Methods and apparatus to control staging of test specimens. Disclosed example systems to perform automated testing include: a stage configured to secure one or more test specimens; one or more actuators configured to position the stage and the one or more test specimens; a user interface configured to: receive input defining a test sequence of a plurality of points to be tested on the one or more test specimens; display a graphic indicative of positions of the plurality of points on the one or more test specimens and one or more paths to be taken by the stage to traverse the plurality of points during testing of the test sequence; and control circuitry configured to control a test process of the test sequence in accordance with the plurality of points and the one or more paths.

A mouthfeel evaluation method for an orally disintegrating test object is provided, the method including, by a measurement apparatus, giving a predetermined distortion with a predetermine cycle as applying a predetermined pressure to the orally disintegrating test object, adding a predetermined amount of a test liquid to the test object, and measuring a loss tangent of the test object with time.

A mouthfeel evaluation method for an orally disintegrating test object is provided, the method including, by a measurement apparatus, giving a predetermined distortion with a predetermine cycle as applying a predetermined pressure to the orally disintegrating test object, adding a predetermined amount of a test liquid to the test object, and measuring a loss tangent of the test object with time.

A multiaxial fatigue machine comprising a rotational mechanism; a driven shaft arranged collinearly with a first power shaft of the rotational mechanism and a reciprocating mechanism. The rotational mechanism has a first motor and a first fastening element configured to be connected to a test element that can be also connected to a second fastening element of the driven shaft to transmit to said test element a rotational force produced by the first motor. The reciprocating mechanism has a second power shaft, a second motor, and a linear rotational transmission, wherein the reciprocating mechanism is configured to apply an alternating force on the test element.

A method is provided for modeling and analyzing a generalized microscopic stress concentration phenomenon on a machined surface. The modeling method includes: obtaining a true stress-strain curve of a matrix material structure of a specimen; obtaining a micro-topography curve of a machined surface of a machined specimen; processing a plastic deformation layer of a surface of the machined specimen to obtain a plurality of sub-plastic deformation layers; according to the true stress-strain curve of the specimen and the plurality of sub-plastic deformation layers, obtaining a stress-strain curve of each sub-plastic deformation layer; according to the micro-topography curve of the machined surface, attribute information of the matrix material structure, the stress-strain curve of each sub-plastic deformation layer and a corresponding thickness of each sub-plastic deformation layer, constructing a two-dimensional layered finite element analysis model for analyzing the generalized microscopic stress concentration phenomenon of the machined surface of a specimen.

A vacuum system and method for inspecting a workpiece that can include use of the vacuum system, where the vacuum system can include a housing defining at least a portion of a vacuum chamber, a piston within the housing that oscillates to vary a volume of the vacuum chamber, a first valve and a second valve in fluid communication with the vacuum chamber, and a hood in fluid communication with the second valve and the vacuum chamber. The vacuum system can include high-speed valves that enable vacuum system cycling and thus vacuum pressure cycling at a rapid frequency.

A shear box for testing cyclic shear characteristics of a rock mass discontinuity includes: an upper shear box including an upper semi-open cavity composed of an upper left side plate, an upper right side plate, an upper front side plate, an upper rear side plate and an upper top plate; and a lower shear box including a lower semi-open cavity composed of a lower left side plate, a lower right side plate, a lower front side plate, a lower rear side plate and a lower bottom plate; the upper shear box includes at least one first adjusting device for adjusting a space size of the upper semi-open cavity; the lower shear box includes at least one second adjusting device for adjusting a space size of the lower semi-open cavity; and the upper shear box and the lower shear box are placed opposite to each other.

A method of spectrometric analysis comprises obtaining one or more sample spectra for an aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The results of the analysis are used for various surgical or non-surgical applications.

A method of spectrometric analysis comprises obtaining one or more sample spectra for an aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The one or more sample spectra are subjected to pre-processing and then multivariate and/or library based analysis so as to classify the aerosol, smoke or vapour sample. The results of the analysis are used for various surgical or non-surgical applications.

A central member defines a sample chamber and includes an elastic material configured to enclose at least a portion of a sample, acoustic sensors configured to detect sound waves in the sample chamber, and acoustic emitters configured to emit sounds waves in the central member. A pressure-retaining case is configured to contain a pressurized fluid between an annulus formed between the pressure-retaining case and the central member. A switch is configured to connect or disconnect a pulser and receiver circuit to a specified emitter of the acoustic emitters. A data acquisition unit is configured to receive a signal from each of the acoustic sensors. A pulser and receiver circuit is configured to send an electric pulse to an acoustic emitter and a control signal to the data acquisition unit.