Shimadzu Corp., Japan, introduces the HITS-TX high-speed impact testing machine, which can carry out tensile tests of plastics and resin-based composite materials at a maximum speed of 20 m/s (65 ft/sec) and maximum testing force of 10 kN (2248 pounds).
The data processing method has been completely redesigned, making it possible to obtain waveforms having very little noise, similar to that of tensile tests conducted at regular speeds. This machine provides speeds from a maximum of 20 m/s (72 km per hour) down to a minimum speed of 0.0001 m/s, features a maximum testing force of 10 kN, and offers a maximum displacement of 300 mm. Accordingly, a great variety of samples, including plastics, resin-based composite materials, and metals, can all be tensile-tested with this one machine. In addition, Shimadzu's newly developed proprietary approach jig allows superior reproducibility at a set tension speed.
When used in combination with Shimadzu's Hyper Vision HPV-X2 high-speed video camera, which has a maximum recording speed of 10 million frames per second, both the data for the material impact properties and the data for the failure behavior can be acquired simultaneously.
The instrument includes support for the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) directive, and CE marking, which indicates compliance with standards; therefore, the product is being promoted not only in Europe, where automobile manufacturing is prevalent, but also worldwide.
In recent years, focused mainly on the automobile industry, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of cases where various parts are being replaced with those made of plastic materials and highly functional resin-based composite materials, since they are lighter and offer superior workability. Since data related to impact characteristics and strength is used in safety simulations, increasing attention is being paid to high-speed tensile testing machines.
