A universal material tester with two or more consecutively arranges test units has a test tool supporting carriage, which is provided with a removable partition that allows conversion of the test-unit installation socket from a multiple test unit holder into a single test-unit holder, or vice versa. An advantage of the tester is a possibility of expanding dynamic range of measurements by using two or more test units, which are installed in series at one setting and can be used in sequential tests without replacement but with different measurement ranges. This broadens the dynamic measurement ranges and allows revealing material properties otherwise unattainable. The test units may be combined with an imaging device installed in series with the test tools that engage the sample physically.

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.

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.

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 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.

The invention discloses a method for obtaining the geometrical and mechanical parameters of rock samples and a holographic scanning system thereof, wherein the system includes an observation mechanism, a multi-scale penetration mechanism, a grinding mechanism, a rock sample installation mechanism arranged on a three-axis precision motion platform, and an industrial computer controlling the operation mode of each mechanism of the platform Indentation/rotary penetration test, pulse echo signal acquisition, three-dimensional surface topography reconstruction, layer by layer grinding and repeated experiments are carried out. The geometric parameters and corresponding mechanical field parameters are obtained by spatial interpolation of the three-dimensional parameter lattice accumulated by several layers of single-layer rock parameters. The holographic scanning system and method can obtain the real spatial distribution of various media in rock samples. Combined with high performance numerical calculation method, it provides a more scientific method for the analysis of rock mechanical properties, failure and instability.

The invention discloses a method for obtaining the geometrical and mechanical parameters of rock samples and a holographic scanning system thereof, wherein the system includes an observation mechanism, a multi-scale penetration mechanism, a grinding mechanism, a rock sample installation mechanism arranged on a three-axis precision motion platform, and an industrial computer controlling the operation mode of each mechanism of the platform Indentation/rotary penetration test, pulse echo signal acquisition, three-dimensional surface topography reconstruction, layer by layer grinding and repeated experiments are carried out. The geometric parameters and corresponding mechanical field parameters are obtained by spatial interpolation of the three-dimensional parameter lattice accumulated by several layers of single-layer rock parameters. The holographic scanning system and method can obtain the real spatial distribution of various media in rock samples. Combined with high performance numerical calculation method, it provides a more scientific method for the analysis of rock mechanical properties, failure and instability.

Provide in one embodiment is an apparatus, comprising an indentor wherein a tip thereof is configured to engage a sample surface, a surface-referencing device configured to establish the position of the indentor relative to the sample surface, a drive mechanism configured to move the indentor along the sample surface to form a scratch, and a measurement device configured to measure at least one of (i) a pile-up height of sample material removed from the scratch and (ii) a width of the scratch.

Provide in one embodiment is an apparatus, comprising an indentor wherein a tip thereof is configured to engage a sample surface, a surface-referencing device configured to establish the position of the indentor relative to the sample surface, a drive mechanism configured to move the indentor along the sample surface to form a scratch, and a measurement device configured to measure at least one of (i) a pile-up height of sample material removed from the scratch and (ii) a width of the scratch.