A leading provider of testing equipment designed to evaluate the mechanical properties of materials and components, Instron - a division of ITW Test and Measurement Italia, headquartered in Pianezza, near Turin, Italy - will be exhibiting at JEC 2015 (Paris, March 10-12) the new Advanced Video Extensometer (AVE2) that conforms to the most rigorous composite standards - ISO 527 and ASTM D638. The AVE2 is a fully-integrated device that easily adapts to the normal fluctuations of environmental conditions in your lab and is easily adapted to any testing machine on the market that uses a ±10v analog input (performance depends on the system). Designed to dramatically reduce errors from thermal and lighting variations that are common in most labs, the AVE 2 is the only device on the market to utilize the real-time 490 Hz data rate while also achieving a 1 micron accuracy.

Visitors to JEC will also be able to see Instron’s new TestProfiler. Featured in Bluehill 3 software, TestProfiler offers unprecedented flexibility in setting up automated product reliability tests that mimic the functional use of the product being tested. It allows for easy setup of tests that require: repetitive cycles for component quality testing commonly used with customers testing foam and spring, or performing proof-loading tests; step-by-step loading patterns to mimic functional use of medical devices and consumer electronics products; ability to build test flow logic by monitoring and responding to internal and external sensors and digital states; tests with simultaneous temperature control of the specimen using select Instron chamber and furnace products.

For dynamic and fatigue testing of composites, Instron will demonstrate the ElectroPuls E3000 all-electric test instrument with a nominal force capacity up to ±3 kN, designed both for static testing at low speeds and high-frequency dynamic testing at several hundred Hertz. With its patented, oil-free linear motor technology, the system specifically supports clean working conditions. Coupled with their Specimen Self-Heating Control (SSHC) - a powerful add-on for WaveMatrix software, this module is specifically designed to increase throughput and consistency during fatigue testing of composites by optimizing the test frequency. With an easy to use interface, SSHC allows users to simply set and control a target temperature to within ± 0.5°C, based on a specimen temperature input from a thermocouple or infrared thermometer. A stable temperature is maintained throughout the test by automatically adjusting the test frequency.

The range of exhibits is rounded off with an Instron Ceast 9340 drop tower designed to deliver 0.30 - 405 J (0.22 - 299 ft-lb) of energy which allows to evaluate the impact resistance of composite plates performing Compression After Impact (CAI) test. In addition, the system is equipped with the DAS64K, with a selectable sampling frequency up to 4 MHz, for simultaneous acquisition of up to four independent signals.