ISO 527-3 Tensile Test on Plastic Film, Flexible plastic film tensile test

Information on the most widely used ASTM standards within the materials testing industry

Descriptions of the most prominent lSO standards within the materials testing industry

Standards including EN, DIN, JlS, and more

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Material strength is a course that most engineering fields are required to study in university education. This interesting course is very practical and makes use of testing equipment in the materials laboratory.

Mechanical testing of industrial products and components is essential to ensure their load-bearing, fatigue resistance, and impact resistance, directly preventing production accidents and ensuring stable operation of equipment. UnitedTest can cover a full range of tests including tensile, hardness, and fatigue, complying with national and international standards, and provides customized industrial mechanical testing solutions.

Mechanical testing in the plastic pipe industry determines ring stiffness, impact resistance, and tensile performance, directly preventing pipe bursts and deformation risks. UnitedTest can cover full-dimensional mechanical testing of pipes, complies with ISO,ASTM,EN et.c, international standards, and provides customized testing solutions.

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Mechanical testing in the food and beverage industry involves the compressive and tensile performance of packaging and the safety of food texture, directly ensuring storage, transportation safety, and the eating experience. UnitedTest can cover all-dimensional mechanical testing for packaging and food texture, comply with national and international standards, and provide customized testing solutions.

Mechanical testing in the packaging industry determines the packaging's resistance to compression, impact, and tension, directly ensuring the safety of contents during storage and transportation. UnitedTest can cover comprehensive mechanical testing for packaging, complying with ISO, ASTM Standards, and provides customized testing solutions for compression, drop, tear, and more.

Mechanical testing in the transportation industry concerns the load-bearing and fatigue resistance performance of core components such as vehicles, tracks, and containers, directly ensuring transport safety and equipment durability. UnitedTest can cover mechanical testing for all types of transportation materials, complying with national and international standards, and provides customized testing solutions including tensile, fatigue, and impact tests.

Metallurgical testing examines the properties of metallic materials to determine if a particular metal is appropriate for its intended use.

Testing of polymer materials covers mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties, verifying strength, heat resistance, composition, and ensuring product quality and compliance.

UnitedTest offer world-class testing solution in testing for polymeric materials, including elastomers, thermoplastics, composites, coatings, and structural adhesives in a variety of industries.

Testing of rubber and elastomers is used to assess the various properties and performance of materials under different conditions. This is crucial for ensuring the safety, functionality, and quality of rubber and elastomer products used in industries such as automotive, construction, consumer goods, and aerospace.

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Tensile test evaluates material resistance to stretching, measuring strength/elongation critical for quality control. UnitedTest offers universal tensile testers (10-600KN) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, providing tailored solutions for metals, polymers, medical & industrial materials.

Compression test assesses material resistance to compressive loads, measuring strength/deformation critical for quality validation. UnitedTest offers compression testing machines compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, providing tailored solutions for concrete, plastics, metals and industrial components.

Flexural & Bend tests evaluate material resistance to bending forces, measuring strength, stiffness and ductility for quality assurance. UnitedTest provides flexural testing machines (3-point/4-point bend) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, offering tailored solutions for composites, plastics, metals and construction materials.

Torsion Test evaluates material resistance to rotational forces, measuring torsional strength/ductility critical for fasteners, insulators, shafts. UnitedTest offers torsion testers compliant with ASTM A938/ISO 16047, providing tailored solutions for automotive, aerospace, fastener industries.

Fatigue Test assesses material durability under cyclic loading, critical for predicting service life of industrial components. UnitedTest offers fatigue testing systems (axial/bending/torsion) compliant with ASTM E466/ISO 12106, providing tailored solutions for automotive, aerospace and manufacturing sectors.

Peel Test measures material adhesion strength by evaluating resistance to peeling forces, critical for adhesives, films, packaging. UnitedTest offers peel testers compliant with ASTM D903/ISO 8510, covering 90°/180° peel tests, and tailored solutions for packaging, automotive, textile industries.

Impact Test evaluates material resistance to sudden shock loads, critical for assessing toughness and fracture risk. UnitedTest offers impact testers (Charpy/Izod/fall weight) compliant with ASTM E23/ISO 148, providing tailored solutions for metals, plastics, glass and industrial components.

