If it's worth building, it's worth testing !!!

Hydrolab calibration videos

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:33:00 +0000

Hydrolab Surveyor - Basic Maintenance

Calibration of pH Sensor

Calibration of Self-cleaning turbidity sensor

Calibration of Standard turbidity sensor

Calibration of conductivity sensor

Calibration of Depth sensor

Calibration of LDO sensor

Calibration of Hach LDO Sensor - The best bloopers are a click away

Calibration of ORP sensor

Tensile testing of flexible plasticyne products to ASTM D638

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:44:00 +0000

The following article demonstrates the diversity of the Universal testing machines manufactured by Tinius Olsen.

Recently we were approached by a leading Plastics packing company - RAK Petropack in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE to provide a testing solution for their plastics lab.

We supplied them with a complete testing solution as detailed below:

Tensile testing for flexible plastic sheets from 100 to 150 microns thick,
90 degree Peel Testing with moving Base Sledge,
Coefficient of friction testing to ASTM D1894/ BS 2782 Part 8
Falling dart Impact Test,
Haze and Gloss measurement
Other instruments such as ovens, weighing scales and thermometers.

The following video is a demonstration of a live sample being tested:

For more details contact:

Saifullah Mohammed,
Sales Engineer
Sigma Enterprises LLC
Instrumentation division
Tel - +9714 8851828
Fax - +9714 8851628
Mobile - +97150 4552910
Email - saifullah_mohammed@sep.ae

Dumbbell Press & Cutters

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:48:00 +0000

Product: Dumbbell Press & Cutter
Use: Specimen cutting

During Materials Testing, how we prepare & cut the specimen plays a vital role in attaining accurate results. Different standards specify different dimensions for the sample cutting such as ASTM, ISO, BS, DIN, GOST etc,. Each standard has various types for eg. TYPE I, TYPE 3, TYPE 1B etc

Tinius Olsen offers a wide range of Press & Cutters to meet sample preparation requirements as per international standards.

.

Tinius Olsen hand operated cutting presses are specifically designed for the 'pressing out' of test specimens from sheet materials.

All presses are bench mounted and can accept a variety of different die cutters.

Various capacities are available ranging from 7.5KN, 15KN, 25KN

Tinius Olsen cutters are used to create accurate samples that help assure accurate, repeatable test results.

All die cutters are manufactured from high carbon steel, specifically hardened for long life.

Any shape available for specimens in accordance with standards such as ASTM D412, ASTM D638, ISO 527 (All Types) & various ASTM, BS ISO, DIN, GOST, ISO.

Tinius Olsen cutting press are mainly used by commercial labs and manufacturers in UAE.

The following users are happily using Tinius Olsen cutters for sample preparation:

- Material Lab, Exova, Al Hoty Stanger, Specialty Chemicals, National Petroleum to name a few.

For more details contact:

Saifullah Mohammed,
Sales Engineer
Sigma Enterprises LLC
Instrumentation division
Tel - +9714 8851828
Fax - +9714 8851628
Mobile - +97150 4552910
Email - saifullah_mohammed@sep.ae

Tinius Olsen launches new video extensometer range

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:03:00 +0000

A video extensometer is a device that is capable of performing stress/strain measurements of certain materials, by capturing continuous images of the specimen during test, using a frame grabber or a digital video camera attached to a PC.

Just a month ago, Tinius Olsen launched its new range of video extensometers leveraging the power of the latest technology available in the market. Click here to learn more.

