TinyUTM® is a compact, compression-frame universal testing machine designed for small specimens of polymers, composites and metals. Featuring a 3 kN load capacity and 100 mm crosshead travel, it delivers reproducible mechanical testing for educational, industrial, and R&D applications.
It delivers ISO-aligned testing at room temperature consistent with ISO 14126/604 (compression); ISO 14125/178/7438 (flexural); scaled and comparative fracture toughness testing using SENB geometries, informed by ISO 13586 and 12135; EN 10371 (small punch) and ISO 527 (tensile, Type 1BA specimen configuration). ISO 7500-1 Class 1 certification in progress ahead of its launch.
Key Features
- Compact and portable: 30 × 30 × 45 cm
- Maximum load: 3 kN
- Crosshead travel: 100 mm
- Dedicated PCB reduces cabling and noise
- Test velocity (crosshead displacement): 0.5–2 mm/min optimized for small-specimen testing
- Integrated software with benchmark database and ISO-aligned parameter library
- Modular M12 tooling system supports compression, flexural/fracture, small punch, tensile tests
- Video extensometry as standard — non-contact 2D marker tracking with calibrated field of view, gauge length verification, and documented uncertainty; calibrated crosshead displacement retained as secondary channel.
- A portable (stand-alone) Leeb tester is included for surface-hardness screening
- A compact thermal enclosure (up to 250 °C) is under development as an optional accessory for high temperature testing
Applications
- Education & teaching labs: ISO-aligned, easy to use, small footprint
- Industrial R&D & quality control: Screening polymers, composites, and metals
- Emerging materials sectors: 3D printing, energy harvesting, biomedical scaffolds, thin films, sustainable polymers, and smart/self-healing materials
TinyUTM is a compact, and flexible instrument engineered to deliver ISO-aligned results in compression, with ISO 7500-1 Class 1 load measurement certification in progress. It is optimized for small specimens and emerging R&D materials and is particularly useful for materials where numerical models are incomplete or strongly microstructure-dependent, such as emerging composites and 3D-printed metals. It is not intended for general consumer or hobbyist use; only qualified users with the proper training should operate this equipment.
Availability
- Launch: Italy and European Union, 11 Jan 2027
Original reference: Portions of the TinyUTM mechanical architecture and metrological chain are based substantially on the open-source FreeLoader universal testing machine developed by John R. Amend, Jr. and Hod Lipson at Cornell University (2011). FreeLoader was released under the BSD Open Source License. TinyUTM has since been substantially upgraded and reimplemented for its present hardware, instrumentation, software, testing workflows, and additional contemporary features.