Tear & Shear Test evaluates material resistance to tearing and shearing forces, measuring critical strength parameters for quality control. Tear tests (Elmendorf/trouser/trapezoidal) assess resistance to crack propagation in films/fabrics, while shear tests measure resistance to parallel forces in joints/bolts. UnitedTest provides universal testing machines (10KN-600KN) with specialized fixtures for both tests, compliant with ASTM D624/D3164 and ISO standards, serving automotive, packaging and construction industries.

Hardness test measures material's resistance to permanent indentation, critical for quality control. UnitedTest offers universal hardness testers (Rockwell/Brinell/Vickers) compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, plus tailored hardness testing solutions for diverse industrial needs.

Biaxial/triaxial tests evaluate material performance under multi-axis loads, critical for biomaterials, metals and composites. UnitedTest provides compliant testing machines (ASTM/ISO) for planar biaxial, static/fatigue triaxial tests, with tailored solutions for industrial & biomedical needs.

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Non-destructive Test (NDT) evaluates material/component integrity without damage, critical for safety & quality across industries. UnitedTest offers ultrasonic/X-ray/magnetic particle NDT equipment compliant with ASTM/ISO standards, plus tailored NDT solutions for aerospace, automotive & manufacturing sectors.

ISO 527-3 Standard | Universal Tensile Tester for Thin Plastic Films and Sheets | UnitedTest

UnitedTest is a professional manufacturer supplying fully ISO 527-3 compliant tensile testing machines customized for thin flexible plastic film and sheeting quality inspection, polymer R&D, and global packaging factory QC labs.

ISO 527-3 Plastics — Tensile Properties — Part 3: For Films and Sheets sets unified global test protocols built on the foundational rules of ISO 527-1. This international standard exclusively governs tensile testing for plastic films and thin sheets with a thickness below 1 mm; materials thicker than 1 mm follow ISO 527-2 insteadISO.

It delivers standardized testing workflows to quantify all core mechanical tensile indicators for thin plastic substrates: tensile strength, yield strength, elongation at break, Young’s modulus (tensile modulus of elasticity), and tensile energy to break (TEB). The standard is irreplaceable for flexible material evaluation because thin plastic films exhibit vastly different stress responses compared to rigid plastics, with higher risks of specimen slipping, uneven deformation, and premature tearing during tension loading.

By unifying specimen preparation, environmental conditioning, test speed, clamping setup and result calculation rules, ISO 527-3 eliminates inconsistent lab data across manufacturers, enabling reliable cross-factory material comparison, standardized product specifications, and consistent research data worldwide. All strip specimens fabricated per ISO 527-3 guidelines support complete measurement of full tensile performance metrics for flexible plastic packaging, separator films, and thin polymer sheets.

Our UnitedTest universal tensile tester features dedicated anti-slip soft film grips, precise speed regulation, built-in ISO 527-3 auto-calculation software and optional video extensometers. The system fully complies with all equipment calibration, specimen alignment and data reporting requirements outlined in ISO 527-3, generating repeatable, audit-ready tensile test data for export compliance certification and daily production quality control.

Test Principle and test methods:

The fundamental principle of ISO 527-3 relies entirely on the general mechanical laws of tensile testing established in ISO 527-1.

In essence, a precisely prepared specimen of the plastic film or sheet is mounted vertically in the grips of a tensile testing machine. A continuous, uniaxial tensile force is then applied at a constant speed. As the machine pulls the specimen apart, it simultaneously measures the applied force (stress) and the resulting elongation (strain) of the material.

For thin films, the standard emphasizes that the specimen must not carry the weight of the extensometer, as the delicate nature of the material can lead to sagging or premature deformation, skewing the accuracy of the elongation measurements.

Applies a uniaxial tensile force to a standardized film specimen at a controlled rate until fracture, while measuring force and elongation simultaneously.

Elastic behavior: Initial deformation recoverable after load removal;

Plastic behavior: Permanent deformation beyond yield point;

Failure characteristics: Ultimate strength and ductility (elongation at break).

The standard specifies test speeds based on material ductility:

50 mm/min: For rigid and semi-rigid films (e.g., PET, PVC)

200 mm/min: For flexible films (e.g., PE, PP)

10 mm/min: For highly elastic films requiring precise modulus measurement.

