German lightweight construction reasearh institute install a Zwick testing system

During the past decade the Department of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology (SLK) at Chemnitz University of Technology (TU Chemnitz), Gemany, has developed into one of the leading research institutes in the field of lightweight construction. To cover the increasing demand for testing in the ever-growing number of new fields of application for composite materials, the Department of Lightweight Structures and Polymer Technology has opted for an innovative Zwick testing system.

The areas of application for lightweight and composite materials now extend to virtually every industry. This also has consequences for research, as testing applications become ever more varied. The new Zwick testing system allows a range of different tests to be performed on composite materials and components.

The four-column machine (Fmax 250 kN) is equipped with an additional torsion drive (2000 Nm) to enable biaxial testing, for example on CFRP pipes with an outside diameter between 40 and 80 mm. The testing machine can also be used for tensile tests on standard specimens, as well as tensile and compression tests on complete components, and is equipped with two test areas, eliminating the need for fixture changes and ensuring greater repeat accuracy for test results.

To enable maximum accuracy in simulating environmental conditions the testing machine is equipped with a temperature chamber for tests between -80°C and 250°C.

|  A Zwick release  |  February 3, 2017  ||