Abstract: A press forming method includes a first process of obtaining a pressing force applied to each portion of a tool by an workpiece material during press forming while independently driving the respective each portion of the tool divided into multiple portions and press forming the workpiece material, and a second process of adjusting at least one of an applied driving force, an applied driving speed, and an applied driving timing for each portion of the tool to cause a processing portion of the workpiece material in which the state approaching an overload state is detected based on the pressing force to flow to other processing portions of the workpiece material.

Abstract: A plastometer has: a main frame, a driving unit, an electromagnet, a loading dock, a lower mold, an upper mold and a measuring unit the driving unit drives the lifting platform, so the lifting platform makes a stable elevating displacement along the two supporting columns. Then, the electromagnet attracts and controls the loading dock, so the pressure amount to be provided by the loading dock for each test object 80 can be simply obtained, and the measurement operation is actually performed by the measuring unit which can get accurate test results to improve the measurement efficiency of the relevant industry.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining the hardness of a granular material, comprises a base plate member, a sample cup for holding the granular material, an upper plate member, a crusher assembly and a crusher hammer release mechanism. The base plate member includes an upper surface with a recess for holding the sample cup. The upper plate member is positioned above and separated from the base plate member utilizing at least one separator post. The crusher assembly includes a crusher shaft, a crusher weight, a crusher hammer and a linear roller bearing having a retaining ring configured to slidably engage the crusher shaft through a conduit with the crusher weight and the crusher hammer positioned above and below the upper plate member respectively. The crusher hammer release mechanism includes a pair of levers operably connected to a latch cable having a latch pin that runs through a compression spring.

Abstract: A breaking strength tester includes: a tubular pressure container having opened both ends to house a part of a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure including a partition walls and a circumferential wall; a tubular pressurization elastic body disposed to surround an entire circumference of a pressurized portion having a length equal to or less than ½ of a length in an axial direction of the circumferential wall; a partial pressurization unit which elastically deforms the pressurization elastic body and applies uniform pressure to the entire circumference of the circumferential wall of the pressurized portion of the honeycomb structure housed in the pressure container up to pressure test strength; and a pressure measurement unit which measures a value of the uniform pressure applied to the circumferential wall by the pressurization elastic body.

Abstract: Methods for monitoring a components include locating a plurality of naturally occurring surface features on the component, locating at least one reference point, measuring a plurality of first distances between the plurality of naturally occurring surface features and the at least one reference point.

Abstract: A sample loading device may include a top plate and a base plate, and the sample loading device can be roughly divided into two portions: a loading portion and a holding portion. The present invention is advantageous because the test sample is introduced by the sample loading device, which has been designed for a standard T-peel test, so the integrity of the sample introducing process will not be affected even though a different operator is conducting the process. Furthermore, it is easy to for the operator to load the test sample to the sample loading device, as well as transferring the sample loading device to the tensile testing machine, so the errors during the sample loading process can be significantly reduced. In other words, the T-peel test results can be more reliable when the test sample is introduced by the sample loading device in the present invention.

Abstract: A system and method for the installation and removal of monitoring equipment is disclosed. In some embodiments, the monitoring equipment may be installed or removed using a remotely operated vehicle. In certain implementations, the monitoring system includes a sensor assembly connectable to a tubular member, an alignment tool for installing or removing the sensor assembly to and from the tubular member, and an alignment cage for facilitating access of the alignment tool to the sensor assembly. In some embodiments, the alignment tool may be aligned with the sensor assembly for installation or removal as a result of the alignment tool being inserted through the alignment cage.

Abstract: A bend test method includes bending a flip chip device into a bent configuration, heating the flip chip device, and inspecting the flip chip device for failure. The bend test method is completed in a relatively short amount of time, e.g., within one to three days. Thus, appropriate failure modes in flip chip devices are created in an accelerated manner so that reliability assessment of various flip chip device designs, materials, and process options can be completed in a few days instead of a few months. This greatly reduced development cycle time typically results in a larger market share for new flip chip device products.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously measuring longitudinal and shear wave speeds in materials under load via echo or transmission is described. The apparatus comprises a housing with an open end, a closed end opposite the open end with a hole in the closed end, and a housing exit port. A spacer resides inside the housing, the spacer having a spacer specimen side and a spacer transducer side. A load transferring body having a transducer hole fits inside the housing and contacts an interior surface of the housing. An ultrasonic transducer fits inside the transducer hole of the load transferring body. A transducer depressing mechanism secures the ultrasonic transducer against the spacer transducer side, whereby users can simultaneously measure longitudinal and shear wave speeds of specimens inserted into the hole in the closed end of the housing and contacting the spacer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sensor device for indicating wear states on contact bodies of pantographs of electrically driven vehicles, said contact bodies being fixed to metallic supports. The aim of the invention is to provide a sensor device that permits, at practically any location on the contact strip, the installation of signal transmitters that can indicate the respective wear state of the contact strip without interrupting the driving operation. To this end, the invention employs the use of a sensor device characterized in that it is comprised of blind holes (3) made in the contact bodies (2), of transmission channels (6) that are connected to the blind holes (3), and of a monitoring unit, whereby the blind holes (3) and monitoring unit are connected via the transmission channels (6).