True to Tinius Olsen’s mantra as a world leader in the supply of materials testing systems, the Tinius Olsen video extensometer leaps ahead of competitive offerings from Germany, France and the US with the latest technology, ease of use and offers the following benefits;

The sub-micron resolution (certified to ISO 19513 Class 0.5 and ASTM E83 Class B1 for metals testing) of these extensometers offers the user the same functionality of contact type extensometers with the added benefits of video extensometry.
The high-tech testing software enables the user to measure strain on low and high elongation raw material test specimens or components using the same extensometer which translates in to additional savings and higher productivity in the lab.
The user can select a wide range of gauge lengths from as little as 1mm upto 800 mm. This enables the user to cover a variety of international test methods that specify different gauge lengths, and which would not be possible in contact type extensometers.
The extensometer can be used with a temperature chambers and or liquid baths to test a variety of applications.
Tinius Olsen can supply the extensometer to fit and work with non Tinius Olsen systems e.g. Instron, Zwick, Shimandzu.
The video strain data can be re run post test with new gauge marks on the same specimen
Busy labs with multiple materials testing machines can use a single Tinius Olsen video extensometer across multiple tensile testing machines.

Frequently asked Questions:

Does the Tinius Olsen video extensometer need sophisticated lighting ?

No, our latest technology compensates for lighting conditions in average labs

Does it require exacting specimen marking ?

No, the software supplied with the extensometer does all the work in identifying the changing patterns on image of the sample thereby giving highly accurate strain data.

Is the video extensometer available at a price QA\QC labs testing metals, plastics, composites, elastomers and more can afford in these tough economic times?

Yes, our pricing is very modular and competitive allowing the user to pick and choose a system that is exactly suited to their technical and commercial needs.

How long does it take to set the extensometer up ?

Tinius Olsen sales team can walk into your lab and set the unit up on any tensile testing machine and demonstrate in 30 minutes. Once set up, each test is just 4 mouse clicks. It literally takes seconds to starting using our user-friendly technology.

For information please contact -

Amit Mitbawkar
Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing
SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC
Engineering Products Division
PO Box - 96241,
Dubai, UAE
Tel - +971 4 8851828
Fax - +971 4 8851628
Mobile - +971 50 4450907
Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae
Website - www.sigma-epd.com

Small Scale Scoop Sampling and Impression Creep Testing of ½CrMoV Steam Pipework

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Many power stations across the world historically use steam pipework in their plants. The pipes are mostly made from ½CrMoV steel. Although this type of steel is suited for the application, it has a tendency to age just like all other metals and is also susceptible to fatigue failure from the high pressures and extremely high operational temperatures.

Based on plant experience, it has been shown that the risk of CrMoV bend failure being catastrophic is greater than failures on welds and the pipes most susceptible to failure are the ones closest to the boilers which have to withstand temperatures of around 600 ˚C.

These steam pipe failures obviously have huge cost implications and more importantly major safety implications. A power plant shutdown due to any type of failure can result in millions of dollars in losses to the operating company and loss of trained personnel as well, not to mention the intangible losses to industries and homes depending on receiving power from these plants 24x7.

Strain measurement, metallurgical replication, dimensional measurements, hardness testing, and chemical testing are some of the current test methods used in power plants across the world, but do not have the ability to predict the remaining life of the pipes being tested or when to change these pipes.

Small scoop sampling and Impression creep testing is an viable alternative and is gaining global recognition because it supports finite analysis better than the traditional test methods and has more repeatability. The test results also are able to classify which pipes are in good condition and which are in critical condition.

The sampling for the test is done by a special machine developed specifically for this application. The machine samples a scoop from existing pipework without damaging it, and while the plant is operational. This is a offers an obvious benefit to maintenance staff who want to keep plant shutdowns to a minimum.

The Impression creep test or Indentation test is used to determine the level of material fatigue specifically used in the evaluation of in service power station steam pipes and pipe work fittings. The more worn and fatigued a metal the greater the indentation under an applied constant force defined as a compressive extension in mm.

This test has been refined and implemented for the UK Power generating company NPower (part of the EU RWE power generating group). Click here to learn more about RWE and NPower, by Bristol University UK and Tinius Olsen.

Impression creep test equipment comprises of; data capture, graphing and load hold control software, a furnace, H25K-S compression testing machine, dual LVDT averaging extensometer 0.1µm resolution accuracy ± 0.5% of displayed value and alignment fitting.