Test equipment required for ISO 527-3 plastic film:

Equipment Item	Key Specifications	Purpose
Universal Testing Machine	Load capacity typically 1–5 kN; precision ±1% of indicated load; adjustable crosshead speed	Apply controlled tensile force and measure elongation
Extensometer	Gauge length 50 mm (standard); precision ±0.5% of measured strain	Measure specimen elongation accurately (video extensometer recommended for films)
Film Grips	Self-tightening or pneumatic; serrated faces with protective inserts; adjustable clamping pressure	Secure thin specimens without damage or slippage
Thickness Gauge	Resolution ≥ 1 μm; pressure foot 0.1–0.5 N/mm²	Measure specimen thickness at multiple points for averaging
Conditioning Chamber	Temperature 23°C ±2°C; relative humidity 50% ±5%	Standardize environmental conditions per ISO 291
Cutting and Marking Tools	Razor blades, paper cutters, scalpels, or punch dies must be used to produce specimens with perfectly straight, clean, and parallel edges.

Test Specimen information:

Four main types of specimens are permitted, depending on the material's flexibility and expected elongation.

Type 2 (Strip)	The preferred, most common specimen. A simple strip 10 mm to 25 mm wide and at least 150 mm long, with gauge marks 50 mm apart.
Type 5 (Dumb-bell)	Recommended for films with very high strain (elongation) at break. Features a narrow 6 mm parallel-sided width.
Type 1B (Dumb-bell)	Recommended for rigid sheets. Features a 10 mm parallel-sided width and a larger overall length.
Type 4 (Dumb-bell)	Recommended for flexible thermoplastic sheets. Features a 25.4 mm parallel-sided width.

Preparation: Specimens must be cut or punched smoothly. Dies must be kept razor-sharp, and a suitable backing material should be used during punching to ensure clean edges. Every specimen must be visually inspected, preferably with a low-power magnifier, and any piece with notches or tears must be discarded immediately.

Anisotropy Consideration: Films are often anisotropic (their properties change depending on the direction of the roll). If this is the case, two distinct groups of specimens must be prepared: one with the major axis parallel to the orientation direction, and another perpendicular to it.

Detail Test Procedures of ISO 527-3 Plastic films sheet tensile test:

1), Specimen Preparation:

Cut specimens using die cutter in both machine direction (MD) and transverse direction (TD) for oriented films

Measure thickness at 5 points and calculate average.

Mark gauge length (50 mm) with non-damaging ink.

2), Conditioning:

Store specimens at 23°C ±2°C, 50% ±5% RH for minimum 40 hours (or per material-specific requirements)

3), Testing Execution:

Mount specimen in grips, ensuring alignment and no slippage;

Attach extensometer to gauge length marks;

Start test at specified speed (50, 200, or 10 mm/min);

Record force-elongation curve continuously;

Stop after specimen fracture or when elongation exceeds 1000%.

4), Data Analysis:

Calculate tensile strength (maximum force/cross-sectional area);

Determine yield strength (force at first significant deviation from linearity);

Measure elongation at break (final gauge length - initial gauge length) / initial gauge length × 100%;

Compute Young's modulus from initial linear portion of force-elongation curve.

Test Application (Industry Fields)

ISO 527-3 is critical for industries utilizing plastic films:

Packaging	Food packaging, medical device packaging, flexible pouches	Seal integrity, puncture resistance, shelf life
Automotive	Battery separators, interior trim, protective films	Vibration resistance, temperature stability
Electronics	Display films, flexible circuits, insulation	Dimensional stability, tear resistance
Medical	Surgical drapes, wound dressings, drug delivery systems	Biocompatibility plus mechanical reliability
Agriculture	Greenhouse films, mulch films	UV stability, tear resistance, durability
Construction	Vapor barriers, roofing underlayment	Weather resistance, puncture resistance

Related Standards:

ISO 527-1	General principles for plastic tensile testing (conditioning, equipment, results)
ISO 527-3	Plastics — Determination of tensile properties — Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets ISO 527-3 permits extra specimen geometries, specifies different crosshead speeds, mandates extensometer/gage mark strain measurement, ASTM D882 allows grip separation as a low-cost extension measurement method without mandatory extensometer
ISO 18872	Plastics - Determination of tensile properties at high strain rates
ASTM D638	ASTM D638 applies to plastics ≥1.0 mm thick, uses dumbbell-shaped specimens; ASTM D882 is exclusively for thin film <1.0 mm with rectangular strips.
ASTM D882	Standard Test Method for Tensile Properties of Thin Plastic Sheeting
JIS K7127	Japanese Industrial Standard for plastic tensile testing
GBT 1040.3	Plastics - Determination of tensile properties - Part 3: Test conditions for films and sheets

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Optimize your material testing with our Single Column Tensile Tester. This compact, tabletop device accurately measures mechanical properties under tension, compression, bending, and shear using a vertical column and a moving crosshead. Perfect for efficient and precise testing of various materials.

