2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Clamp-a-Coupon: A Rapid and Repeatable Method to Demonstrate Tensile Tests

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Trevor Lujan and Cody Willson

Abstract

Mechanical properties of soft tissues can be assessed by performing uniaxial tensile tests on dumbbell-shaped specimens, commonly referred to as dog bone coupons. We previously developed the patented Print-A-Punch device as an affordable, consistent, and reliable method for cutting soft tissue dog bone coupons, making specimen preparation accessible to research labs at a relatively low cost. This device consists of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D-printed components assembled with standard, easy-to-acquire hardware. However, validating that coupons cut by the Print-A-Punch fail consistently in the intended gauge length region, rather than at the tabs or shoulders, using standard testing devices is tedious and time consuming. This study aimed to develop a fast and repeatable device for the qualitative tensile validation of Print-A-Punch dog bone coupons. The Clamp-A-Coupon tensile tester was developed as a system manufactured entirely from FDM 3D-printed parts, making the iterative design process quick and economical. The system consists of a sliding dovetail track, spiked clamps with integrated hinges and locking mechanisms, and gauge length spacers to ensure only the coupon tabs are gripped during testing. Validation will compare failure locations of coupons pulled by hand against those tested using the Clamp-A-Coupon, where successful validation will be defined by consistent failure within the gauge length section.

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