To date (Feb, 2010) Tinius Olsen has supplied four systems;

Nottingham University, UK who are commissioned to support NPower in metal fatigue analysis,
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) - 2 machines in their North Carolina USA facility (EPRI are a US testing/engineering consultancy institute supporting US Power generators and ASTM re metal fatigue of steam power station pipe work), and
Strathclyde University, Scotland who provide commercial testing to the Scottish power industry.

For information please contact -

Modulus of Elasticity

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:10:00 +0000

Modulus of elasticity. Rate of change of strain as a function of stress. The slope of the straight line portion of a stress-strain diagram. Tangent modulus of elasticity is the slope of the stress-strain diagram at any point. Secant modulus of elasticity is stress divided by strain at any given value of stress or strain. It also is called stress strain ratio. Tangent and secant modulus of elasticity are equal up to the proportional limit of a material.

Depending on the type of loading represented by the stress-strain diagram, modulus of elasticity may be reported as compressive modulus of elasticity (or modulus of elasticity in compression), flexural modulus of elasticity (or modulus of elasticity in flexure), shear modulus of elasticity (or modulus of elasticity in shear), tensile modulus of elasticity (or modulus of elasticity in tension) or torsional modulus of elasticity (or modulus of elasticity in torsion). Modulus of elasticity may be determined by dynamic mechanical testing where it can be derived from complex modulus.

Modulus used alone generally refers to tensile modulus of elasticity. Shear modulus is almost always equal to torsional modulus and both are called modulus of rigidity. Moduli of elasticity in tension and compression are approximately equal and are known as Young's modulus. Modulus of rigidity is related to Young's modulus by the equation: E = 2G (1 + r) where E is Young's modulus (psi), G is modulus of rigidity (psi) and r is Poisson's ratio. Modulus of elasticity also is called elastic modulus and coefficient of elasticity.

The elastic modulus of an object is defined as the slope of its stress-strain curve in the elastic deformation region:

where λ (lambda) is the elastic modulus; stress is the force causing the deformation divided by the area to which the force is applied; and strain is the ratio of the change caused by the stress to the original state of the object. If stress is measured in pascals, since strain is a unitless ratio, then the units of λ are pascals as well. An alternative definition is that the elastic modulus is the stress required to cause a sample of the material to double in length. This is not realistic for most materials because the value is far greater than the yield stress of the material or the point where elongation becomes nonlinear, but some may find this definition more intuitive.
Specifying how stress and strain are to be measured, including directions, allows for many types of elastic moduli to be defined. The three primary ones are:

Young's modulus (E) describes tensile elasticity, or the tendency of an object to deform along an axis when opposing forces are applied along that axis; it is defined as the ratio of tensile stress to tensile strain. It is often referred to simply as the elastic modulus.
The shear modulus or modulus of rigidity (G or ) describes an object's tendency to shear (the deformation of shape at constant volume) when acted upon by opposing forces; it is defined as shear stress over shear strain. The shear modulus is part of the derivation of viscosity.
The bulk modulus (K) describes volumetric elasticity, or the tendency of an object to deform in all directions when uniformly loaded in all directions; it is defined as volumetric stress over volumetric strain, and is the inverse of compressibility. The bulk modulus is an extension of Young's modulus to three dimensions.

References -

Tinius Olsen Knowledge Centre - http://tiniusolsen.com/resource-center/mechanical-properties-m.html

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastic_modulus

For information please contact -

Amit Mitbawkar
Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing
SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC
Engineering Products Division
PO Box - 96241,
Dubai, UAE
Tel - +971 4 8851828
Fax - +971 4 8851628
Mobile - +971 50 4450907
Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae
Website - www.sigma-epd.com

Plastic container testing as per ISO 13949

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:18:00 +0000

Another satisfied user of Tinius Olsen machines !!!

Siddco Plastics industries FZE are manufacturers of plastic
products based in Hamriya free zone.

Recently we installed a 10KN capacity Tinius Olsen Universal testing machine (UTM) for measuring Compressive strength of plastics containers.

