Disclosed are methods of determining enamel micro-crack and/or microscratch resistance and also methods of identifying compositions that are effective in increasing enamel micro-crack and/or microscratch resistance or evaluating the efficacy of compositions in increasing enamel micro-crack and/or microscratch resistance.

The invention relates to an impact compactor (10) and to a method and system of obtaining an indication of the soil strength of soil (100) by using an impact compactor (10). The impact compactor (10) includes a chassis 5 structure (12), at least one wheel (14) supportively mounted on the chassis structure (12), and at least one impact drum (16) which is displaceable relative to the chassis structure (12). The method includes travelling with the impact compactor (10) over a soil surface (100) while the drum (16) is in a raised position in which it is spaced from the soil surface (100) and 10 measuring, by using a measuring arrangement (20) which is connected to or forms part of the impact compactor (10), a rut depth (54) of a rut in the soil surface (100) which is formed by the wheel (14) as the impact compactor (10) travels over the soil surface (100).

A measuring system comprises a stand having a base plate and a vertical column fastened thereto, a stand carriage that is movable along the vertical column and having a counter bearing for placing the object, a runner that is fastened to the stand carriage and is movable relative thereto in a guided manner and has an indenter for penetrating the object, having at least one force generation actuator, at least one motion generation actuator, wherein the indenter is coupled to the stand carriage via the actuators. The measuring system further comprises a metrology frame which is fastened to the counter bearing and is supported laterally on the vertical column, a displacement measuring unit for measuring a displacement of the stand carriage and/or the runner with the indenter. The measuring system comprises a force measuring circuit and a displacement measuring circuit both being are largely configured separately from one another.

A testing apparatus includes a support unit that supports a lower surface side of a test piece, a pressing unit having an indenter that presses the test piece supported by the support unit, a drive unit that raises and lowers the pressing unit, a load measurement instrument that measures a load generated when the indenter presses the test piece supported by the support unit, and a controller that controls raising and lowering of the pressing unit. The controller is configured to be capable of stopping movement of the indenter when a measurement value of the load measurement instrument has turned from a rise to a fall after the indenter has started pressing of the test piece.

A device is for detecting compaction and shear strength characteristics of an asphalt mixture during construction compaction. The device includes a fixed frame and a detection system. The detection system includes a display, a control panel, a test claw, an electric motor, a lift switch, a torque sensor and a temperature sensor. The control panel includes a power switch for controlling the electric motor and a speed regulator for controlling a rotation speed of the test claw. An output end of the electric motor is connected to an input end of the torque sensor, and an output end of the torque sensor is connected to an input end of the test claw. An output end of the test claw is provided with a claw-shaped blade. The claw-shaped blade is provided therein with the temperature sensor.

A hardness tester includes an image acquirer (controller) acquiring an image of a surface (surface image) of a sample captured by an image capturer, an identifier (controller) identifying, based on the surface image of the sample, a non-conformity region inside the image that is unsuitable for the hardness test using predetermined conditions, and a test position definer (controller) defining a test position in an area outside the non-conformity region identified by the identifier.

Provided are material testing devices and methods for measuring certain physical properties of materials, such as for example, drying, curing, film formation, friction, adhesion, print resistance, and scratch resistance. The testing device includes a platform, a stylus comprising a probe, an angle sensor, a linear position sensor, a control system with a power supply and a control center which may be programmed with testing parameters.

A scratch testing apparatus comprises a lightweight frame assembly and a test specimen support stage that may hold a test specimen (i.e., the material to be subjected to a scratch test) and may be horizontally moved along slide rails mounted to the frame assembly. A stylus is mounted to a load block and points toward the test specimen support stage to enable the stylus (under load from the load block) to impart a scratch to the surface of the specimen during a scratch test. A load assembly is pivotably mounted to the frame and pivotably supports the load block and stylus, with a moveable counterweight assembly positioned at an opposite end of the load assembly. The position of the counterweight may be varied along the load assembly so as to modify the amount of force exerted by the load block, and thus by the stylus, on the surface of the test specimen, even during the conduct of a scratch test. In certain configurations, various spring members may extend between the frame and the load assembly to provide further stabilization to the load assembly during scratch test operations.

A test method for characterizing the mechanical properties including the surface adhesion energy γ on the basis of the experimentally derived P-A relationship, where P means the indentation load under the penetration depth h of an indenter pressed onto a test specimen with surface adhesion, and A means the contact area of indentation at the contact radius a under the applied load of P. This test method enables the implementation for quantitatively as well as simultaneously characterizing the adhesion energy as well as the various mechanical properties (elastic/elastoplastic/viscoelastic properties) of soft materials.

Disclosed is a device for mechanically characterizing an element of interest, for example an oocyte. The mechanical characterization device includes: a support receiving a container suitable for containing a liquid medium; a holder for holding the element of interest; an indenting member; a magnet for generating a magnetic field in which the indenting member is intended to move and which participates in suspending the indenting member with an unstable horizontal direction oriented coaxially to the longitudinal axis; a controller to control the magnet to maneuver the indenting member in translation along the unstable horizontal direction; and a component for determining the mechanical characteristics of the element of interest.