ISO 17161:2014 describes a procedure to verify the degree of misalignment of the load train of the test machines using a reference test specimen uniformly loaded in tension or in compression, and to give indications in order to correct defects such as torsion and bending.
ISO 17161:2014 is not intended to provide a quantitative and acceptable limit before the testing of ceramic matrix composites with a fibre reinforcement: unidirectional (1D), bidirectional (2D), and tridirectional (xD, with 2 < x ≤ 3) loaded along one principal axis of reinforcement. This limit depends on the sensitivity of each type of composite to the misalignment defect.