The Testing Times

As the demands for light-weight composite structures for aerospace, ground transportation, and environmentally sustainable energy systems develop, so do the mechanical testing requirements for composite materials, components and structures. Anisotropic and inhomogeneous composite materials, for use in demanding structural applications, require a wide range of mechanical tests. Determination of properties requires tension, compression and shear tests. Qualification and materials development requires other test types to explore more complex properties, such as open hole tension/compression (OHT/OFC), inter-laminar fracture toughness, compression after impact (CAI) and fatigue.   Tests need to be conducted over a range of temperatures on materials that may have been conditioned in a variety of environmental conditions, such as high humidity and immersion in fluids. Composite tests have been standardized by a number of organizations. The main international composite testing st

Dr Tom Allen of Manchester Metropolitan Universities Institute of Sport talking on the BBC about the Nike Vapour Fly trainer technology and using his Tinius Olsen H10KS materials testing system to prove out its strength and performance. For interest the TO S series is the Nike Air Max trainer equivalent of the 1990’s while the current TO ST series is Nikes Vapour Fly equivalent, but not with 4% difference in your performance rather at least 10% improvement in materials testing productivity and a typical ROI of 10 months after which you are making money….. Want to know more about Vapour Fly technology and the controversial carbon fibre sole inlay click here

Testing rebar for strength and performance is changing, the need for total strain at break as a result and the obvious safety risks when traditionally removing extensometers (the strain measuring device) at yield before a bar breaks for example at 150 tons force, has driven the development of a new 500mm Field Of View non contacting optical extensometer. At Tinius Olsen we have integrated the new Epsilon optical extensometer into our model SL 1000kN and 2000kN Horizon software-based rebar tensile test systems, this means; Automatic calculation of strain % at break No user hands near the test specimen during the test and if required strain rate control of the test Job done! Ref: ISO 15630-1 and ASTM A370