An apparatus for performing a contact mechanics test in a substrate includes a stylus having at least two contact elements. Each contact element has a contact profile, and the contact elements are disposed in the stylus to define a stretch passage therebetween. The stylus is configured to deform the substrate so as to cause the substrate to flow between the contact elements and induce tension in the substrate in order to generate and preserve micromodifications in the substrate. Methods of performing a contact mechanics test using the apparatus are also provided.

Aging resistant asphalt compositions and related methods of preparing and applying the same are provided. The aging resistant asphalt compositions can include a base asphalt with specified properties combined with an aging resistance additive, to produce modified asphalt compositions having a colloidal index within the range of about 3.7 to about 8.0, a saturates content of less than about 10% by weight, and measurable age-resistant properties. The aging resistant asphalt compositions are useable in a variety of asphalt paving and non-paving applications. The aging resistant asphalt compositions provide improved resistance to both moderate and low failure temperatures of conventional paving asphalts throughout its service life by reducing age-related failures.

In a general implementation, data regarding a rock sample from a drilling site is received. A thermal-mechanical interaction model is generated based on the rock sample date. The thermal-mechanical interaction model is used to determine a penetration rate and mechanical damage around perforation channels through the modeling of heat that is emitted on an exposed surface of the rock sample by a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source. The determined penetration rate and mechanical damage is used to evaluate an effectiveness of the laser beam source to be used in a perforation at the drilling site.

In a general implementation, data regarding a rock sample from a drilling site is received. A thermal-mechanical interaction model is generated based on the rock sample date. The thermal-mechanical interaction model is used to determine a penetration rate and mechanical damage around perforation channels through the modeling of heat that is emitted on an exposed surface of the rock sample by a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source. The determined penetration rate and mechanical damage is used to evaluate an effectiveness of the laser beam source to be used in a perforation at the drilling site.

A control device including a solder joint life predictor includes: a temperature sensor that measures temperature of a solder joint on an electronic circuit board that drives a heater and a motor; a storage that stores a reference acceleration factor that is an acceleration factor based on a test condition of a thermal shock test and a reference condition in an environment in which the electrical appliance is used; a calculator that calculates an actual acceleration factor from a temperature variation range and a maximum reached temperature of the solder joint during one cycle from start to end of driving of the heater or the motor; and a determiner that predicts the life of the solder joint by comparing the integrated value of the acceleration factor ratios with a threshold.

A control device including a solder joint life predictor includes: a temperature sensor that measures temperature of a solder joint on an electronic circuit board that drives a heater and a motor; a storage that stores a reference acceleration factor that is an acceleration factor based on a test condition of a thermal shock test and a reference condition in an environment in which the electrical appliance is used; a calculator that calculates an actual acceleration factor from a temperature variation range and a maximum reached temperature of the solder joint during one cycle from start to end of driving of the heater or the motor; and a determiner that predicts the life of the solder joint by comparing the integrated value of the acceleration factor ratios with a threshold.

A method of manufacturing a mold by a machine tool, the method including predicting a thermal fatigue life of a mold which is made of a mold material having a hardness H and on which heating during contact with a workpiece and cooling after contact with a workpiece are repeated, the method including a step for obtaining a thermal stress maximum value σ.sub.h_MAX among a plurality of thermal stress values at a position x on the mold and a temperature T.sub.h at the thermal stress maximum value, wherein the temperature at the thermal stress maximum value σ.sub.h_MAX is a temperature lower than a maximum temperature among the plurality of temperatures, the machine tool manufactures the predetermined mold shape from a mold material having one of the plurality of hardnesses in which the thermal fatigue life was obtained based on the thermal stress maximum value, the yield strength, and the contraction.

An apparatus for deformation measurement and a method for deformation measurement are provided. The apparatus includes a housing, a sample holder, a moving mechanism, a first heating device and a second heating device. The sample holder is in the housing. The moving mechanism is over the sample holder. The first heating device is on the moving mechanism. The second heating device is below the sample holder.

A loss tangent tan δ is the ratio between a storage modulus and a loss modulus calculated from a stress when vibrations of a predetermined frequency are applied to a rubber member. When evaluating a shock resistance performance of the rubber member using an elongation at break Eb, a tensile strength at break TSb, and a loss tangent tan δ of the rubber member, a speed of an impact applied under use conditions of the rubber member is matched with a maximum speed of vibrations. As a result, the shock resistance performance can be evaluated using a value of the loss tangent tan δ corresponding to an impact actually applied to the rubber member, and it is possible to improve the accuracy of the shock resistance performance evaluation.

A loss tangent tan δ is the ratio between a storage modulus and a loss modulus calculated from a stress when vibrations of a predetermined frequency are applied to a rubber member. When evaluating a shock resistance performance of the rubber member using an elongation at break Eb, a tensile strength at break TSb, and a loss tangent tan δ of the rubber member, a speed of an impact applied under use conditions of the rubber member is matched with a maximum speed of vibrations. As a result, the shock resistance performance can be evaluated using a value of the loss tangent tan δ corresponding to an impact actually applied to the rubber member, and it is possible to improve the accuracy of the shock resistance performance evaluation.