Zwick USA, Kennesaw, Ga., announces that it has sold two robotic testing systems to Hydro Aluminum in Germany, the Z020 materials testing machine and the roboTest L specimen feeding system. The testing machine has a nominal force of 20 kN and is equipped with symmetrically closing, pneumatically operated grips, plus a makroXtens extensometer. The specimen magazines hold 40 specimens each and four of them can be accommodated on the mobile magazine table. The specimens are given a unique barcode, enabling error-free assignment of the specimen to the specification data.
The system is equipped with a four-transducer cross-section measuring device for precise, standard-compliant testing. The pairs of transducers provide differential measurement of thickness and width, at one or three locations on the specimen as required. Alternatively, specimens can be weighed using integrated high-precision scales. Material thickness is determined from (the known) area and the density.
The second system is designed for tensile tests on dumbbell specimens 165 mm long, 0.1 – 0.5 mm thick, to ISO 6892-1. It consists of a Z005 materials testing machine and the roboTest L specimen feeding system. The testing machine has a nominal force of 5 kN and is equipped with symmetrically closing, pneumatically operated grips plus a makroXtens extensometer.
As some of the specimens undergo temperature conditioning before the test, special heat-resistant magazines each holding 30 specimens are used. While the tensile test is running, the thickness of the next specimen is already being measured. This parallel operation allows results to be obtained for 35 – 40 specimens per hour.
Both systems are controlled by Zwick’s autoEdition automation software. The systems are integrated into the customer’s in-house network, where they receive specification data from the CAQ system and supply results in return.
