Universal Testing Machines Buying Guide

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Choosing the right universal testing machine (UTM) is critical to ensuring accurate, repeatable, and standards-compliant results. Regardless of the test you’re performing, the system you select must match your materials, force requirements, and application goals. This buying guide will walk you through the key factors to consider so you can confidently select the right solution for your lab or production environment.

When you work with ADMET, you work with sales professionals from engineering backgrounds that will help you find a solution to your testing needs.

Core Factors to Consider Before Buying

A universal testing machine applies a controlled force to a material specimen and precisely measures how that material responds.

The type of material you’re testing directly impacts machine configuration. Specimen geometry, thickness, and expected strength determine the required grips, load cell, and frame size.

Key considerations:

  • Material type (metals, plastics, composites, elastomers, biomedical)
  • Specimen size and geometry
  • Expected strength range
  • Required grips or fixtures
  • Expected strain or displacement during testing

ADMET machines come with features designed to simplify testing for a wide range of material types.

See Applications by Material

To inquire about a specific material testing application, please contact us.

The tests you need to run will directly determine the control system, fixtures, and performance capabilities required in your machine.

Examples include:

  • Tensile testing
  • Compression testing
  • Flexural / bend testing
  • Shear, peel, tear
  • Cyclic or fatigue testing

In addition to our universal testing machines, we also offer machines capable of torsion, axial-torsion, planar biaxial, and fatigue testing.

See Applications by Test Type

Testing standards play an important role when selecting testing equipment as most standards include recommended or required machine specifications and fixturing. Standards may also specify preloads, speeds, and the distance between grips.

Key considerations:

  • Recognized standards support (ASTM, ISO, EN)
  • Compliant reporting documentation

All ADMET systems feature servo controlled constant-rate-of-extension travel and meet or exceed ASTM E4, the standard practice for force verification of testing machines that is required in order to perform many ASTM and ISO specifications.

In addition, ADMET’s constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) and constant rate of loading (CRL) machines meet or exceed ASTM D76, and our software comes preloaded with several common testing methods for your convenience.

See Applications by Testing Standard

Selecting the proper force capacity is essential to ensure both accuracy and long-term flexibility.

Key considerations:

  • Maximum expected test load
  • Properly matched load cell capacity for optimal resolution
  • Allowance for future testing requirements

Note: Our product lines are divided by capacity – our ADMET Sales Engineers will ask the maximum force required for your testing before recommending a specific solution.

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Grips, Fixtures, and Strain Measurement Options

ADMET systems are designed to be paired with a wide range of grips, fixtures, and strain measurement devices to ensure accurate, repeatable results.

Choosing the Right Grips & Fixtures

The correct gripping solution ensures force is applied consistently without slippage or premature specimen failure.

When evaluating your system configuration, consider:

  • What material are you testing?
  • How will forces be applied?
  • What is the specimen shape and thickness?
  • What is the maximum force that will be applied?

ADMET offers a full range of gripping solutions, including:

  • Wedge grips
  • Pneumatic grips
  • Compression platens for crush and compression testing
  • Flexural fixtures for bend testing
  • Application-specific and custom-engineered fixtures – If your application is unique, custom fixturing can be designed to ensure reliable, repeatable results.
ADMET Grips & Fixtures

Extensometers

When tests require precise strain measurement, advanced control, or detailed reporting, selecting the right extensometer and controller becomes an important part of configuring your testing system. ADMET systems can be equipped with a range of strain measurement devices and control options to match the complexity of your testing requirements—from simple load monitoring to fully automated test methods and dynamic fatigue testing.

Extensometers are typically recommended when

  • Determining modulus, yield strength, or elongation
  • Performing ASTM or ISO tensile testing methods
  • High strain accuracy and repeatability are required

ADMET testing systems support a range of extensometer options that allow customers to meet the accuracy requirements of standards-based testing while capturing precise strain data across a wide variety of materials, including metals, plastics, composites, and elastomers.

ADMET Extensometers

Testing Software

The software used to control your testing system plays a critical role in how tests are executed, how data is captured, and how results are reported. For laboratories that require advanced testing capabilities, ADMET offers MTESTQuattro, a powerful PC-based testing platform.

MTESTQuattro supports a wide range of mechanical tests—including tensile, compression, flexural, creep, fatigue, peel, and shear—while allowing users to create customizable test methods tailored to their specific applications. The software also enables automated test execution and generates detailed reports for analysis and documentation.

For labs performing standards-driven or high-volume testing, MTESTQuattro provides the control, flexibility, and reporting tools needed to manage complex materials testing programs efficiently.

MTESTQuattro

By: Hazel Salazar | Published on: March 10, 2026 | Last Updated: June 16, 2026

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