Test results
The minimum breaking strength (MBS) displayed on a product serves as a threshold, not an average, and sits below what the components reach in destructive testing.
We test VERTA parts to destruction, publish the lower rated figure, and keep testing to failure to know the real margin.
Certification status
VERTA hardware is not certified to EN 959 or UIAA Standard 123. Certification is a planned step once the designs are frozen. Until then what backs the hardware is the material verification, proof load testing and destructive testing set out on this page.
Material verification
Material selection is the first thing that has to be right. A part manufactured from an incorrect alloy fails no matter how well it is crafted.
We verify every batch in two stages. Initial screening uses handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) on incoming material. That is followed by full quantitative optical emission spectrometry (OES) testing at an independent accredited laboratory, which reports precise elemental values for every key element against ASTM B265 grade 2 limits. The laboratory reports are kept on file by batch.
A material certificate stating “grade 2 titanium” is a claim about the material, not a test of the batch in your possession. We test every batch ourselves, because it is the only way to know what is in the parts we ship.
Proof load testing
We conduct in-house proof load testing on rings, quicklinks and carabiners. A proof load is a non-destructive load, applied to confirm a part meets its minimum strength without taking it to failure. This approach lets us detect a faulty unit before it ships, and verify batch consistency.
We operate our own tensile and proof load equipment, capable of applying and measuring loads that meet or exceed the levels specified in EN 959. That is a statement about the equipment, not a claim of conformity to the standard.
Glue-in bolts are not subjected to proof load testing in the same manner. Their strength in service is derived from the bond between bolt and rock, so a bench proof load on the bolt alone does not test the thing that matters. Bolts are verified by material testing and destructive sample testing instead.
Passivation
Every VERTA product undergoes passivation in accordance with ASTM B600-11. Passivation removes iron contamination picked up from tooling during machining and handling, and restores the stable oxide layer that gives titanium and stainless steel their corrosion resistance. Neglect it, and iron left on the surface can bloom into rust staining later, on a part that is otherwise sound.
What the numbers mean
Load ratings are expressed in kilonewtons (kN). One kilonewton is roughly equivalent to 102 kilograms of force.
Minimum breaking strength (MBS) is the load at which a part is tested to failure. The rated figure represents the lower bound of destructive results across a sample, not an average.
Proof load is a non-destructive load applied to every unit of the tested product lines, verifying the part meets its minimum strength without being taken to failure.