Scientist and manufacturers use steel impact testing to study the toughness of the material, which is an important factor to estimate the amount of energy it can absorb during deformation. Brittle materials have low toughness and so can withstand only low pressure. In a few cases, temperature plays a huge role in the impact numbers; strength could vary as per change in the temperature.

In a few tests, the size also plays a crucial role, mainly because the chances of imperfections could increase with size. This would lower the energy, even if the product is from the same containment of steel supply in Melbourne.

This form of testing can be classified into

• Charpy
• Izod
• Instrumented

The Charpy form of test is conducted on machines that lie in the range of 1 foot-pound to 300 foot-pounds, at a temperature from negative 320 degrees Fahrenheit to positive 2000 degree Fahrenheit. The specimen types for this test are V-notch, U-notch, Key-hole –notch, Un-notched.

IZOD testing is mainly targeted to determine the impact of resistance. A pivoted arm is raised to a specific height and then released. The arm hits the notched sample with force, thus breaking it. The energy absorbed by the material is calculated from the height of the arm to after hitting the sample. This helps in determining the impact of energy and notch sensitivity.

Generally, everyday materials often experience conditions that enable them to absorb energy from falling objects, blows, collisions, drops etc. Instrumented testing involves the simulation of such situations to know how the material would react. It could be in the form of penetration, energy absorption and other specific geometries

As mentioned earlier, the main purpose of this test is the amount of energy that the material can absorb during the collision. It could be used for determining the toughness, impact strength or fracture resistance. These values play a crucial role in determining if the material can be used for the manufacturing of certain products.

Nearly almost all material undergo this test, most common ones are metals, plastic, wood, ceramics, polymers. These materials are in the form of sheets of varying thickness or short rods, depending on the test type.