Depending on the power source they use, universal testing machine (UTM) can be classified as either hydraulic or electromechanical. UTMs can be classed according to their construction (single or dual column) as well as their ability to tolerate force pressure. The particular tests they conduct—which may include flexural, shear, tensile, compression, and other comparable tests—also set them apart from one another. 

The universal testing machine is a piece of lab equipment that can subject a variety of materials to stresses of different Types of universal testing machine. It was renamed from "traction machine" or "dynamometer" to "universal" recognition due to its many applications. These machines may have different structures, as you will see in the next section, but in general, they consist of a frame with one or two support columns.