Tuft bind testing of artificial turf surfaces is very important in quality testing of manufactured product to ensure that the artificial turf passes industry standards for durability. For this study, the amount of force required to pull a tuft completely out of backing material was determined. We completed the test in accordance to ASTM D1335-03.
One of the challenges of tuft bind testing is that the tufts are often short and difficult to maneuver into the grips or fixture. To ease the process of gripping, we recommend an upper grip or fixture that is easily removable. Hemostats fixed to the upper grip via a hook have proven to work very well. Advanced side acting grips or
pneumatic side acting grips can be used to grip the hook or hemostat directly.
A specimen holder must be fixed to the lower grip or base of the machine. For this test, we constructed our specimen holder using 2-inch diameter PVC pipe, which we prepared according to the requirements of the standard. We made a 2x2-inch cutout so that the backing material opposite to the tuft being tested would not come into contact with the surface of the tube. We wrapped an 8x6-inch specimen around the circumference of the pipe, aligning the cutout directly below the tuft being tested. We then gripped tufts using hemostats, as mentioned previously. The test speed was 12 in/min and we stopped each test once the tuft was completely pulled out.
A suitable system for tuft bind testing would be our 3300 or 5500
electromechanical testing machine. We recommend using our
TouchPanel, which replaces the need for a PC, along with a 3300 Series testing machine when the desired measurements are load or extension at the maximum or minimum points, or if measured at specimen failure. This is ideal for quality control applications in which simple calculations are reported and ease of use and/or floor space are important.
We recommend that you review ASTM D1335 in its entirety to understand the full requirements prior to performing any testing.