Izod impact test systems and Izod testing machines for plastics, polymers, and metals — cantilever notch-bar absorbed energy per ISO 180, ASTM D256, and ASTM E23 Izod methods. Vector configures pendulum impact testers from 5.5 J to 50 J (and higher-energy metals options) to your laboratory.

VTR-11-0000

Izod System

Izod impact test systems — configured for plastics, polymers, and metals programmes

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Vector Izod solutions

Every Izod impact test system we deliver is scoped to your materials, standards, specimen geometry, and throughput — not a one-size catalogue box.

Izod impact test systems for plastics and metals laboratories

An Izod impact test system (Izod testing machine or pendulum impact tester configured for Izod) measures the absorbed energy required to break a notched specimen clamped as a cantilever — the reference method for impact resistance of plastics and polymers, and still specified for selected metals programmes alongside Charpy.

Vector supplies Izod test machine lines for quality control, product development, and certification: from compact benchtop pendulum units for injection-moulded plaques to larger frames that also support Charpy bars when your laboratory runs mixed metals and polymer workloads. Reporting aligns with ISO 180, ASTM D256, and metals ASTM E23 Izod configurations where applicable.

Whether you need notched Izod on PA, PC, or PP compounds, unnotched screening tests, or metals Izod on machined bars, our application engineers define pendulum energy, striker geometry, specimen supports, and software fields around your test programme — rather than forcing a generic hammer rating.

At a glance

  • Izod absorbed energy — notched and unnotched cantilever impact
  • 5.5 J – 50 J — typical plastics pendulum range (project-specific)
  • Plastics & polymers — ISO 180 · ASTM D256 core methods
  • Metals Izod — optional on shared pendulum frames (ASTM E23)
  • Charpy on same frame — optional horizontal anvil configuration

Standards & conformity

Standards library

Izod programmes differ between polymer specifications and legacy metals methods. Vector maps your required codes to striker shape, specimen clamping, notch geometry, and reporting units before build — and can configure one pendulum for Izod-only or Izod + Charpy workflows.

ISO 180ASTM D256ASTM E23ISO 148-1
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Add Izod pendulum line schematic — labelled cantilever clamp, striker path, and optional Charpy anvil module on the same frame.

What is an Izod impact test?

The Izod test is a standardized pendulum impact method for evaluating how a notched specimen absorbs energy when struck on the cantilever face — essential vocabulary for anyone specifying an Izod machine or comparing polymer lot release data.

Principle

In an Izod impact test, a machined bar with a controlled notch is clamped vertically so one end is fixed and the free end projects toward the pendulum. The hammer strikes the face opposite the notch root (or the configured strike face per standard), and the energy lost during fracture is Izod absorbed energy, reported in joules per unit cross-section (e.g. kJ/m²) for plastics or joules for metals programmes.

Unlike Charpy testing (horizontal three-point bend on metals), Izod uses a cantilever orientation — which is why polymer datasheets, automotive compound specs, and ASTM D256 certificates almost always reference notched Izod impact strength rather than Charpy values (which are not directly interchangeable).

What laboratories measure

  • Notched Izod energy — primary QC metric on moulded plaques and extruded profiles
  • Unnotched Izod — screening toughness on compounds where notch sensitivity is studied
  • Break type — complete break, partial break, or non-break (especially on ductile polymers)
  • Test temperature — ambient, elevated, or conditioned (e.g. −30 °C programmes on engineering plastics)

Why Izod testing matters

Brittle failure in service — snap tabs, housings, pipe fittings, or impact-loaded components — often correlates with insufficient notch toughness in the as-moulded state. A modern Izod impact test machine must combine accurate energy measurement, repeatable clamping, and safe striker exchange when daily throughput spans many compound grades.

Charpy and Izod impact test comparison — cantilever vs horizontal specimen, striker path, and absorbed energy
Izod specimen set — notched vs unnotched bars, ISO 180 and ASTM D256 geometry, ductile hinge vs brittle fracture

What are Izod systems used for?

