Materials Testing Software

Calibration of both force and distance is carried out in-house at the end of the manufacturing process. Customers can easily re-calibrate the instrument in their laboratories depending upon their good laboratory practice.

The accuracy of all of our instruments can easily be checked in terms of speed, distance and force measurements to meet the more demanding regulations of certain industries.

Automatically Loading a Test Project

The Samples directory contains an ever-increasing range of over 180 projects from which users can select as a test starting point. At the click of your mouse your chosen sample project can automatically transfer the required test settings to the instrument and load the associated macro, spreadsheet and report ready to analyse and display the results once the test is performed.

Choose a Standard Method or Test Settings and analysis Macro routines can be optimised to suit your particular applications and if routinely required they can then be saved as user-specific Projects. A Project combines all of the components required to initiate a complete test and analysis procedure and is the basis on which a user can centralise all files required for a specific product test.

Alternatively, it is very easy for you to write your own method for the particular analysis required.

Choosing from a Test Library

A series of classical mechanical tests are included from which simple or 'enhanced' versions are available for selection. A TA Settings window is displayed which allows the user to specify such parameters as speed and test distance required for the test procedure. Advanced features within a test can be hidden for simplification. All TA Settings parameters have a caption which explains what each parameter does. Define your own test project and roll it out across multiple locations with multiple users to ensure consistency and accuracy in testing.

Data can be captured at high speed (up to 2000 points per second) which is a particularly important aspect when testing products that fracture (e.g. tablets, biscuits) or require high speed separation such as during the testing of adhesives.

The ability to plug-in additional measurement instruments is present in the instrument design to provide multi-channel data acquisition. This allows for many other measuring devices to be connected and their data simultaneously collected, such as acoustic emission, temperature, humidity via Exponent Connect software.

Graphs

During testing of your sample, force, distance and time values (and additional peripheral data values if attached) are collected and the real-time data displayed in a Graph window.

The Graph can be annotated to highlight the areas of interest and its axes can be changed to display the data in different X and Y combinations. Logarithmic and second Y axes are also available to allow synchronous display of additionally collected data such as temperature.

Graph files can include photos of the sample tested, and can also be exported as .bmp or .jpg.

Almost any feature of a data characteristic can be recognised and recorded. Icons for the calculations of such parameters as Area, Gradient, Time Difference, Mean, Count Force peaks, Force Maxima/Minima etc. are quickly accessible on the toolbar or minimised to only those required by the user via the Customisable Toolbar option. Quick Calculation Macros are a selection of popular calculations that you can choose from that will analyse the data to provide results in just a few steps.

Macros

A Macro simplifies repetitive analysis and display. A set of instructions are listed and executed which automatically collect data from the graph. Tests can be automated with either intricate or simple macros, the latter being ideally suited to a production environment.

Engineering macros are built in for you to choose from depending on the performed test.

At the end of each test, an operator need only concentrate on the positioning of their sample and starting their next test whilst the previous data is analysed in the background.

Exponent Connect not only provides an extensive library of macros that are ready to quickly analyse your materials testing data once your tests have been performed, but enables the writing of macros that can quantify almost any aspect of the data resulting from the test. The flexibility to perform such a wide range of sophisticated additional mathematical functions within the software is unrivalled.

• Strain rate
• Young’s Modulus
• Tangent, chord and secant modulus
• Resilience
• Yield stress
• Strain to yield
• x% proof stress
• Maximum stress
• Strain at maximum stress
• Energy to maximum stress
• Breaking strain
• Hysteresis %
• Energy to failure

When specifically measuring in tension additional parameters may include:

• Necking onset
• Ultimate tensile strength
• Strain hardening parameter
• Strength coefficient

Flexure using three point bend for cuboid and cylindrical samples:

• Yield stress
• Young’s Modulus
• Flexural strength
• Toughness

Indentation using conical and spherical probes:

• Indentation modulus
• Hardness
• Elastic energy
• Plastic energy
• Indentation energy

Puncture of uniform thickness thin films using spherical probes:

• Stiffness
• Strength
• Toughness
• Failure Strain

Exponent Connect software is extremely well suited to the analysis of materials test data. Custom graph axes may be plotted to display a wide range of functions, such as stress and strain for any standard test geometry, true stress and true strain, and many other variations.

Graphs can be automatically manipulated and analysed to, for example, find 1st, 2nd and 3rd derivatives, locate breaking points and perform calculations using variables such as graph values, sample information and test settings.

Exporting Data

Spreadsheets, text or images can be exported to other Windows applications for further specific manipulation/presentation if required. Once your range of tests are performed the collection of parameters you have obtained can be collated into a 'fingerprint' of each sample.

Charts

Once data is collected in a spreadsheet, charts in a multitude of formats can be automatically displayed or designed to suit your data comparison needs.

A Chart gives a visual representation of the data from the Results window to allow easier comparison and interpretation. The Chart Designer allows selection of chart type and defines position, legend styles, base and wall styles and axes types.

Reports

A Report is a great way to establish a strict format for presenting information for others. For example, reports allow users to present hourly online test results to their managers or to present well-formatted reports to marketing and customers.

Reports may include graphs, results files, charts, pictures, logos, text, test settings, test preferences, batch numbers, information about the products tested, etc.

A Report can be a user formatted composed presentation of the complete analysis using the WYSIWYG word processor type interface. Alternatively reports can be automatically generated from active objects and fields when a report template is open which can be set-up to print, save or email when tests are complete. A Spell Checker, Thesaurus, adjustable fonts and styles and support for tables, OLE objects and export to HTML are also included.

Programmable Sequencing: This allows total flexibility in the programming of the Texture Analyser arm movement. New test sequences can be written to accommodate sophisticated arm movement requirements, data capturing options and control of peripheral measurements such as temperature modules.

Advanced Data Analysis: Exponent Connect provides a wealth of sophisticated analytical tools which are available for immediate use and quick interpretation.

Mail To... At the end of your test, you can send your data directly from Exponent Connect to your colleagues – a great feature for multiple location synchronisation which simplifies the distribution of Exponent Connect files from one site to another.

Test Maker: This is a useful facility which allows a user to simply build a customised test from a selection of standard arm movements.

BASIC Macro Language: Access to advanced Exponent Connect data and commands provides the ability to automate certain actions or tests.

OLE Automation: This offers an interface for easy integration into many programming languages allowing total automation within a bespoke system such as automated sample loading or complex data collection systems.

Add pictures to Graph files: The Project and the Graphs have a place to enter notes to describe a test method or setup. Why not add a photo of your test setup so it is easy to see how it was or should be configured?

Test History Database: This feature tracks when tests were run and where they have been saved in the event that important data is misplaced.

LIMS: Exponent Connect can simplify the sending of analysis results to LIMS from most companies. It comes in the form of a Macro command that can be easily configured to export the selected results of the current product to a file that a LIMS can read and delete.

Enhanced Security Module: This additional module provides additional security such as electronic record and signature management if you need it or wish to run your instrument in accordance with FDA CFR21 Part 11 guidelines.