Instron Limited

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Itw Limited

Paul D Hayford

David W Long

Raymond David Lohr

Christoph Scherer

Andrew Moulden

Ben Jeppesen

Thomas Bachmann

Gerhard Löschner

Thomas Maier

David Long

Graham Mead

Chanchal Singh Bahra

Gerald Jung

Benjamin Jeppesen

Provided are a method, a test system and a microcontroller (), for use in a test system for testing vehicles and automotive components. Control signals that are generated by active components within a vehicle during a test drive are sampled and played back to a specimen vehicle within a laboratory test environment, and the control signals are played back synchronously with data representing conditions and events such as loads, acceleration and displacements that are experienced during the test drive. A microcontroller () is provided to buffer control signal data and to synchronize playback of the control signals via a CAN () bus within the specimen test vehicle in response to trigger signals.

System, controller and method for synchronized capture and synchronized playback of data

A biaxial electromagnetic actuator for a materials testing apparatus comprises a first electromagnetic actuator for imparting a linear force to an output shaft and a second, direct drive electromagnetic actuator for imparting a rotational force to the shaft. The shaft is mounted in two combination bearings which permit the shaft to move axially and rotationally. One of the bearings is located within a hollow cylindrical member which constitutes the armature of the direct drive actuator in order to provide a compact and symmetrical arrangement.

Bi-axial electromagnetic actuator

In a method of operating a material testing machine for testing a specimen, the machine has an electrically controllable actuator arranged to apply a force to the specimen. The method includes inputting a single adjustable parameter value, calculating all necessary feedback control gains therefrom, and subsequently conducting a test of the specimen.

Tuning of materials testing machine

A method of monitoring the surface of a sample under test is provided and the method comprises the steps of: illuminating the surface with light () polarised in a first direction; viewing light reflected from the surface through a polarising filter () arranged at 90&#xb0; to the first direction, wherein the surface of the sample under test is provided with a marked area where diffuse reflection of the incident polarised light will occur in order to improve the contrast between the marked area and the surface of the sample under text.

Testing of samples

Test apparatus comprising means for holding a sample to be tested, means for altering the strain in the sample, an optical arrangement for monitoring the sample to be tested, and processing means for processing the signals resulting from the monitoring of the sample under test, wherein the environment between the optical arrangement and the sample under test is controlled, and wherein the sample to be tested is located in a position external to the controlled environment.

A load cell for use in dynamic testing apparatus for mechanically testing samples includes an accelerometer mounted in the load cell on the same axis as the line of action of the mechanical force applied to the specimen under test. The resultant signal from the combination of the normal output from the load cell and the output from the accelerometer compensates for errors introduced by the mass of the moving grip used to grip the specimen in the apparatus.

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High Wycombe, United Kingdom

Paul D Hayford