Notes:

1. Select maximum load required.

2. Select maximum speed - ASTM test methods require 20 inches per minute or less.

3. The frame vertical test space must accommodate the grips, load cell and test sample. 100 Series frames offer 31” manual adjustment with a power stroke matched to elongation requirements.

4. A dual column frame is required for most environmental chambers or large samples.

Select load cell to match known test requirements.

Notes

1. Select load cell for highest test load.

2. Confirm lowest accurate reading with selected controller. PQR controllers calibrate to 0.2% (1/500 th ) of full scale; M controllers calibrate to 0.5% (1/200 th ).

Step 3 – Control and Measurement requirements

Select controller to perform test at hand. The controller controls the system and captures raw test data from sensors. Control and data acquisition specifications are important, especially when testing materials where rate dependency is a factor.

Our control products are digital with software personalities and performance.

P / M controllers capture peak load and displacement at break values – useful for strength tests. Optional software products such as MStat & Wincom perform statistical analysis of multiple tests and produce test reports.

Q / R / ZPM controllers are universal – with optional software to plot curves and characterize load – displacement mechanical behavior. Data from the curves may be exported to Excel for further analysis or analysis modules may be purchased.

Step 4 – Controller Selection

Select the best controller – general needs considered.

Standalone controllers produce the same high quality test results but are simpler since they perform fewer tasks. They use embedded software accessed by a keypad to operate the tester and collect load, displacement and strain (option) data. Standalone units present load and displacement data live via a LCD display and export data for analysis (option). Some automatically plot the load – displacement curve.

A standalone controller should be considered for the following test applications:

•  Strength testing (e.g. peel, tensile, welds, compressive strength) where peak load and displacement at break are measured. These entry level tests can be served by a M or P controller without a computer.

•  Is the application a single test in high volume?

•  Is data to be exported to a PC or printer?

•  Is statistical processing involved?

•  Mechanical properties tests (tensile, adhesion, flexural, compression) where test setups do not change day to day.

•  Test setups where extensive data analysis is part of the process of generating a test report.

PC based control

PC controlled systems are important where test requirements are not known or are limited to one or two test methods. R systems are user configurable to meet needs of the research laboratory and testing service laboratories where rapid changeover and configurational flexibility are valued.

Our R controllers handle multiple sensors that can be changed often, multiple analyses such as calculating yield strength, flexural modulus, and energy. PC controlled systems take advantage of the flexibility of PC and data manipulation, management, networking and storage

The last step in configuring a test system is to application er it to specific test methods or a class of applications by consulting with an experienced applications er. Our application ers have the experience to consult in pre-sales processes to confirm explicit and implicit requirements associated with different materials and end goals of customers of test machines.

The TestResources application er for the area of interest should be contacted to validate configurations prior to sale.