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Home >> Application >> By Standard >> ASTM >> ASTM D >> ASTM D3787 Textile Ball Burst Constant Rate Traverse CRT Test

ASTM D3787 Textile Ball Burst Constant Rate Traverse CRT Test

ASTM D3787 Standard Test Method for Bursting Strength of Textiles;Constant-Rate-of-Traverse (CRT) Ball Burst Test

ASTM D3787 is a standard test method for measuring the bursting strength of high-elongation textiles via a constant-rate-of-traverse (CRT) ball burst setup, providing repeatable data for material selection, quality control, and compliance, critical for ensuring fabric performance in end-use scenarios.

Notice: CRT and CRE machines yield different results; use ASTM D6797 for CRE setups.

Test Principle:

The principle of ASTM D3787 is simulated puncture/distension under biaxial stress. A circular area of fabric is clamped over a fixed aperture. A polished steel ball, driven by the crosshead of a tensile testing machine, is forced against the center of the fabric at a constant speed. The fabric is deformed biaxially (in all directions) until it ruptures. The maximum force recorded is the Bursting Strength.

There is one primary method under D3787: the Constant-Rate-of-Traverse (CRT) Ball Burst Test. The "CRT" specifies that the driving mechanism (the tensile tester's crosshead) moves at a fixed, constant speed. The key measurements are: Bursting Strength (Peak Force): The maximum force, in Newtons (N) or pounds-force (lbf), required to rupture the specimen.

ASTM D3787 Test Equipment:

Component	Specification
CRT Tensile Tester	Compliant with ASTM D76; load capacity ≥5 kN / 20Kn
Ball Burst Fixture	Polished steel ball (25.400 mm diameter, hardened); ring clamp (44.450 mm internal diameter, grooved circular plates).
Accessories	Spare balls, replacement clamps, specimen cutters, calibration tools
Test Speed	300 ± 10 mm/min (12 ± 0.5 in/min) (default)

Test Specimen Information:

Material Types: Primarily designed for knitted fabrics, nonwovens, elastic woven fabrics, and laminated fabrics. It is the preferred method for highly extensible materials.

Specimen Size: At least 125 mm x 125 mm (5 in x 5 in). This ensures it can be securely clamped without slippage.

Sampling & Number: A minimum of 10 specimens is standard, with half oriented in the machine (length) direction and half in the cross-machine (width) direction. Specimens should be taken from different locations across the fabric width.

Conditioning: Specimens must be conditioned in a standard atmosphere for testing textiles (21 ± 1°C, 65 ± 2% relative humidity) for a sufficient time (often ≥4 hours) to reach moisture equilibrium.

Details ASTM D3787 Puncture Test Procedure (Step-by-Step):

Calibration & Setup	Calibrate the tensile tester. Mount the lower clamping plate. Attach the 25.4 mm ball to the moving crosshead. Set the crosshead speed to 305 ± 13 mm/min (12.0 ± 0.5 in/min).
Clamping	Loosen the upper clamp. Center a conditioned specimen over the 25 mm aperture on the lower clamp. Securely tighten the clamp to prevent any slippage during the test, but without damaging the specimen.
Test Initiation	Start the test. The crosshead will descend, driving the ball into the fabric.
Rupture	The test continues until the specimen ruptures completely. The machine records the peak force.
Data Collection	Record the Bursting Strength for each specimen. If required, also record the Bursting Distension from the crosshead travel.
Repeat	Perform the test on all conditioned specimens.
Calculation & Reporting	Calculate the mean bursting strength and standard deviation for all specimens, and separately for machine and cross directions if significant differences are observed.

Test Applications (Why Industries Use It):

This test is critical for predicting real-world performance in applications where fabrics experience multidirectional stress or localized puncture:

Medical & Protective Textiles: Surgical gowns, drapes (resistance to puncture by instruments or body parts).

Apparel: Sportswear, swimwear, intimate apparel, gloves (testing stretch and recovery durability).

Upholstery & Furniture: Testing durability of cover fabrics against repeated stretching and point loads (e.g., elbows, knees).

Technical Textiles: Airbags, inflatable structures, parachutes, geotextiles.

Industrial Fabrics: Filters, belts, and composite preforms.

Importance of ASTM D3787 for the Textile Industry:

The ASTM D3787 test is crucial for three main reasons:

1, Simulates Real-World Stress: Many textile failures occur from multi-directional forces (e.g., a knee stretching a pant fabric, a surgical instrument pressing on a drape). A simple strip tensile test (pulling in one direction) does not capture this behavior. The ball burst test provides a more realistic performance assessment.

