, accuracy and repeatability are top priorities. Routine impact tester calibration ensures your equipment performs within required tolerances. ZLT supports customers with ISO 17025-traceable calibration and provides detailed user manuals for internal verification.

Calibration processes include:

• Checking pendulum swing amplitude

• Dart drop velocity confirmation

• Load cell and sensor validation

• Dart and fixture alignment inspection

• Friction compensation and hardware diagnostics

Without proper calibration, even the most advanced impact tester machine may deliver false results, risking product failure or certification rejection.

Why Choose ZHILITONG for Impact Testing Solutions

ZHILITONG was established in 1999 with a clear mission: to deliver reliable, precise, and standard-compliant testing solutions to the global manufacturing sector. Today, ZLT’s electrical safety testing equipment serves clients in over 20 countries, with more than 1,000 units produced annually.

Here are the top reasons professionals choose ZLT’s impact testers:

• 25+ years of exclusive focus on safety testing equipment

• In-house R&D for constant innovation and upgrades

• 16+ patented designs in mechanical testing

• OEM and customized design options

• Equipment supplied with CE certification and optional CNAS calibration

• Strong partnerships with companies like HUAWEI, GALANZ, TUV, and SGS

ZHILITONG impact testers are not off-the-shelf machines; they are precision-built instruments tailored for industries that demand consistent results and long-term reliability.

FAQs

A1: What is an impact tester used for?
Q1: An impact tester is used to simulate physical forces like drops, strikes, or collisions on a product or material. It helps determine durability, toughness, and structural integrity, ensuring compliance with safety standards.

A2: What’s the difference between dart, pendulum, and incline impact testers?
Q2: Dart testers measure puncture resistance of thin films, pendulum testers assess fracture toughness in plastics and metals, and incline testers evaluate packaging against transport-related horizontal shocks.

A3: Do all impact tester machines need calibration?
Q3: Yes, regular impact tester calibration is necessary to ensure accuracy. It helps maintain measurement integrity, avoid false test passes, and ensures results are recognized by regulatory bodies.

A4: Can one impact tester machine be used for multiple product types?
Q4: Yes, ZHILITONG offers modular designs that support multiple testing configurations. Some machines are built for specific purposes (e.g., dart testing), while others can switch between different test types.

A5: What standards can ZHILITONG impact testers comply with?
Q5: ZLT testers support a wide range of international standards including IEC, UL, ASTM, EN, GB, and ISO. They can be delivered with CE markings and optional CNAS-calibrated certificates.

Whether you're producing household appliances, consumer electronics, industrial controls, or packaging films, mechanical impact testing is a non-negotiable part of your quality process. Choosing a precise, reliable, and standards-compliant impact tester is vital for ensuring your products not only survive real-world usage but also pass regulatory inspections globally.

ZHILITONG offers a comprehensive lineup of impact testing equipment, from dart impact testers for plastic films to pendulum and incline impact testers for plugs, sockets, and large appliances. With global service support, custom solutions, and over two decades of industry leadership, ZLT is the partner of choice for smart and secure product testing.

Investing in the right impact tester machine today protects your reputation, reduces return rates, and future-proofs your product line for global markets.