The Vilutra MK-1040 is an electronic ball rebound tester for flexible polyurethane foam. An electromagnet releases a Ø16 mm steel ball from 500 mm, a light barrier measures the first rebound, and the 7″ touchscreen calculates resilience in percent. It has separate test profiles for ISO 8307 and ASTM D3574 Test H and exports results as CSV over USB. Vilutra test devices are installed and commissioned by our technical team. Staff who will operate the device receive on-site training on test procedures, parameter settings, and reporting. Thanks to our Izmir-based production and service infrastructure, installation, spare parts, and technical support processes are carried out much faster and at a lower cost than with imported devices. All Vilutra devices are covered by our company warranty. Thanks to local design and manufacturing, spare parts are supplied without the long wait times seen with imported devices. Your after-sales support requests are handled quickly by our service team in Izmir; remote support and, when needed, on-site intervention ensure your device runs without interruption.
MK-1040 Foam Resilience Tester
What the MK-1040 Ball Rebound Tester measures
Ball rebound resilience shows how much of the impact energy a flexible foam gives back. A steel ball is dropped onto the foam from a fixed height, and the height of its first rebound is expressed as a percentage of the drop height. The higher the percentage, the more elastic the foam. We explain how to read these values in what is foam resilience.
The MK-1040 runs this test electronically. An electromagnet releases the ball, a light barrier detects the highest point of the first rebound, and the 7″ touchscreen calculates the result. The operator doesn’t need to read a scale by eye, so results don’t depend on who runs the test.
How a test runs
- Choose the method: the operator selects the ISO 8307 or ASTM D3574 Test H profile on the 7″ touchscreen and enters the sample name and operator.
- Set up the specimen: the specimen is placed on the stainless steel table and the drop tube is lowered to the specimen and locked.
- Release: the electromagnet releases the Ø16 mm steel ball from 500 mm.
- Measure: the light barrier detects the maximum height of the first rebound. The screen shows the rebound height in mm and resilience in %.
- Repeat and save: the operator returns the ball with the external magnet. If the ball touched the tube, the drop can be marked invalid. Results are saved for each drop and exported as CSV over USB.
Technical specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Test methods | ISO 8307:2018 and ASTM D3574 Test H, with separate software profiles |
| Measuring principle | Maximum height of the first rebound, resilience R (%) |
| Drop height | 500 mm (reference) |
| Steel ball | Ø16 mm, 16.3 g |
| Measuring system | Electronic height measurement with a light barrier |
| Accuracy | ±1% of rebound height (at most ±5 mm in the 500 mm tube) |
| Specimen thickness | 50 mm as specified in ISO 8307 and ASTM D3574; up to 100 mm on request |
| Results | Rebound height (mm) and resilience (%) for each drop |
| Drop tube | Transparent acrylic, 40 mm inner diameter, height adjustable and lockable |
| Ball release | Electromagnet |
| Construction | Aluminium frame, stainless steel specimen table |
| Test unit dimensions | 400 × 400 × 800 mm (W × D × H) |
| Control unit | 7″ touchscreen HMI in an aluminium enclosure, 260 × 215 × 280 mm |
| Power supply | 220–240 V AC |
| Data | Sample, date, operator and drop results; CSV export over USB |
| Certification | CE |
| Warranty | 3 years |
Standard delivery
Test unit with transparent drop tube, light barrier, electromagnet, Ø16 mm steel ball, control unit with 7″ touchscreen, external magnet for returning the ball, and connection cables. Test specimens are not included.
Standards: ISO 8307 and ASTM D3574 Test H
Both standards drop a steel ball onto the foam and measure its rebound, so the principle is the same. Specimen and reporting rules differ, though, so a report should always name the method used. That’s why the MK-1040 keeps a separate profile for each. How the two standard families relate is covered in ASTM D3574 vs ISO.
Where it’s used
- Foam production: batch control of slabstock and molded flexible foam.
- Mattress and furniture: comparing the comfort of seating, mattress and upholstery foams with a number.
- Automotive: incoming and outgoing inspection of seat foams.
- R&D: measuring how formulation changes affect resilience.
Resilience is read together with density and hardness. How the three relate is explained in foam density vs hardness vs resilience, and the full set of tests is in our foam testing guide.
Why Vilutra MK-1040
The MK-1040 is designed and built in İzmir, Türkiye. Installation, training and technical support come from the same team that builds the device, and it carries a 3-year warranty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a ball rebound tester and a pendulum rebound tester?
A ball rebound tester drops a steel ball onto flexible foam, as described in ISO 8307 and ASTM D3574 Test H. Pendulum testers such as the Schob pendulum use a different mechanism and are mainly used for rubber and elastomers. The MK-1040 is a ball rebound tester.
Can thicker specimens be tested?
Both standards call for a 50 mm thick specimen. For customer-specific measurements the MK-1040 can be configured for specimens up to 100 mm.
How are results stored?
Each drop is stored with sample name, date and operator. Results can be exported as a CSV file over USB for archiving or further analysis.
