New climate chamber for extreme material testing

April, 2026. Assumptions regarding the combination of strain rate and temperature are rarely experimentally validated in simulation models. Fraunhofer EMI has developed a new climate chamber for the Split-Hopkinson Bars. This enables tensile and compression tests in the test facilities at strain rates of ~1000 1/s at temperatures ranging from -80 °C to 200 °C. The climate chamber enables temperature-controlled Split-Hopkinson-bar tests on plastics, composites, or metals—under both tensile and compressive loading. The results can be used to validate material models or to design components for extreme situations, such as aircraft structures subjected to hail impact.