For this application, Tinius Olsen designed special platens of 400 mm X 400 mm square platens to test containers up to 25 ltrs in capacity.

Siddco Plastics products:

Plastic containers of different sizes such as 1 ltr, 4 ltr, 5 ltr, 20 ltr & 25 ltr as per ISO 13949.

Mr. Sajid Ali Behrani, Plant Manager, Siddco Plastics, appreciated the application training and after-sales training provided by Sigma Staff and the user friendly QMAT software supplied with the machine.

He like the fact that QMAT included over 1300 test routines as per ASTM, BS, DIN, ISO etc and also it allows users to customize test routines as per their requirements.

Mr. Sajid mentioned that the Statistical Process Control (SPC) feature in QMAT is very useful for his production Engineers to ensure that the quality of materials during and after production remains consistent over a long-term period.

He also added that the test reporting feature in QMAT allows them to have different custom report templates for internal testing as well as for different customers. A sample report is shown alongside.

For more details contact:

Saifullah Mohammed,
Sales Engineer
Sigma Enterprises LLC
Instrumentation division

Tel - +9714 8851828
Fax - +9714 8851628
Mobile - +97150 4552910
Email - saifullah_mohammed@sep.ae

Plastics Testing in the U. A. E

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 06:35:00 +0000

Plastics in general are finding applications as replacements for metals and timber in a wide variety of industries.

The reasons for this are numerous and range from insulation properties, colour capabilities, molding capabilities to availability and cost.

As such, the testing of different plastics combinations has been, and indeed still is, been subject to rigorous control.

Today greater emphasis is being placed on the structural use of plastics and so there is an increased awareness of the need to test. Compounders, as well as processors require more stringent control of quality of both materials and processes to meet customer requirements.

This is especially true of critical component parts in the automotive, medical, aerospace and appliance industries. Some of the various tests possible on Tinius Olsen machines are: Tensile Rigid Plastics –

ENISO 527,
ASTM D638,
BS6319, 2782,
DIN 53455

Compression Rigid Plastics –

ISO 604
ASTM D695

Flexure Rigid Plastics –

ENISO 178
ASTM D790
BS 782, 2782
DIN 53452

Melt flow index of polymers –

ASTM D1238

For more details please contact:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
Amit Mitbawkar

Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing

SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC

Engineering Products Division

PO Box - 96241,

Dubai, UAE

Tel - +971 4 8851828

Fax - +971 4 8851628 Mobile - +971 50 4450907

Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae

Website - www.sigma-epd.com

Testing in 'testing times'

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:07:00 +0000

These are literally 'testing times' for all companies. The current economic situation does not help the business of equipment suppliers like us and commercial labs in the UAE. So, the only remedy to this situation is to diversify the range of products and services offered.

This is exactly what we did with one of our key customers - Material Lab Dubai which is part of the S. S. Lootah Group in the UAE. Material lab already have a 25KN Tinius Olsen that can test non-civil materials and applications, but they went a step further and established a Petroleum testing Lab with equipment supplied by out Petroleum testing division. The non-civil materials testing using Tinius Olsen is for the following applications:

Plastics - Tensile and Flexural testing to ASTM D638, ASTM D790, ASTM D882, ASTM D624, BS2782, BS903, ISO527, ISO2439, ISO 8627 and other industry specific standards.
Rubber - ASTM D412, ASTM D624, BS 903, ISO 34, ISO 37 and other industry
specific standards.
Water-proofing membranes and PVC water-stops - BS 6319 Part 7, ASTM D 412, ASTM D 638, BS 2782 – Method 320E & F, and UEATC test method. Other standards include ASTM D1004, ASTM C836 and ASTM E154. See my separate post on testing water-proofing membranes here.
Geotextile testing to ASTM D4632, ASTM D4533, ASTM D4833, and ASTM D6241. See my separate post on Geo-textile testing here.
Mortar Briquette tensile to BS 6319: Part 7
Unconfined Compressive strength of Intact Rock cores and Soil to ASTM D2938 and ASTM D4543.