Abstract: A multiaxial high cycle fatigue test system for testing bending, torsion, and tension of a test unit, comprises servo-hydraulic components, including a hydraulic service manifold, two small high frequency actuators along a first axis, and one large main actuator along a second axis The large main actuator is used to apply a radial centrifugal force, and the two small actuators are used to apply vibratory loading; the two small side actuators being offset independently of each other, to enable the machine to apply both bending loads and torque to the test unit. The test unit is subjected to torsion loading when the traverse actuators move in phase, that is when both actuators move either in or out at the same time. The test unit is subjected to bending loading when the actuators move out-of-phase, that is one actuator moves in when the other moves out or vice-versa.

Abstract: Pressurized oil is charged into a hydraulic chamber (12) formed within a slide (3) of a mechanical press (1). relationship between a working force (F) during a press working and a pressure (P) of the pressurized oil is preliminarily measured for every predetermined initial pressure of the pressurized oil. A computer (33) stores the measured results as a plurality of pressurizing characteristics (A1), (A2) and (A3). The computer (33) stores through a pressure sensor (27), a pressure of the pressurized oil while a press working is not performed, as a preload pressure (Pa1). And it stores a maximum pressure of the pressurized oil during the press working as a peak pressure (Pb1). It further selects a pressurizing characteristic (A1) corresponding to the preload pressure (Pa1) from among the plurality of pressurizing characteristics and thereafter calculates a working force (F1) based on the selected pressurizing characteristic (A1) and the peak pressure (Pb1).

Abstract: A stress testing apparatus includes a cylinder block 2 with twelve cylinders 4, each housing a piston 14. Hydraulic pressure is provided to each of the cylinders 4 by a common supply bore 6 for urging each piston 14 out of its respective cylinder 4. A stress testing device 16 is mounted over each cylinder 4 and piston 14. For tensile testing (see FIG. 3) of a specimen (X), a piston (14a) acts on the housing (28a) of the device (16a) through pins (26), to push the housing (28a) away from the cylinder block 2. The specimen X is mounted between the housing (28a) and the cylinder block 2. For compressive testing (see FIG. 4), of a specimen Y the housing (28b) is rigidly secured to the cylinder block 2, and the cylinder (14b) acts to compress the specimen Y between the housing (28b) and the cylinder block 2 through a shaft (22b).

Abstract: The present invention aims at improving operability of a cargo handling machine by applying thereto a force control method. According to the force control method, a force sensor detects an anti-gravitational lift force that makes it possible to raise the cargo by holding an operating section, a hoisting force of the cargo handling machine is amplified in accordance with the lift force and the cargo is raised or lowered by the lift force and the hoisting force.

Abstract: The container includes a first chamber connected to the liquid source through an inlet port of a given cross-sectional area and a second chamber connected to a drain through an outlet port of at least equal size. The chambers are separated by a partition having a slot which has an elongated portion extending from the container floor in a direction generally parallel to the container side walls. The area of the elongated slot portion is approximately equal to the area of the inlet port. Liquid level or weight sensors generate signals representative of the quantity of the liquid level in the first chamber to a microprocessor to measure the flow rate. The signals are integrated over time to measure the total volume.

Abstract: A testing apparatus of a steering system is provided to correctly detect load in a direction in which steering reaction force acts, the load being applied to the steering system. A tie rod connected to a rack of the steering system is connected to a steering-angle vibrating unit via a torque lever, relay links and a drive link. A front link of the drive link and a link disposed parallel to the torque lever are provided in a swingable manner. Both ends of each of the relay links are respectively connected to the torque lever and the link disposed parallel to the torque lever, and the torque lever is swingable with respect to the link in a direction in which road-surface reaction force acts. Transducers are provided at intermediate portions of the relay links, respectively. A vertically-vibrating unit is connected via the torque lever to the rack.

