Drop Weight Testing Machines

Drop weight testers are used to determine the energy required to physically damage test specimens and pre-damage specimens for compression after impact tests (CAI), which investigate damage that can happen to vehicles and airplanes after being struck by an object.

Standard drop weight testers are explicitly designed for certain applications and can apply various impact energies and velocities as necessary. Typical devices have both pneumatic and electrical components. Some devices allow for tests to be performed over a wide temperature range, others allow for impacts to be performed over a wide range of axes.