Our most unusual facility consists of a large, high strength steel beam with eight points on its upper surface for mounting hydraulic actuators, test specimens or mechanical components. At its maximum stroke of 54 feet, forces up to 3,000,000 pounds can be applied, 3,175,000 pounds can be applied with a stroke of 234 inches, and 5,000,000 pounds with a stroke of 36 inches. These performance characteristics provide a unique capability for testing high strength structural assemblies encompassing varying degrees of elongation at failure. The need for such a facility has been accelerated by the increase use of large synthetic ropes charaterized by properties of high strength and elasticity.
These materials show great promise in a number of applications heretofore impractical with metalic structural elements, but their greater elongation at failure (especially nylon), and their larger quantity of stored energy which is released at failure, have mandated the long-stroke, high load qualities designed into this facility.
Control systems as well as data acquisition are computer controlled. Automatic cyclic operation between any two paprameters, either controlled or random, is easily accomplished with this facility. Although this facility was intended primarily for tensile testing, it can also apply compressive loads. Additional components are on hand to assemble configurations other than those shown, providing great felixibility in the types of articles which can be tested with this facility. The maximum usable test bed length is 250 feet. The maximum stretch capability is 54 feet. |
