Heating arrangement for a materials testing device, the materials testing device comprising at least one surface measurement probe adapted to be brought into contact with a surface of a sample, the heating arrangement comprising a probe heater comprising:

an infrared emitting element adapted to emit infrared radiation;

a reflector having a reflective surface arranged to direct said infrared radiation towards a distal end of said surface measurement probe.

According to the invention, the reflector comprises a first focal point and a second focal point, the infrared emitting element being situated substantially at said first focal point.

The present disclosure provides an electro-mechanical fuse-type configuration built into the probe that contacts the specimen during materials testing. The design includes an internal pre-loaded compression spring and an electrical contact switch. The coil spring preloaded to the desired safety load results in the probe assembly directly passing the load from the probe tip to the load cell for loads under the point where the spring additionally compresses. Upon deflection of the spring in excess of safety preload, the spring internally compresses within the probe coupling rather than the probe tip continuing to displace into the specimen, thereby switching the state of the electrical contact switch and stopping operation of the materials testing device. In a further configuration, excessive travel of the load cell coupling is detected, and, in response, operation of the materials testing device is stopped.

A method for measuring multiple rock properties using a multi-stage indentation test is provided. The method includes measuring load and displacement versus time on an indentation measurement unit, while preforming the multi-stage indentation test. The multi-stage indentation test includes indenting a saturated specimen to full load to generate a line segment 1, releasing the load on the saturated specimen to generate a line segment 2, indenting the saturated specimen to full load to generate a line segment 3, holding the loading until the displacement curve levels off to generate a line segment 4, and reducing the loading to zero to generate a line segment 5.

Machine for testing thermal resistance of plastic materials, comprising a tank configured, in use, to be filled for example with a heat-transfer fluid; a heating coil for heating the heat-transfer fluid; a temperature sensor generating a temperature signal of the heat-transfer fluid; and a control unit calculating a degradation index of the heat-transfer fluid on the basis of the temperature signal. In particular, the degradation index is calculated by determining the temperature range associated with the temperature signal, updating the corresponding partial heating time, and calculating the weighted sum of the partial heating times previously saved in memory and pertaining to different temperature ranges. Upon reaching one or more thresholds, signals are generated which indicate the need to replace the heat-transfer fluid.

A sealing device for insertion between a first and a second bearing part. The device including a rotating first shield, a stationary second shield, and an elastomeric sealing element having a first and a second sealing lip. The first shield includes a peripheral section having a first and a second axially extending sleeve portion connected by a first radially extending flange portion. The second shield including a support section for the lips, having an intermediate frustoconical portion that connects a second flange portion of the peripheral section to a mounting section of the second shield. The intermediate portion is positioned axially at a step formed by the first flange portion and by the first sleeve portion. The mounting section is arranged partially inside the second sleeve portion to form an axially directed labyrinth seal that is in metal-to-metal contact with the second bearing.

Machine and method for hot testing test pieces made of a thermoplastic polymer, in which the test pieces are immersed in a tank full of a heat transfer liquid which is heated; a fan generates, immediately above the tank, an air flow to carry away volatile substances emitted by the tank and the air flow is made to pass through a filtering cartridge housed removably inside a first chamber delimited by a casing, which is provided with an inlet opening, that faces towards the tank and is arranged flush with or immediately above an upper perimetral edge of the tank; the air flow is made to pass sequentially through at least three filtering elements, which are arranged hydraulically in series, including: a pre-filter; at least one activated carbon filter; and a HEPA filter; an hour counter signals when the time has come to replace the filtering cartridge.

A mechanical testing system having a frame, and a stage for holding a sample. An arm for pressing a tool against a surface of the sample. A primary actuator is connected to the frame and applies a primary force and drives the tool relative to the sample, thereby causing the frame to flex. A displacement sensor measures a displacement value comprised of two components, the first component including a distance traveled by the probe into the sample as the primary force is applied, and the second component including a measure of a degree of flex of the frame as the primary force is applied. A compensating actuator is connected to the frame and applies a compensating force that reduces the second component of the displacement value.

A mechanical testing system having a frame, and a stage for holding a sample. An arm for pressing a tool against a surface of the sample. A primary actuator is connected to the frame and applies a primary force and drives the tool relative to the sample, thereby causing the frame to flex. A displacement sensor measures a displacement value comprised of two components, the first component including a distance traveled by the probe into the sample as the primary force is applied, and the second component including a measure of a degree of flex of the frame as the primary force is applied. A compensating actuator is connected to the frame and applies a compensating force that reduces the second component of the displacement value.

A device is configured to allow for the load-bearing capacity of cylindrical shells of a composite fiber material that are at risk of buckling to be determined. The device allows for deriving improved reduction factors for analytical calculation of the design load, which enables an improved approximation to the actual load-bearing capacity. The device includes a load distribution head for applying an axially acting force to a cylinder shell introduced into the device; a dent actuator for producing a single dent in a surface of the cylinder shell in a predetermined dent direction with a predetermined dent depth; a fixed support for fixing the dent depth of the single dent produced by the dent actuator in the predetermined dent direction; a dent force sensor for determining a dent force in the predetermined dent direction of the single dent that is fixed in the predetermined dent direction when a steadily increasing, axially acting force is applied to the cylinder shell by the load distribution head; a control unit for actuating the load distribution head for applying a steadily increasing, axially acting force to the cylinder shell until a complete failure of the cylinder shell is detected as a load step by an axial force sensor; and a digital data memory for storing a current dent force in an event of a complete failure of the cylinder shell and the applied axially acting force on the cylinder shell at the current dent force for the predetermined dent depth.

The present invention provides a method for evaluating a semiconductor wafer concerning a breaking strength of a notch portion of the semiconductor wafer, comprising: applying a load to a notch portion of the semiconductor wafer to be evaluated toward the center of the wafer such that the notch portion of the semiconductor wafer is broken; and evaluating the breaking strength of the notch portion. The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for evaluating a semiconductor wafer that can evaluate the breaking strength of a notch portion of a semiconductor wafer with higher precision and higher sensitivity.