TEST METHOD

D41 1003 / - - C

FLEXIBLE ALVEOLATE MATERIALS FOR TRIMMING

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

D41 1003 / - - C

Renault Automobiles Standardisation

DMC / Service 65810
RENAULT D41 1003 / - - C

This document is to be considered as a whole, the parts of which shall not be separated.

© RENAULT 2005.
No duplication permitted without the consent of the issuing department.
No circulation permitted without the consent of RENAULT.

FIRST ISSUE

March 1968 ---

REVISIONS

February 1986 --A

March 1999 - - B Complete revision.

This issue originates from Draft NC 96,837 / - - B.

August 2005 - - C Rereading of the document without modifications.

This issue originates from the project NC 2005 0437 / - - -.

REFERENCED DOCUMENT

Test Method : D45 1394.

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RENAULT D41 1003 / - - C

FOREWORD

This document is equivalent to documents D41 1003 of the PSA PEUGEOT CITROEN and
RENAULT TRUCKS Groups.

It must not be modified without prior consultation with the Standardisation Department of these groups.

It complies with the agreement reached between these Groups and RENAULT in March 1999.

1. SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION

The purpose of this test method is to determine the compressive strength of flexible alveolate
materials used for trimming purposes.

2. PRINCIPLE

The compressive strength of the material is characterised by the compression load, the stress required
for 25 %, 50 %, or 65 % test piece compression when the fifth compression cycle is reached or after
the number of cycles specified by the normative documents.

3. EQUIPMENT

3.1. COMPRESSING MACHINE, inertia-free, fitted with a device continuously recording the forces
as a function of the moving plate displacement. It shall be possible to adjust the rate of
movement of the moving plate to 100 mm/min..

3.2. MOVING PLATE (upper compression plate) with the drilling network defined on figure 3 of
appendix 1.

3.3. FIXED PLATE with the same characteristics as the moving plate (3.12.). Use of a machine with
a table requires a system drawing out the air liable to be expelled from the test piece (see
appendix 1).

3.4. DEVICE FOR CUTTING test pieces, such as band saw, handyman knife, etc.

3.5. DEVICE FOR MEASURING THICKNESSES according to test method D45 1394.

3.6. RULE

3.7. CONDITIONED ROOM at 23 °c ± 2 °c and 50 % ± 5 % relative humidity.

4. PREPARATION OF THE TEST PIECES

- Prepare at least three test pieces.

- Whenever this can be done, perform the test on a 100 mm x 100 mm ± 2 mm test piece with a
height between 30 mm and 60 mm cut where indicated on the part drawing or from the conditions
specified by the normative documents (with or without skin, different dimensions, etc.).

- When the material dimensions do not allow test piece sampling, superimpose the number of
elements required to obtain a total thickness between 30 mm and 60 mm without pasting; each
element shall be at least 8 mm thick.

- The test piece thickness shall be taken in the main working direction of the part (in general, the
expansion direction).

- Condition the test pieces during at least 16 hours in the room (3.67.).

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5. OPERATING PROCEDURE

5.1. Measure the test piece dimensions with the rule (3.56.), to within 1 % considering the test piece
dimensions and surface finish. Measure the thickness H0 with the application of a 1 N pre-
load using the device (3.45.) according to Test Method 1394.

NOTE: The thickness can also be determined on the testing machine during the operation
described in paragraph (5.5.).

5.2. Visually centre on the fixed plate (0.).

5.3. Place the test pieces in the machine plate axis.

5.4. Adjust the compressing machine (3.1) according to the following instructions:

- Force sensitivity scale compatible with the instructions

- Sensitivity: The sensitivity of the machine used shall be customised to the measurement accuracy

- Rate: The rate of movement of the moving plate during compression and decompression shall be
100 mm/min ± 10 mm/min or any other rate specified in the normative documents.

5.5. Operate the moving plate, and stop it when the compression force is equal to 1 N. Under this
force, the distance between the plates (3.12.) and (0.) is equal to H0. Notice the position of
the moving plate (3.12.).

5.6. Compress and decompress the test piece once or five times uninterruptedly at the rate chosen
in paragraph 5.34. (according to the instructions in the normative documents) by causing
variations in the distance between the plates (between H0 and 0.25 H0, i.e. a compression
ratio of 75 %).

Simultaneously record the force/displacement curve at least during the first and fifth cycles.

NOTE: When the relative volume of the cells does not make it possible to obtain such a
compression ratio, use a maximum compression of 65 %, and just indicate compression
loads with 25 % and 50 %.

5.7. Stop the moving plate (3.12.) at the initial position H0 after the last decompression.

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5.8. COMPUTATION

Designate the compressive strength (compression load) by:

- P25/1, P50/1 and P65/1 for compression loads corresponding to 25 %, 50 %, and 65 % compression
ratios measured on the first compression curve

- P25/5, P50/5 and P65/5 for compression loads corresponding to 25 %, 50 %, and 65 % compression
ratios measured on the fifth compression curve.