Abstract: A rising step-load test apparatus for subjecting the notched region of a fracture specimen to tension by applying four-point bending to the specimen, and having an adaptor that can fit into the test apparatus in four-point bending and convert the bending load to an axial tensile load on a second specimen for which the adaptor serves as a fixture. The test apparatus applies four-point bending to either the fracture specimen or the adaptor through two oppositely situated simple supports at one end of the fracture specimen or adaptor and two other oppositely situated simple supports at the other end of the fracture specimen or adaptor. The adaptor employs two pivotally attached linking members attached to the two ends of the second specimen to transfer a pure axial tension to the second specimen for testing in axial-tension mode. A chemical bath is provided for an accelerated test of hydrogen embrittlement.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for testing the load-bearing capacity of a subterranean formation surrounding a concrete shaft and is made up of an expansion chamber at the bottom of the hole containing the shaft and fluid pressure and return lines which extend downwardly into communication with spaced outer peripheral portions of the expansion chamber so that when fluid is pumped into the chamber any entrapped air can be removed through the return line, and when grout is subsequently pumped into the chamber any fluid can be displaced through the return line. Telltale measuring rods extend downwardly into contact with spaced outer peripheral portions of the expansion chamber to measure displacement of the chamber when pressurized fluid is delivered into the chamber. The method of testing may be applied also in cyclical loading of the formation beneath the shaft to simulate a support structure which undergoes large fluctuations in loading, for example, of the type induced by an earthquake.

Abstract: A test frame has an upper end traverse, a lower end traverse below the upper end traverse, a pair of parallel upright tie rods having upper ends fixed in the upper traverse and lower ends fixed in the lower traverse, and a middle traverse between the upper and lower end traverses. Respective cylinders fixed on the middle traverse surrounding the tie rods are vertically slidable on the tie rods and each define with the respective tie rod a substantially closed chamber. A piston provided on each tie rod inside the respective cylinder subdivides the respective chamber into an upper compartment and a lower compartment. A source of fluid having a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side is connectable by a pair of respective valves to either of the respective compartments. A mechanical controller connected to both valves synchronously operates same to synchronize the position and movements of both cylinders.

Abstract: A material test system capable of applying multiple force load components simultaneously includes a first actuator connected in parallel with a spring element. The first actuator and the spring element in turn are connected in series with the test specimen and a second actuator. The spring element is substantially rigid in order to transfer the force load from the second actuator to the test specimen yet substantially compliant in order to allow transfer of the force load from the first actuator to the test specimen.

Abstract: Describes a process for applying non-destructive cyclical mechanical stress to planar items in order to simulate the effects of cyclical thermal stresses. Latent defects are accelerated and screened early in a manufacturing process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a test cell 1 suitable for use in applying directionally variable three dimensional stress fields to cylindrical test specimens 6 normally obtained by conventional coring techniques used for sample recovery. The test cell 1 comprises a cell body 2 having a barrel 4 extending therethrough for receiving a test specimen 6. The barrel 4 has an array 8 of elongate tubes 10 mounted side-by-side so as to line the inside wall 12 of the barrel. The tubes 10 have flexible side walls 14 and are formed and arranged for connection to a pressurized fluid supply 16. The test cell 1 also includes a control system 15 so that at least one tube 10a can be supplied with pressurized fluid at a different pressure to that in another tube 10b so as to provide an angularly variable radial pressure loading on the test specimen 6 mounted in the barrel 2.

Abstract: A machine for testing ball joints, elastomer bushings or other parts has a pair of mutually rotated gimbals attached to the outer shell or element for applying rotational displacements about two axes and a linear input attached to the inner element to apply a force along another axis. Each axis input is effected by a linear actuator and the gimbal inputs are specially designed to assure accurate independent control without parasitic motion between the inputs. Force and displacement transducers monitor each axis to provide feedback signals to control circuits. A heat chamber including the gimbal assembly has hot air applied from an external source through a hollow gimbal hub to hold the test specimen at a desired temperature.

Abstract: A panty hose testing apparatus in which a manikin conforming substantially to the lower portion of a human torso is provided with waist, leg, and hip portions for receiving thereon panty hose garments and the like. The garment is retained upon the manikin, during testing, by opposed clamp assemblies which engage the garment and manikin adjacent the waist portion, and a crotch member is displaceable longitudinally of the leg portions and applies a force to the crotch area of the garment sufficient to initiate seam damage or a tear in the garment fabric. A gauge measures the force necessary to initiate damage to the garment.