2, Critical Quality Control (QC) Metric: It provides a single, reliable numerical value (bursting strength) that manufacturers and buyers can specify in contracts to guarantee a minimum level of durability and safety. It is a standard QC check for fabric rolls.

3, Material Development & Comparison: Engineers and designers use it to compare different fabrics, constructions, fiber blends, and finishing treatments to select the optimal material for a specific end-use, balancing performance, weight, and cost.

Related products and device

ASTM D3787 Puncture Testing Universal Testing Machine

WDW Series Computer Control Electronic Universal Testing Machine made by UNITEDTEST range from 100N to 600KN load capacity with various models like single columns, table type, door frame type etc., is used to perform tension, compression, flexure/bending, shearing, peeling etc., test for metal and nonmetal specimens. Matched with UNITEDTEST design and produced various test fixture, like peel, flexure, puncture, tear, pneumatic grip, belt tension etc., this UTM can be used to almost all materials include but not limited to steel rod, rubber, steel wire, plastic, seat belt, textile, wood, panel etc., mechanical performance inspection.

ASTM D3787 Textile Ball Burst Test Fixture

ASTM D3787 Ball Burst Puncture Test Fixture is a standardized attachment for constant-rate-of-traverse (CRT) tensile testing machines, used to determine the bursting strength of textile fabrics by forcing a polished steel ball through a clamped specimen at a constant rate until rupture.

Related Standard

ISO 12236 Static Puncture Test (CBR test) for Geosynthetics –

ISO 12236 puncture test (CBR test) is the principal international standard for measuring the static puncture resistance of geosynthetics using a 50-mm plunger. Its results are a key indicator of a material's performance in applications requiring resistance to localized, sustained pressure.

ASTM D4595 Tensile Test of Geotextiles by the Wide-Width Strip –

ASTM D4595 Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Geotextiles by the Wide-Width Method

ASTM D4595 covers the measurement of tensile properties of geotextiles using a wide-width strip specimen tensile method. This test method is applicable to most geotextiles that include woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, layered fabrics, knit fabrics, and felts that are used for geotextile application.

ASTM D4533 Trapezoid Tearing Strength Test of Geotextiles –

ASTM D4533 test used to measure the force required to continue or propagate tearing in woven or non-woven geotextiles, using the trapezoidal method for testing. The trapezoidal tearing method is a test that generates tension along a reasonably defined path, allowing the tear to propagate across the width of the specimen. The trapezoidal tear strength of woven fabrics is mainly determined by the characteristics of the yarns clamped in the fixture.

ISO 10319 Geotextile Wide Width Strip tensile testing –

ISO 10319: Geosynthetics -- Wide-width tensile test

ISO 10319 describes an index test method for the determination of the tensile properties of geosynthetics (polymeric, glass, and metallic), using a wide-width strip. It is applicable to most geosynthetics, including woven geotextiles, nonwoven geotextiles, geocomposites, knitted geotextiles, geonets, geomats, and metallic products. It is also applicable to geogrids and similar open-structure geotextiles, but specimen dimensions might need to be altered. It is not applicable to polymeric or bituminous geosynthetic barriers, while it is applicable to clay geosynthetic barriers.

ISO 10319 specifies a tensile test method that covers the measurement of load elongation characteristics and includes procedures for the calculation of secant stiffness, maximum load per unit width and strain at maximum load. Singular points on the load-extension curve are also indicated.

ISO 13426-1 Geotextiles Strength of internal structural junctions –

ISO 13426-1:2019 Geotextiles and geotextile-related products — Strength of internal structural junctions — Part 1: Geocells

ISO 13426-1 test describes index test methods for the determination of the strength of internal structural junctions of geocells under different loading conditions.

Splitting test procedure:

All test methods are performed at a constant strain rate of 20 mm/min.

At the beginning of the test, adjust the distance between the jaws to ±3mm of the required specimen length.

The specimen is mounted in the center of the jaws. Note that the length of the specimen should be parallel to the direction of the force.

Start the pull machine and continue until the sample is destroyed. Stop the device, record and report the maximum load with an accuracy of 2% of the full-scale reading. Reports the corresponding displacement in millimeters, with one decimal place reserved.

ISO 12956 Wet-sieving method geotextile opening size test –

ISO 12956:2019 Geotextiles and geotextile-related products — Determination of the characteristic opening size

ISO 12956 specifies a method for the determination of the characteristic size of the openings of a single layer of a geotextile or geotextile-related product using the wet-sieving principle.