The Petroleum Testing equipment supplied by Sigma to Material Lab is from Koehler Instruments, USA, and has a variety of testing capabilities, some important parameters from these are listed below:

ASTMColor Comparator - ASTMD1500, FTM 791-102
Kinematic Viscosity - ASTM D445, D446, D2170, D2532
Reid Vapor Pressure - ASTM D323, D1267, DIN 51616
Saybolt Color - ASTM D156, DIN 51411
Saybolt Viscosity - ASTM D88, E102, D244
Copper Strip Corrosion - ASTMD130, FTM 791-5325
Foaming Characteristics - ASTM D892, DIN 51566, etc...

We have also supplied testing equipment from other manufacturers for Transformer Oil testing as follows:

Oxidation stability
Interfacial Tension (IFT) and (SFT)
Dielectric constant Tan delta and Resistivity Test
Oil Test Set

For more details please contact:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Amit Mitbawkar

Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing 

SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC

Engineering Products Division

PO Box - 96241,

Dubai, UAE

Tel - +971 4 8851828 

Fax - +971 4 8851628 Mobile - +971 50 4450907 

Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae

Website - www.sigma-epd.com

Testing materials lower than 100KN with Tinius Olsen

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:40:00 +0000

In economic times like these it is not easy for a commercial laboratory to sustain its business by focusing only on the civil sector.

To counter this specific problem with the postponement or cancellation of major projects in UAE, one of our customers - Geoscience testing laboratory in Dubai, made a smart investment in materials testing this month.

Geoscience already have a 1000KN tensile testing machine to test Steel rebars down to 100KN. They were lacking in the range from 0 to 100KN.

So they invested in a 100KN Screw-driven Tinius Olsen machine to test a variety of materials and comply with various international standards as below:

Plastics - Tensile and Flexural testing to ASTM D638, ASTM D790, ASTM D882, ASTM D624, BS2782, BS903, ISO527, ISO2439, ISO 8627 and other industry specific standards.
Rubber - ASTM D412, ASTM D624, BS 903, ISO 34, ISO 37 and other industry
specific standards.
Water-proofing membranes and PVC water-stops - BS 6319 Part 7, ASTM D 412, ASTM D 638, BS 2782 – Method 320E & F, and UEATC test method. Other standards include ASTM D1004, ASTM C836 and ASTM E154. See my separate post on testing water-proofing membranes here.
Geotextile testing to ASTM D4632, ASTM D4533, ASTM D4833, and ASTM D6241. See my separate post on Geo-textile testing here.
Mortar Briquette tensile to BS 6319: Part 7
Unconfined Compressive strength of Intact Rock cores and Soil to ASTM D2938 and ASTM D4543.
The machine also has grips to do 3 point or 4 point bending tests on different materials, with a special displacement transducer to measure the Modulus of Elasticity.

These are some amongst the many materials and tests this machine can perform. Some of the other salient features of the machine include:

Highly accurate 100KN Servo Load frame with Class 0.5 (0.5% in ISO 7500 calibrations) Force accuracy from 2% to 100% of Load cell capacity.
Three load cells - 100, 10 and 2.5KN to cover the lowest ranges and softest materials
500L - Laser Extensometer. This is a special non-contact type extensometer used to measure soft materials without touching them. This latest technology removes the extensometer alignment component from the uncertainty of measurement calculation, because the extensometer no longer needs to be mounted on the sample. As the extensometer is non-contact type the sample is not exposed to clamping forces from the extensometer jaws thereby preventing premature jaw breaks.
Special displacement for measuring Modulus of elasticity and bending moment during flexural tests. This is mounted vertically below the sample at the mid-point to calculate the bending moment precisely for any material.

The beauty of the configuration is - the lab only has to invest in the proper grips for new applications and the versatile 'Horizon' software does the rest.

