Tensile test on footwear materials

Case study

Footwear tensile tests with wedge grip and sequin fixtures in situ

MultiTest and tensile testing fixtures suitable for footwear safety checks

Solution

Software-controlled tensile test stand
Clamping fixtures and grasping accessories

Benefits

Approved product quality testing to internal specification
Simple and reliable procedures for multiple tests and checks
Confidence in meeting international safety standards

We use the MultiTest-x regularly, approximately 40 hours every week. It continues to be reliable and saves us money by enabling us to tests in-house. Mecmesin were able to offer advice regarding fixtures and designed an ideal solution for our testing needs, which remained competitively priced.

Tony Freeman, Director
William Lamb Footwear

Requirement

William Lamb Footwear is one of the UK's leading footwear distributors. A test system was required to measure and ensure that the footwear and its components passed quality standards set out by their end-customers. This meant the system would be performing a number of different tests using both SATRA and BS test methods. These included pull tests on shoe straps and flip-flop toe posts, as well as measuring the pull-off forces for sequins and other embellishments.

Solution

Mecmesin supplied a MultiTest 1-x, 1000 N loadcell and a number of textile testing fixtures, including a specially designed sandal test fixture. This fixture holds samples securely in place, whilst a tension test is performed on straps and fixings to the required standards.

The MultiTest 1-x system enables William Lamb Footwear to pre-program different test routines and store them for use as and when needed. One such program involved holding a tensioned attachment on a child's shoe for 90 seconds in order to guarantee it complied with BS EN 71 Part 1 for Child Safety.