Shoe Bending Tester

Meet the standard:

ASTM F3445 ISO 20344

SATRA TM92 SATRA TM133

SATRA TM60 EN 1770 EN 12770

Product Introduction:

Flexing is a primary mode of stress for footwear, particularly in the forefoot area during walking. Repeated bending can lead to failure modes such as cracking of the sole or upper material, delamination of sole layers, or failure of stitching or adhesives. A Shoe Bending Tester provides a controlled and accelerated method to assess a shoe's resistance to these types of fatigue failures.

Different types of shoe bending testers exist, designed to test either complete shoes or specific components:

Whole Shoe Bending Testers: These testers are designed to hold a complete shoe and repeatedly bend it, typically focusing on the forefoot bending action that occurs during the gait cycle.

Sole Flexing Testers: These testers focus specifically on the flexibility and durability of the sole material, repeatedly bending a cut specimen of the sole or outsole. STD, STD, and STD testers are common types of sole flex testers, using different bending geometries and mechanisms.

The instrument is used in laboratories for:

Evaluating the flexing durability of complete shoe designs and constructions.

Assessing the fatigue resistance of sole materials, upper materials, and shoe components.

Quality control during shoe manufacturing to ensure materials and constructions meet flexibility and durability standards.

Research and development of new footwear materials and designs with improved flexing performance.

Comparing the durability of different shoes or components under bending stress.

Ensuring shoes comply with safety and performance standards related to flexing resistance.

Product Advantages:

Provides objective, quantitative data on shoe or component flexing durability and fatigue resistance.

Essential for predicting service life and preventing failures like sole cracking and material fatigue.

Simulates the repetitive bending stresses encountered during walking.

Standard compliant test methods are available (ASTM F3445. ISO 20344. SATRA/EN standards).

Useful for quality control, product development, material comparison, and failure analysis.

Allows for controlled and repeatable testing under defined conditions.

Product Features:

Robust test frame and mounting fixtures designed to securely hold either a complete shoe or a specific shoe component specimen (e.g., sole). The fixtures are specific to the type of tester (whole shoe vs. sole).

Motorized drive system to provide repeated bending motion.

Mechanism to control and adjust the bending angle or range of motion per cycle.

Mechanism to control and set the flexing speed (number of bending cycles per minute).

Digital cycle counter to accurately record the total number of bending cycles performed.

Automatic stop function that halts the test when the set number of cycles is reached or potentially upon detecting a gross failure (though visual inspection at intervals is standard for crack growth).

Safety guarding to protect the operator during operation.

Multiple testing stations (common) to test several specimens simultaneously.