Mechanical testing is the process whereby your metal or plastic products are tested to the max to make sure they can withstand just about anything. If this sounds like something you might actually want to try with your company's own products, then you will need to learn more about the subject. Here are are a few resources.
Take the Tour
Mechanical testing labs are not especially dangerous. You can schedule a tour to see mechanical testing in action, and witness how each of the different types of testing are completed. You may need a hard hat in some areas, but the mechanical testing company will alert you to this. The testing company may even provide hard hats to visit hard hat areas. You can learn quite a lot on the tour.
Read Books, Pamphlets, and Brochures
Testing companies have pamplets and brochures that you can request. Read these from front to back. Then check out books from your local library if you still have questions about mechanical testing. While the titles to certain educational series of books are offensive, and you are neither an idiot or a dummy, the books in these series that particularly relate to mechanical testing are particularly informative and easy to understand.
Ask for a Personal Demonstration on One of Your Products
If you ask for a personal demonstration, you can view a mechanical test in person on one of your company's plastic or metal products. You will see exactly how the chosen test is done, and how the test results are recorded. The test results are also explained to you so that you know how strong and/or durable that particular product is. The mechanical testing company that is willing to do a personal demonstration usually does so with the intent of securing your business as a client.
Impressed? Time to Hire a Mechanical Testing Lab for Your Company's Products
If, after everything you have learned and everything you have seen, you decide that you want to work with a mechanical testing team, then you will need to do some more research. This involves finding a lab/testing company that will take your company on as a client, and one that charges what you are looking to pay. Since not all testing companies are the same, you do not want to just hire a company willy-nilly. You want a testing lab/company that has the experience and the reputation to back up their results.