Izod testing machines sit at the centre of polymer mechanical testing whenever specifications require proof of impact resistance at production or development stage. Typical programmes include:

  • Compound & masterbatch QC — lot release on PA, PC, ABS, PP, and filled grades against minimum Izod values.
  • Injection moulding & extrusion — comparing gate location, weld lines, and annealing effects on notch sensitivity.
  • Automotive & E&E plastics — interior trim, under-hood, and housing materials with Izod limits in OEM specs.
  • Pipe & building products — PVC and PE programmes where impact resistance is part of product certification.
  • Metals Izod & mixed labs — legacy or dual-method laboratories running Izod on metals bars per ASTM E23 on a shared pendulum frame.

Industries & materials

Vector Izod impact test systems support thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomer compounds, composites, and selected metals programmes where Izod cantilever bars are specified.

Plastics & polymers

Injection-moulded plaques, extruded profiles, and film-laminate specimens — notched and unnotched Izod per ISO 180 / ASTM D256.

Automotive & mobility

Interior, exterior, and under-bonnet compounds — Izod acceptance on colour and glass-fibre filled grades.

Electrical & electronics

Housings, connectors, and structural polymer parts where impact resistance supports safety and reliability testing.

Construction & infrastructure

PVC, PE, and engineering plastic fittings — impact resistance on pipes, profiles, and moulded accessories.

Metals & mixed laboratories

Shared pendulum frames for Izod metals bars and optional Charpy configuration on the same platform.

Commercial test houses

Third-party polymer labs running mixed-client Izod workloads — batch templates and LIMS export reduce turnaround time.

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Add VTR-11-0000 class pendulum — enclosed cabinet, Izod clamp, or operator loading a moulded plaque (conveys configurable plastics/metals frame).

How Vector approaches Izod testing

Vector does not sell Izod equipment as a fixed catalogue SKU alone. We engineer Izod impact test systems around your requirement — pendulum energy, specimen types, Charpy compatibility, automation level, and the standards you must satisfy.

  • Needs assessment — map materials (plastics vs metals), daily test count, notch types, and temperature conditioning.
  • Configurable architecture — benchtop manual frames, semi-automatic lift/release, and striker kits for Izod and optional Charpy.
  • Integration — friction correction, break-type capture, and export to LIMS / certificate templates.
  • Lifecycle support — pendulum verification, clamp and striker maintenance, and operator training.

The message for your laboratory is simple: tell us what you must test and which standard governs acceptance — we design the Izod system that fits, rather than forcing your workflow into a generic machine.

Configured to your requirement

Representative building blocks on Vector Izod / pendulum lines — final specification is always project-specific.

5.5–50 J

Pendulum energy

Interchangeable hammers for brittle engineering plastics through tougher commodity grades — higher energies for metals Izod when required.

Izod

Cantilever clamp

Precision specimen supports for ISO 180 / ASTM D256 bar dimensions — repeatable notch alignment to the striker.

Charpy

Dual-method frame

Optional anvils and strikers for Charpy bars on the same pendulum when the laboratory runs metals programmes.

Conditioned

Temperature testing

Ambient, oven-conditioned, or low-temperature chambers for programmes that specify non-ambient Izod.

Safety

Enclosed impact zone

Guards, interlocks, and fragment containment sized for the installed pendulum energy.

Data

Traceable results

Absorbed energy, break type, and specimen IDs ready for accreditation audits and customer certificates.

Downloads

Product brochures for pendulum impact testers and automated Charpy lines — energy ratings, Izod and Charpy configurations, and typical laboratory applications.

Discuss your Izod requirement

Configurable Izod platform

Technical overview

Values below describe a typical mid-energy pendulum reference configuration (VTR-11-0000 class). Vector confirms all specifications in the project quotation.

Product family
Izod impact test systems
Reference platform
VTR-11-0000 (example)
Impact energy
5.5 J – 50 J (plastics); project-specific for metals
Test configuration
Izod — vertical cantilever notched bar
Specimen types
Notched Izod · unnotched Izod · optional Charpy bars
Automation level
Manual · semi-automatic
Temperature
Ambient; optional conditioned or low-temperature modules
Primary standards
ISO 180 · ASTM D256 · ASTM E23 · ISO 148-1 (Charpy mode)

Need help choosing?

Our applications team can match equipment to your standards and samples.

Contact our team