ISO 12956 wet-sieving method geotextile opening size test machine Test principle: With the untensioned single-layer geotextile and its related product samples as a screen, under the specified vibration frequency and amplitude, the sample and graded granular material are sprayed with water, so that the granular graded material passes through the sample. The effective pore size of the specimen is indicated by the passing particle material and the specific particle size.

ISO 11058 Geotextile water permeability test –

ISO 11058 test specifies two test methods for the water permeability characteristics of a single layer of geotextile or geotextile-related product normal to the plane: the constant head method; and the falling head method.

ISO 11058:2019 Geotextiles and geotextile-related products — Determination of water permeability characteristics normal to the plane, without load.

Water Flow through a Geotextile: Measuring Perpendicular Water Flow and Permittivity

FAQs: ASTM D3787 Ball Burst Test

Q1: What is the primary purpose of the ASTM D3787 Ball Burst Test?

A: The primary purpose is to measure a textile's resistance to puncture and multidirectional bursting force. It simulates real-world stress where a material is stretched and loaded from multiple directions at once (e.g., a knee stretching fabric, an object pressing into a seat). The key result is the "Bursting Strength" – the peak force required to rupture the fabric.

Q2: How is ASTM D3787 different from ASTM D3786 (hydraulic burst test)?

A: The two tests target different textile types and use distinct mechanisms:

Aspect	ASTM D3787	ASTM D3786
Test mechanism	Mechanical ball puncture (constant-rate traverse)	Hydraulic pressure applied via a diaphragm
Suitable textiles	High-elongation fabrics (knits, elastic, nonwovens)	Low-elongation fabrics (woven cotton, canvas, heavy industrial fabrics)
Force application	Concentrated point load	Uniform radial load

Q3: Can ASTM D3787 be used to test non-textile materials (e.g., plastics, metals)?

A: No. This standard is exclusively optimized for textiles and textile-based products (e.g., coated fabrics). For non-textile materials:

Use ASTM D5748 for plastic films and sheets.

Use ISO 13938 for general plastic burst testing.

Use metal-specific puncture standards (e.g., ASTM E344) for metallic materials.

Q4: What factors can affect the accuracy of ASTM D3787 test results?

A: Three variables have the most significant impact:

Clamping tension: Over-tightening the specimen causes pre-stress, leading to artificially low bursting strength values; specimens must be clamped firmly but without stretching.

Test speed: The standard requires a speed of 300 ± 10 mm/min—deviations (too fast or too slow) will alter the force at rupture.

Fixture calibration: The steel ball (25.400 mm diameter, ±0.005 mm tolerance) and ring clamp (44.450 mm internal diameter, ±0.025 mm tolerance) must be calibrated regularly to meet spec.

Q5: Can ASTM D3787 be performed on a constant-rate-of-extension (CRE) tensile tester?

A: No. ASTM D3787 is specifically designed for CRT tensile testers. For CRE machines (which stretch specimens at a constant rate of extension instead of moving the clamp at a constant speed), the corresponding standard is ASTM D6797, which adjusts the test parameters to match CRE equipment characteristics.

Q6: What does "Bursting Distension" measure, and why is it useful?

A: Bursting Distension is the distance the ball travels from first contact to the point of rupture. It measures the fabric's multidirectional elongation or stretchability at the point of failure. This is useful for:

Product Design: Understanding how much "give" a fabric has before failing (critical for athletic wear, compression garments, and inflatables).

Material Characterization: Providing a more complete performance picture than strength alone (e.g., a fabric may have moderate strength but very high distension, making it tough and energy-absorbent).

Q7: Is there an equivalent international standard?

A: While not identical, the closest widely recognized international standard is ISO 3303-1:2012 (formerly BS EN ISO 3303-1), "Rubber- or plastic-coated fabrics -- Determination of bursting strength -- Part 1: Steel-ball method." The principle is very similar, though specific parameters (like ball size or speed) may differ slightly. Always check the specification required by your customer or regulatory body.

Q8: How many specimens should we test, and how are results reported?

A: The standard mandates a minimum of 10 specimens (typically 5 in the machine direction and 5 in the cross direction). Results should be reported as:

The individual bursting strength for each specimen.

The mean (average) bursting strength and standard deviation for all tests.

The units (Newtons or pounds-force).

Any observed anomalies in the failure mode (e.g., slippage, tear propagation from a yarn).

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