ASTM E4 – Force Verification of Testing Machines

ASTM E4, “Standard Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines,” has just been updated again!  I’ve blogged about this document a couple of times, as it is well-used throughout industry.  Here’s my post on the ASTM E4 2014 Edition.  This standard practice is updated regularly and is a good candidate for subscription access.  Be sure to ask our Document Center staff about this option when you place your order.

As I’ve stated before, the ASTM E4 provides you with the protocols, calibration requirements, and reporting data for what’s called force verification.  Force verification involves the use of a standard calibration device to check on tension or compression in your testing machine.  The process described here uses standard weights, equal-arm balances and standard weights, or elastic calibration devices.  You’ll be testing to see if the indicated force on your testing machine is within a permissible variation from the actual force of the test.

Every time a new revision is released, users want to know where the changes occur.  ASTM provides you with two aids in this regards:  Information at the end of many of the ASTM specs and standards provided by the committee and Redline editions.  Document Center Inc. can help you with both.

Certainly, in this new 2016 Edition, the major updates are in Sections 3 (Terminology) and 12 (now called Methods of Verification).  Additionally Note X2.5 has been updated (in Annex X2.)  Section 3 has been revised due to the inclusion of ASTM E6 in the referenced documents clause.  Sections 13 and 14 have been incorporated into Section 12 which accounts for the name change.  There are a number of other changes throughout the document as well.

In order to correctly catch all modifications to the document, again the Redline option is your best bet.  It costs a relatively small amount more, but offers you a better view of all the areas that may contain changes.  You’ll get a clean copy of the new standard as well as the marked-up (redline) copy of the previous edition.  Of course, it is up to you to verify all revisions since the redline is only provided as a tool and not an official ASTM document per se.

Now to get yourself a copy of the new update.  Search for and order any ASTM standard with confidence at the Document Center webstore, www.document-center.com.  Here is a direct link to the order page for  ASTM E4 for your convenience.  Document Center has been an authorized ASTM distributor since the 1980’s.

Should you have further questions, or need special assistance, just get in touch with our staff.  You can reach them by phone (650-591-7600) or email (info@document-center.com).  And why would I suggest using subscription access for this standard?  Since it gets revised frequently, using subscription access provides all members of your organization with access and updates are provided at no additional charge during the life of the subscription.  Just another reason to make Document Center Inc. your Standards Experts!

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Claudia Bach

Claudia Bach is the President of Document Center Inc. and a world-wide recognized expert on Standards and Standards Distribution. You can connect with her on Google+

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