A low-cost tabletop tensile tester with optical extensometer

High quality mechanical testing normally demands costly test equipment. This work presents a low cost (similar to$500) fully customizable tensile tester that is designed from locally sourced and readily available components and, together with custom made operation software, delivers data of similar quality to commercial equipment. The instrument is small, light, and movable (e.g., it is suitable for a standard fume hood) and should be of interest to laboratories with limited access to advanced characterization facilities. All details are provided for future adaptation and customization.