Simulation is crucial for predicting how materials and components will behave under different loading conditions, helping engineers assess designs before committing to physical prototypes. But the value of these predictions depends on how accurately the model represents the material itself. Here, Andrea Incardona, application engineer and product specialist at high strain rate testing machine manufacturer Instron, explains how high strain rate testing can provide data to improve simulation, material selection and product development.
Making simulation more representative
Many materials exhibit strain-rate-dependent properties, meaning their mechanical response can change as loading speed increases. A material characterised under quasi-static conditions may therefore respond differently when subjected to a rapid impact or crash event.
This is not simply a theoretical consideration. A 2025 study published in the SAE International Journal of Materials and Manufacturing, ‘Influence of Strain Rate Effect on Mechanical and Crashworthiness Properties of CFRP Composite Structures’, found that incorporating strain-rate-dependent material properties into crash simulations reduced discrepancies between simulated and experimental results. The discrepancy in peak acceleration fell by 6.5 per cent, while mean acceleration and displacement discrepancies fell by 5.9 and 6.3 per cent respectively.
These findings demonstrate why the relevance of material data matters as much as the quantity available. If a material responds differently as loading becomes faster, capturing that behavior can give engineers a more representative basis for simulation.
This is where high strain rate characterization can provide additional insight. Depending on the specimen, materials can be characterized from quasi-static conditions up to strain rates approaching 1,000/s, depending on the material, specimen geometry and test method, helping engineers build a broader picture of how their properties change as loading becomes faster. Tests can also last just 3 to 10 milliseconds, requiring data acquisition capable of capturing the material response over a very short period.
A comparison of the same material at different loading rates would demonstrate why this matters for simulation. If strength, stiffness, deformation mechanisms or failure behavior changes as strain rate increases, relying solely on conventional data could leave a model unable to accurately represent the conditions experienced during a rapid event.
Making material selection more informed
Conventional properties such as strength and stiffness are important, but they do not necessarily show how a material will respond when loading becomes rapid.
Two materials that appear comparable under conventional testing may behave differently under high strain rate conditions. Characterising their dynamic behavior allows engineers to consider how each material deforms, absorbs energy and ultimately fails under loading conditions relevant to the application.
This becomes particularly important when performance needs to be balanced against weight. Understanding how candidate materials respond during rapid loading provides another layer of information alongside mechanical properties, helping engineers assess which material provides the most appropriate balance of weight, strength and energy absorption for a demanding application.
For instance, in automotive crash structures or aerospace components, understanding dynamic material behaviour can inform decisions about both material selection and component design.
Taking material data into product development
The value of high strain rate testing ultimately comes from what engineers can do with the resulting data. Dynamic characterisation can form part of a development process in which material behaviour is measured, incorporated into simulation, used to compare design options and then validated through physical testing.
This makes material testing more than a final check on an existing design. Engineers can use dynamic data earlier in development to assess whether a material is suitable, refine a component design and understand how changes may affect performance.
Accurate data capture remains critical. High strain rate tests can take place over only a few milliseconds, requiring systems capable of resolving rapid changes in force and deformation. Instron’s high strain rate testing systems support data acquisition at up to 200 kHz, while digital image correlation (DIC) can provide additional information about strain development across the specimen. Analysis tools can then support data processing and theoretical modelling.
The result is a more connected approach to product development, where physical testing provides evidence that can improve simulation, inform material selection and refine designs.
Material data is only as useful as its relevance to the conditions a component will face. By revealing how materials respond to rapid loading, high strain rate testing gives engineers a more complete picture of performance, helping them make better decisions from simulation through to product development.
Want to learn more? Explore Instron’s high strain rate testing solutions to discover how dynamic material characterisation can support simulation and product development.
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