Compute these compression loads in the following way:

- On the diagram, measure the forces F (in N) corresponding to the desired penetration

- In all the cases, use the position corresponding to the thickness H0 as the displacement origin.

For example, appendix 2 and 3 represent the diagrams obtained for two recorder types giving the
force scale on the Y-axis (see appendix 2) or the X-axis (see appendix 3).

6. STATEMENT OF RESULTS

If S is the initial surface of the test piece, expressed in square metres, normally equal to 0.01 m2, the
compression load P, expressed in kPa, is computed with the following formula:
F
P=
1000 S

. in which:

- F = Force, expressed in Newtons, determined in paragraph 5.78..

- S = Test piece initial surface, expressed in m2, determined in paragraph 5.1..

NOTE: For some particular applications, the compression loads can be computed with other
compression ratios; this shall be mentioned in the test report.

7. TEST REPORT

Apart from the results obtained, the test report must indicate:

- The reference of this test method

- The nature and the reference of the alveolate matrix

- The type of test piece (standard or with special dimensions)

- The number of test pieces, whether these are taken from the same part or not, presence or
absence of moulding skin

- The compression ratios, if these are different from those recommended for compression load
measurements (paragraph 6.)

- The moving plate displacement value

- Individual and mean values

- The maximum compression ratio if different from 75 %

- The material special features or anomalies

- Operating details not provided for in the method as well as possible incidents that could have an
impact on the results.

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APPENDIX 1

COMPRESSION PLATES (3.12.) AND 0.)

;; ;
Fig. 1 Fig. 2

Plateau (3.2.)

;; ;
Eprouvette Eprouvette

Plateau (3.3.)

évacuation air évacuation air

Axe de machine (3.1.)

Table machine (3.1.)

Drilling network definition example

Fig. 3

Y
Centre du poinçon
20±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,1

X X

49 trous Ø 6 ± 0,1
(au minimum)
20±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,120±0,1 y

Y x

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French English

Plateau Flat bed

Eprouvette Test piece

évacuation air Outlet air

Axe de machine Machine axis

Table machine Machine table

Centre du poinçon Punch centre

48 trous 48 holes

Au minimum At least

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APPENDIX 2

DETERMINATION OF FORCES F25, F50 AND F65 CORRESPONDING TO

25 %, 50 % AND 65 % COMPRESSION RATIOS, RESPECTIVELY (CASE OF A SO-CALLED

"FIXED" PLATE CORRECTED DISPLACEMENT)

F % Enregistrement de l'essai témoin

(en N) à l'aide d'un bloc d'acier (voir § 3.4.)

Précharge (voir § 5.1.)

Compression Décompression

F65

F50

F25

Déplacement
1

;;
0 0,25 H0

Plateau fixe
Taux de
Plateau mobile

compression 25 %
Taux de compression 50 %
;

Point d'origine
(hauteur H0)
Taux de compression 65 %

H0
;
RECORDER WITH FORCE SCALE ON Y-AXIS

French English
Enregistrement de l’essai témoin a l’aide d’un bloc Recording the sample test using a steel block (see
d’acier (voir §3.4.) §3.4.)
Compression Compression
Décompression Decompression
Precharge (voir §5.1.) Pre-load (see §5.1.)
Déplacement Displacement
Taux de compression 25% Compression ratio 25%
Plateau mobile Moving plate
Plateau fixe Fixed plate
Point d’origine (heuteur H0) Source point (height H0)

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APPENDIX 3

DETERMINATION OF FORCES F25, F50 AND F65 CORRESPONDING TO

25 %, 50 % AND 65 % COMPRESSION RATIOS, RESPECTIVELY (CASE OF A SO-CALLED

"FIXED" PLATE CORRECTED DISPLACEMENT)

;
Déplacement
Plateau fixe

; 0,25 H0
Précharge (voir § 5.1.)

à l'aide d'un bloc d'acier (voir § 3.1.)

Décompression

Enregistrement de l'essai témoin

Compression
Taux de compression 65 %
H0

Taux de compression 50 %
Point d'origine (hauteur H0)

compression 25 %
Taux de
;; ;

Plateau mobile
;

0 1 F25 F50 F65 F %

(en N)

RECORDER WITH FORCE SCALE ON X-AXIS

French English
Enregistrement de l’essai témoin a l’aide d’un bloc Recording the sample test using a steel block (see
d’acier (voir §3.4.) §3.4.)
Compression Compression
Décompression Decompression
Precharge (voir §5.1.) Pre-load (see §5.1.)
Déplacement Displacement
Taux de compression Compression ratio
Plateau mobile Moving plate
Plateau fixe Fixed plate
Point d’origine (heuteur H0) Source point (height H0)

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