DUESSELDORF, Germany—Instron is displaying its portfolio of systems for testing polymers at K Show.
The firm, a global manufacturer of testing equipment for the material and structural testing markets used to evaluate materials ranging from native tissue to advanced high-strength alloys, is presenting its portfolio of systems for testing polymers from static to dynamic, from research and development, done 24/7.
Instron is showing a 5969 electromechanical dual column table-top system for mid-range testing, together with pneumatic grips, designed for a nominal load of 10 kN, in combination with an automatically contacting Instron AutoX extensometer. This is for static tensile, flexure, compression, bend, peel, shear, tear and cyclic tests.
Instron also is presenting its latest development, the TestMaster AT3 for tensile and flexure testing, which is for automated testing runs. Once the tray has been loaded and the start button pushed, the company said, its automated specimen loading feature improves repeatability and reproducibility of testing and results, minimizing human error.
The company also said the process increases safety by keeping the operator away from the testing area, and improving ergonomics by virtually eliminating repetitive motions associated with high volume manual testing.
All test runs will be controlled, documented and stored in a data base, the company said, using its Bluehill 3 testing software with modular software packages.
For impact testing of polymers, Instron will exhibit two systems: a Ceast 9350 floor standing drop tower designed to deliver 0.59 to 757 J or up to 1,800 J together with an environmental chamber, and a motorized Ceast 9050 impact pendulum.
Both systems will be operated using Instron's Ceast VisualIMPACT software, which the company said is designed to control these devices, record force and absorbed energy data, visualize and help analyse the results and calculate resilience.
VisualIMPACT is tailored to using the Ceast high-speed data acquisition system DAS64K. Providing a data acquisition rate of 4 MHz, Instron claimed this system is an advantage when testing brittle materials or performing tests at high speeds or low temperatures.
For HDT and Vicat tests, Instron is showing its recently introduced Instron HV Series, designed to reduce workload and increase efficiency in the testing lab. The HV6X will be displayed at K, with six testing stations and automatic weights application, using electronics that automatically zero the position of the LVDT measuring sensors before starting a test, reducing test time and human error.
The company's Bluehill HV test software will operate the HV tester, edit methods, analyze results or configure the system.
The ElectroPuls E1000 electrodynamic testing system, for dynamic testing tasks, will be showcased. The system uses oil-free linear motor technology, together with the recently introduced AVE2 Advanced Video Extensometer. It offers slow-speed static and high-frequency fatigue testing, Instron said, and said the ElectroPuls systems are designed for up to 10 kN axial load or combined axial-torsion loadings, delivering 10 kN and 100 Nm.
The AVE2 is a non-contacting extensometer for dynamic strain control at variable gauge lengths and differing travels, the company said, offering speed and flexibility for studying the behavior of materials without damaging the specimen's surface. It adapts to the normal fluctuations in environmental conditions in the lab, Instron said, and is designed to reduce errors from thermal and lighting variations that are common in most labs, utilizing real-time 490 Hz data rate while achieving a 1 micron accuracy.
Instron, headquartered in Pianezza, Italy, offers systems that perform a variety of tests such as compression, cyclic, fatigue, impact, multi-axis, rheology, tensile and torsion.