Instron was established in 1946 in Canton, near Boston, Massachusetts. Its founders, Harold Hindman and George Burr, were working together at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a joint project investigating suitable substitutes for silk that could be used in the manufacture of parachutes. After discovering there was no testing machine available accurate enough to meet their requirements, Mr. Hindman and Mr. Burr used their knowledge of electronics and mechanical engineering to design a materials testing instrument based on the latest electronics and servo-control systems. The resulting prototype was so successful that Mr. Hindman and Mr. Burr formed Instron Corporation.

The name "INSTRON” is a contraction of the words “instrument” and “electronics”, and it represents a unique partnership of these men as innovators in the materials testing machine field.

The original Instron testing machine incorporated a unique cross-head drive system, which was similar to the radar antenna positioning drive on naval warships. The transducer for the load weighing system utilized the strain gauge, which was a brand new technology developed at MIT.

825 University Ave

Norwood, MA

02062-2643

• Sales: +1 800 564 8378
• Service: +1 800 473 7838
• Canada: +1 800 461 9123
• General Enquiries: +1 800 877 6674
• (Outside the U.S.): +1 781 828 2500