For more details please contact:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Amit Mitbawkar 

Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing 

SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC 

Engineering Products Division 

PO Box - 96241, 

Dubai, UAE 

Tel - +971 4 8851828 

Fax - +971 4 8851628 Mobile - +971 50 4450907 

Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae 

Website - www.sigma-epd.com

Geo-textile testing with Tinius Olsen

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:02:00 +0000

Testing Geo-textiles is a complex science involving a number of factors including right choice of testing machines, the correct gripping mechanisms and proper testing procedures.

Recently, we at Sigma helped Mattex International, Dubai acquire and successfully fulfill their testing requirements. Mattex, a Saudi-based company, produces a variety of Geo-textile and carpet-backing materials.

Mattex invested in a 25KN Tinius Olsen machine with accessories to test the following standards:

Grab test to ASTM D4632
Trapezoidal tear strength test to ASTM D4533
Puncture resistance test to ASTM D4833
CBR test to ASTM D6241.

Some application photos and a sample report are shown. Click on each photo to enlarge it.

For more details please contact:
Amit Mitbawkar
Team Leader - Industrial Materials Testing
SIGMA ENTERPRISES LLC
Engineering Products Division
PO Box - 96241,
Dubai, UAE
Tel - +971 4 8851828
Fax - +971 4 8851628 Mobile - +971 50 4450907
Email – amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae
Website - www.sigma-epd.com

What is Melt flow testing?

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:54:00 +0000

www.tiniusolsen.com

Among the first instruments plastics molders, extruders, and compounders are likely to consider when outfitting a new lab is a melt-flow indexer or “melt indexer.” Known as an extrusion plastometer in more technical jargon, this apparatus has long been used to determine the melt-flow rate or mass-flow rate (MFR) of virgin and compounded thermoplastic resins.

With the increased pressure on plastics processors to comply with ISO 9000 standards for quality management, more of them than ever are using these instruments to evaluate incoming material and test finished products.

The melt-flow test detailed in the ASTM D1238 and ISO 1133 standards quickly measures one point on the viscosity curve under standard conditions.

While the relative simplicity of this test has remained the same, melt indexers have evolved considerably since they appeared in the 1950s. Computerization and automation have reduced operator-to-operator variables, yielding results with greater accuracy and repeatability.

Why measure melt index?

The melt indexer consists of a heated barrel and piston assembly to contain a sample of resin. A specified load (weight) is applied to the piston, and the melted polymer is extruded through a capillary die of specific dimensions. The mass of resin, in grams, that is extruded in 10 minutes equals the MFR, expressed in units of g/10 min. (This value is also commonly called the melt index, MI, or melt-flow index, MFI.) Some instruments can also calculate the shear rate, shear stress, and viscosity in centipoise.

The basic property measured by the melt flow test is the melt viscosity or flow resistance of the polymer at a particular shear stress (related to the applied load) and temperature. Polymer chains of short length and simple geometry “slide” past one another relatively easily and offer little flow resistance. In contrast, long chains of high molecular weight and more complex structure yield greater flow resistance or viscosity.

Which method to use?

Both ASTM 1238 and ISO 1133 offer two variations of the standard melt-flow test: Method A and Method B. Method A describes a basic manual melt indexer. It involves making “cuts” of the extrudate at timed intervals as it exits the extrusion die. The “cuts” are weighed on an analytical balance to determine the average mass and this value is extrapolated to the mass that would be extruded in 10 minutes—the MFR.

Weights range from 1.2 to 21.6 kg to permit measuring materials ranging from very low to very high viscosity (more viscous melts require more weight to force them through the die). The load and temperature to be used are determined by the material and the ASTM test method.

Whether you use method A, method B, or a combination of method A & B, the Tinius Olsen MP600 melt indexer is the model of choice for companies like Dow Chemicals, and other manufacturers worldwide.

The newly released MP200 is a lower cost alternative for compunders and companies who recycle resins.

