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Glossary

MIBANT

Also called: MIBANT angle, Morgan Impact Bend Angle Nail Tester, MIBANT test

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Definition

MIBANT stands for Morgan Impact Bend Angle Nail Tester, the impact-bend test for pallet nails defined in ASTM F680. It reports a bend angle in degrees: the lower the angle, the stiffer the nail. Quality pallet nails typically test in the 20s and 30s.

On this page
  1. How the test works
  2. What is a good MIBANT angle?
  3. How MIBANT feeds the engineering
  4. Why it matters

How the test works

A weight strikes a nail clamped at a set point, and the tester records how far the shank bends. The result is the MIBANT angle in degrees. Lower is better, because a stiffer nail resists the bending that loosens joints during handling.

What is a good MIBANT angle?

MIBANT angle Industry rating (trade press)
8 to 24 degrees excellent
25 to 35 degrees good
37 to 46 degrees acceptable

Real PDS spec sheets show quality pallet nails at 21, 28 and 36 degrees. Soft clinching mat nails can read over 100. No more than 8% of the nails tested may show shank failure.

How MIBANT feeds the engineering

The Uniform Standard (Annex F) converts the MIBANT angle into bending yield strength for connection design, and sets a minimum bending yield of 100 ksi. A MIBANT value is one of the standard fields in a fastener specification, alongside wire diameter, thread and the fastener withdrawal characteristic.

Why it matters

Nail quality drives durability. Virginia Tech found a GMA pallet built with 11-1/2 gauge (0.112 in) nails lasted about twice as many trips as one built with 12-1/2 gauge (0.099 in) collated nails. See nail quality and ASTM F680.

Questions

Is a higher or lower MIBANT better?
Lower. A lower bend angle means a stiffer nail that holds joints tighter under handling.
What standard defines MIBANT?
ASTM F680, the standard test methods for nails, includes the MIBANT impact-bend test.

Sources