Tensile testing "dogbone" specimen designed for PLA plastic, for use with the Instron Universal Testing System (UTS).

Created for ESW at UC Irvine's "Quantitative Assessment of Recycled Filament for Fused Deposition Manufacturing" research project, comparing mechanical properties of recycled PLA against first-use PLA.

Gauge dimensions: (32 x 3 x 1) mm

Design considerations:

• PLA plastic is relatively hard for the Instron UTS, so a very thin gauge length is necessary.
• Wide shoulder for improved grip.