For information please contact -
Amit Mitbawkar
Sigma Enterprises LLC - Instrumentation Division
Tel : +9714 8803100
Fax: +9714 8803101
Mobile : +97150 4450907
Email - amit_mitbawkar@sep.ae

Materials testing for the water-proofing industry.

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:00:00 +0000

www.tiniusolsen.com

Customers – and sometimes even competitors – are constantly surprised at the diversity of testing programmes that can be performed with standard Tinius Olsen equipment. One of the more interesting programmes involves the waterproofing membranes applied on the roof of buildings around the world and the UAE.

With the advent of the boom in the civil industry in the UAE and number of buildings zooming up in the UAE skyline, you can imagine the amount of waterproofing that would be needed as a whole.

But making and applying these membranes on the top of these buildings is no child’s play.

These membranes have to withstand the forces of nature i.e. the extreme temperatures, humidity and of course rain. Their very function prevents the rain-water from getting into the structure of the building and ultimately into our homes.

Just how can Tinius Olsen equipment be used to test the membranes for these parameters?, read on to find out. Some of the tests performed by standard Tinius Olsen test equipment are as follows:

Tensile Strength, Elongation and Modulus of Elasticity to BS 6319 Part 7, ASTM D 412, ASTM D 638, BS 2782 – Method 320E & F, and UEATC test method.
Initial tear resistance of plastics sheets to ASTM D1004 test method.
Crack bridging strength of membranes to ASTM C836.
Puncture resistance of membranes to ASTM E154.

The high temperatures on rooftops in the UAE cause expansion in the concrete slabs on which the waterproofing membranes are applied. Therefore tensile strength and elongation are measured in both rubber and bitumen waterproofing membranes to know how much tensile forces the material can withstand and how much they are able to elongate without breaking or the appearance of defects.

Resistance to tearing is also an important parameter that needs to be measured for the plastic sheets applied on top of bitumen membranes. Bitumen is sticky in nature and therefore bitumen waterproofing membranes are covered with plastic sheets on the exposed side, hence tear resistance of this covering is a crucial parameter.

Cracks are a common defect that appear in buildings due to the stresses on load bearing faces and also as they age. These cracks aid the water leakage problems and affect the integrity of the structure as well. Waterproofing membranes are therefore required to have crack bridging capabilities which prevent water from going into the cracks. These membranes also have to be strong enough to withstand the expansion and contraction cycles that are typical to cracked structures.

Resistance to puncture is also an important parameter, as this is one of the major stresses that construction materials like waterproofing membranes are subjected to. All these factors highlight the importance to testing when manufacturing these kind of membranes. The experts at Tinius Olsen have known this for years and this reflects on the abilities of their testing machines in the ease-of-use and high testing rate of samples.

Ask the quality control department of Al Gurg Fosroc LLC, who are one of the leading manufacturers of waterproofing membranes in the UAE about the 25KN Tinius Olsen testing machine they use, to test their products. They will tell you how the QMAT PRO software allows them to accurately and quickly conduct their specialised tests thereby assuring the quality of their products.

For information please contact -

Tensile Testing in the paper industry

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:19:00 +0000

www.tiniusolsen.com

We at Sigma are always approached by customers who want innovative solutions to their problems.

One such customer, a paper coupon manufacturer, wanted to test the force required by children to tear apart one ticket from another before redeeming it for food or games at various playing areas in malls worldwide.

The solution offered was a fully automatic 1 KN single column Tinius Olsen Tensile testing machine with side-loading, rubber-faced vice grips to pull apart the tickets at a uniform rate and determine the maximum force required for the tickets to separate.

This particular model H1KT can test the samples independently without the use of computers and software, display the test results and online graph on the built-in display and provide detailed printouts of test reports.

The detailed test results can provide the production engineers with the data required to change production parameters easily to suit the customer's requirements.

For information please contact -

Our Core values, Vision and Mission statement

noreply@blogger.com (Amit Mitbawkar) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:16:00 +0000

We value our customers above all else.

Please click here for our Core values, Vision and Mission statement.