Medical Laboratory Testing: Metals
Metals testing measures the strength and ductility of metallic materials by pulling a specimen until it breaks. The test determines yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area under controlled conditions. For medical manufacturers, tensile properties are essential for surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, bone plates, and metallic components to ensure they can withstand physiological loads without failure.
Metallic medical devices must have the right balance of strength and ductility to perform reliably under tension during implantation and daily use. Applus+ Reliable Analysis already maintains accredited tensile testing capabilities for metals, integrated with our hardness, impact, and failure analysis programs.
These evaluations support material qualification and design validation for implants and instruments. Manufacturers use tensile data to select appropriate alloys, verify processing, and document mechanical performance for regulatory submissions. Applus+ Reliable Analysis delivers accurate, reproducible results using equipment already operating daily under our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.
Common Metals Medical Testing Standards
ASTM E8 Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
ASTM E8 determines the tensile properties of metallic materials by pulling a standard specimen at a controlled rate until fracture. The test measures yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area. It is the fundamental standard for evaluating the mechanical behavior of stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt-chrome alloys used in surgical instruments, orthopedic implants, and metallic medical components.
ISO 6892-1 Metallic Materials Method of Test at Room Temperature
ISO 6892-1 specifies the method for tensile testing of metallic materials at room temperature, including specimen preparation, test speed, and calculation of strength and ductility properties. The standard ensures consistent and comparable results across laboratories. It is essential for medical metals intended for European markets to verify tensile performance and compliance with regulatory requirements for surgical instruments and implants.
ASTM F138 Stainless Steel Bar and Wire for Surgical Implants
ASTM F138 specifies requirements for wrought stainless steel used in surgical implants, including minimum tensile strength and elongation values. The standard ensures the material has adequate ductility and strength for implant applications. It is the primary specification for stainless steel components in orthopedic and trauma devices where tensile properties are critical for load-bearing performance.
ASTM F136 Alloys for Surgical Implant Applications
ASTM F136 defines requirements for titanium-6Aluminum-4Vanadium ELI alloy used in surgical implants, including tensile strength and elongation criteria. The standard ensures the material provides the necessary combination of strength and ductility for orthopedic and dental implants. It is widely used to verify that titanium components meet mechanical performance expectations for long-term implantation.
Your Partner for Expert Medical Metals Testing
Applus+ Reliable Analysis stands ready to support your medical metal tensile testing needs. Our ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory already maintains the necessary tensile testers and grips for metals, allowing us to efficiently add these medical standards with only minor validation and training.
Whether you are qualifying new orthopedic implants, validating surgical instruments, or ensuring performance of metallic components, our team provides accurate and reliable data backed by decades of materials testing expertise. We invite you to Contact us to discuss how our expanded medical testing capabilities can support your next project or regulatory submission.
Additional Applus+ Reliable Analysis’ Commercial Medical Testing Capabilities
Whether it be material EMC, environmental, fabrication, or durability testing, Applus+ Reliable Analysis has a full lab of test equipment, which permits us to provide short lead times on scheduling. Our team strives to give our customers more time and energy on product development rather than testing.
Below is a list of common medical testing types that Reliable Analysis offers. Don’t see what you are looking for? Contact us, and we will determine the best course of action.