Tensile test fixture for plastics is based on the test standatd ASTM D638, determination of the tensile properties of unreinforced and reinforced plastics in the form of standard dumbbell-shaped test specimens when tested under defined conditions of pretreatment, temperature, speed.

Temperature furnace chamber for tensile testing machine, furnace have a columnar split structure, three stage control function. Mainly consists of furnace, temperature controller, high temperature pull rod, high temperature clamp, high temperature extensometer and supporting device.

Video extensometer, is a non-contact real-time high-precision strain measurement system, which is based on a separate camera and real-time image processing algorithm, by taking images of the experimental process, analyzing image characteristic changes, dynamically measuring the strain changes.

Electric sample punching machine is a sample preparation device designed based on the punching principle, specifically developed for preparing standard samples of sheet-like, film-like, and thin plate materials.

High Elongation Extensometer is mainly used together with the tensile test machine for the rubber tension testing. It can measure the elongation of the product with high precision and accurately capture the displacement data. With a deformation measurement range typically from 10mm to 800mm.

Q1: What exactly is ISO 527-3?

A: ISO 527-3 is the third part of the ISO 527 series. While ISO 527-1 covers general principles for all plastics, ISO 527-3 specifically sets the test conditions for plastic films and sheets less than 1 mm thick. It dictates everything from the shape of the specimen and the speed of the test to how the thickness must be measured to ensure accurate, repeatable results.

Q2: Why is tensile testing on plastic films so important?

A: Tensile properties (like strength and elongation) dictate how a film will behave in the real world. This testing is crucial for:

Quality Control: Ensuring every batch of produced film meets the required strength specifications.

R&D and Material Selection: Helping engineers choose the right film for packaging, medical supplies, agricultural covers, or industrial liners.

Safety and Compliance: Preventing product failures, such as a packaging film bursting during transit or a medical film tearing during use.

Q3: How do I know which testing speed to use?

A: ISO 527-3 restricts the testing speed to a specific set of standardized velocities: 5, 50, 100, 200, 300, or 500 mm/min. The choice usually depends on the material's expected elongation and the specific requirements of your industry or customer. Regardless of the speed you choose, it must be clearly reported in the final test results.

Q4: How should the thickness of the film be measured for the test?

A: Accuracy here is critical because thickness directly impacts the calculated stress.

Standard Method: Use a mechanical scanning device complying with ISO 4593.

Exception: If the film is extremely thin (less than 0.01 mm) or has an embossed texture, you must use the gravimetric method (ISO 4591), which calculates thickness based on the film's mass, area, and density.

Q5: Can I use a heavy extensometer to measure the film's stretch?

A: No. The standard explicitly states that the specimen must not carry the weight of the extensometer. Thin films can easily sag or deform under the weight of a heavy device, which would completely ruin the accuracy of your strain (elongation) measurements. You must use a lightweight extensometer or rely on the machine's crosshead movement if an extensometer is too heavy.

Q6: How do I prevent the film from slipping or tearing in the grips?

A: Slippage and premature tearing are common issues. To prevent this:

Ensure your grips are clean and have the appropriate jaw faces (often rubber or serrated) for films.

Make sure the specimen is aligned perfectly straight (not twisted) when clamping.

Apply consistent, firm pressure when tightening the grips—too loose causes slippage, while too tight can crush the film.

Q7: Does ISO 527-3 cover all types of plastic materials?

A: No. The standard specifically excludes cellular materials (like foam) and plastics reinforced with textile fibers. Additionally, it is strictly intended for materials less than 1 mm thick. If your material is thicker than 1 mm, you should refer to ISO 527-2 instead.

Q8: Why do films sometimes break at the grips instead of the gauge section?

A: This is usually due to:

Grips being too tight, damaging the film edge

Specimen misalignment

Sharp grip faces without protective padding

Dogbone fillet radius being too small

High internal stress near the clamping area.

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