In Their Words: Customer Perspectives on PIP’s ASTM Standard

The Journey to Standardisation

In the early 2000s, a research team at the University of Cambridge began to investigate indentation as a means of measuring the mechanical properties of metals. The resulting methodology, Profilometry-based Indentation Plastometry (PIP), is a physics-based approach that extracts stress-strain curves including yield and tensile strength from indentation test data using an inverse finite element method.

PIP testing was developed to give engineers access to the same fundamental mechanical properties as tensile testing, but with greater efficiency and versatility. With PIP, users can test small or complex samples that aren’t suitable for conventional methods. The process takes just a few minutes and requires minimal preparation of the sample surface itself, reducing turnaround times and costs compared to tensile testing. After leaving the University of Cambridge, members of that research team founded Plastometrex, developing a suite of testing technology underpinned by this methodology.

The standardisation process began in 2022 and has since involved collaborative validation work with customers including NPL, Airbus, Nikon AM and Renishaw. Their support is a “testament to the value that customers see in the method,” according to Dr Jimmy Campbell, CTO of Plastometrex and leader of the development of the standard. This willingness to collaborate was driven by a shared ambition to expand PIP testing into new applications, including heavily regulated and safety-critical industries.

Building Confidence in Testing

A key motivation behind this customer-driven push for ASTM certification can be summarised in one word: confidence. According to Sabrina Puidokas, Senior Project Leader and Group Leader Deputy at Eurofins Qualitech AG, recognition by ASTM “increases the trust” in PIP-generated data, leading to a “higher chance of acceptance” for the method in new industries and applications.

This standard validates the rigour of the science behind PIP testing, providing users with more statistical confidence in the method. For regulated sectors where mechanical testing is a cornerstone of safety and performance, this assurance is particularly important.

“I think this will improve confidence that the method is repeatable and the data is comparable across various test houses and users. That will help with the comparison and correlation of data to give PIP more exposure and increased statistical confidence.” – David Wragg, Principal Materials Engineer at Leonardo Helicopters

Because the method can now be referenced by materials suppliers, certification bodies and manufacturers, the data it generates can be better understood, shared and controlled across organisations. As Behrang Poorganji, VP of Technology at Nikon Advanced Manufacturing noted:

“PIP’s ASTM certification makes it an increasingly valuable tool in our toolbox as we collaborate with partners and customers. The confidence that we’ll receive consistent results across laboratories and supply chains opens up a great deal of flexibility in our operations as we’re working with partners in various facilities and locations around the world.”

Expanding the Role of PIP Testing

The ASTM standard positions PIP to become widely adopted within applications where certification is non-negotiable. While the standard supports deployment in regulated environments such as aerospace and energy, its impact goes further than that. It provides an additional layer of assurance for the many areas where PIP is already used, including research, alloy development, process monitoring and, increasingly, qualification.

For David Wragg, Principal Materials Engineer at Leonardo Helicopters, the impact of this standard will be most evident during qualification. With PIP now operating under a recognised international framework, his team can ensure that they are “working to an international standard for all of [their] measurements,” helping them streamline testing workflows and maintain consistency across projects.

As PIP becomes more integrated into routine testing workflows, it will enable efficient project delivery and help remove bottlenecks associated with conventional methods. This includes supporting earlier decision-making during development and qualification, as well as providing more flexibility when validating components produced at different sites or under varied manufacturing processes.

"The ASTM standard provides a recognition for the robust nature of PIP, and it provides a certain degree of confidence in the method to those less familiar with it. It will ideally lower the barrier for adoption by various companies and accelerate its adoption into industry." - Colton Katsarelis, Materials and Failure Analysis Team Lead, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

Additive Manufacturing

With this standard, PIP now offers a testing route that helps ease the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) across supply chains and enables a wider range of AM components to be qualified for service. As Behrang Poorganji explains, this development will be “a key factor in AM adoption” helping expand the range of components that can be rapidly qualified and brought into production.

The publication of ASTM E3499-25 comes at a time when many organisations are working to increase the use of AM. Qualification and validation requirements remain a major barrier to adoption, with tensile testing acting as a bottleneck due to its lengthy machining and testing times. By providing a standardised method for obtaining tensile-equivalent data directly on printed components, PIP helps speed up this process.

PIP can also be used to support the transition of AM parts into service, where confidence in material strength and consistency is essential. Faster access to trusted data means faster approval, which helps AM parts move from development to deployment in record time.

Asset Integrity

The PLX-Portable extends the reach of PIP testing beyond the lab, allowing mechanical properties to be measured directly from assets in service. It is already being widely used to determine yield strength and tensile strength in the field, and this recognition from ASTM further adds to the pedigree of the methodology behind the tool.

PIP is now the only test method that allows engineers to gather yield and tensile strength data directly from live assets using a standardised method. This benefits current users, who can reference the ASTM standard in their reporting, and supports further adoption across the energy and construction sector.

PIP testing, supported by this new standard, enables operators to address uncertainties around ageing infrastructure, missing material records or life-extension decisions. By enabling in-situ testing, PIP supports better decision-making and can ensure the safe and efficient operation of pipelines.

“With the publication of the standard, we can now give pipeline operators part of the puzzle they need to run assets for longer, while ensuring those assets remain safe.” – Jimmy Campbell, CTO of Plastometrex

Conclusion

The publication of ASTM E3499-25 marks a turning point for mechanical testing. It validates years of collaborative work between Plastometrex, its customers and the wider materials community, confirming PIP as a reliable and repeatable method.

For engineers, the standard provides confidence in results and the assurance of a recognised framework. For organisations, it creates new possibilities to test, qualify and certify materials with greater efficiency and control. The publication of this standard reflects the shared goal of Plastometrex and its partners: to make high-quality mechanical data faster to obtain, easier to share and more widely accessible. With ASTM E3499-25 now in place, PIP testing is set to become an even more trusted and routinely used part of mechanical testing practice worldwide.

To learn more about how PIP testing can transform your mechanical testing, click here.