Thursday, 5 February 2009
Wednesday, 4 February 2009
Concrete Test Hammer
Concrete Test Hammer
Concrete test hammer uses indirect means of obtaining relative value for compressive strength of finished concrete. Spring-driven hammer is used for non-destructive quality testing of concrete and other building materials in any structure or prefabricated section. Determines when forms may be removed or load applied, damage done to a structure by freezing or fire. Impact energy is 1.6 ft-lbs. (2.207 Nm). Unit has 1450 to 10,150 psi (10 to 70 N/mm2) capacity range. Lightweight portable test instrument works on the rebound principle. To operate, place impact plunger against test surface and apply pressure until plunger disappears; hammer will release. Scale pointer reading gives rebound value in percent of the forward movement of the hammer mass. Includes rubbing stone, plastic case, instruction booklet and calibration curves. Meets ASTM C805
A Schmidt hammer, also known as a Swiss hammer, is a device to measure the elastic properties or strength of concrete or rock.
Original Schmidt Concrete Test Hammer
The hammer measures the rebound of a spring loaded mass impacting against the surface of the sample. When conducting the test the hammer should be held at right angles to the surface which in turn should be flat and smooth. The rebound reading will be affected by the orientation of the hammer, when used in a vertical position (on the underside of a suspended slab for example) gravity will increase the rebound distance of the mass and vice versa for a test conducted on a floor slab. The Schmidt hammer is an arbitrary scale ranging from 10 to 100. Schmidt hammers are available from their original manufacturers in several different energy ranges. These include: (i) Type L-0.735 Nm impact energy, (ii) Type N-2.207 Nm impact energy; and (iii) Type M-29.43 Nm impact energy.
The test is also sensitive to other factors:
Local variation in the sample. To minimise this it is recommended to take a selection of readings and take an average value.
Water content of the sample, a saturated material will give different results from a dry one.
Prior to testing, the Schmidt hammer should be calibrated using a calibration test anvil supplied by the manufacturer for that purpose. 12 readings should be taken, dropping the highest and the lowest, and then take the average of the ten remaining. Using this method of testing is classed as indirect as it does not give a direct measurement of the strength of the material. It simply gives an indication based on surface properties, it is only suitable for making comparisons between samples.
Original Schmidt Concrete Test Hammer
The hammer measures the rebound of a spring loaded mass impacting against the surface of the sample. When conducting the test the hammer should be held at right angles to the surface which in turn should be flat and smooth. The rebound reading will be affected by the orientation of the hammer, when used in a vertical position (on the underside of a suspended slab for example) gravity will increase the rebound distance of the mass and vice versa for a test conducted on a floor slab. The Schmidt hammer is an arbitrary scale ranging from 10 to 100. Schmidt hammers are available from their original manufacturers in several different energy ranges. These include: (i) Type L-0.735 Nm impact energy, (ii) Type N-2.207 Nm impact energy; and (iii) Type M-29.43 Nm impact energy.
The test is also sensitive to other factors:
Local variation in the sample. To minimise this it is recommended to take a selection of readings and take an average value.
Water content of the sample, a saturated material will give different results from a dry one.
Prior to testing, the Schmidt hammer should be calibrated using a calibration test anvil supplied by the manufacturer for that purpose. 12 readings should be taken, dropping the highest and the lowest, and then take the average of the ten remaining. Using this method of testing is classed as indirect as it does not give a direct measurement of the strength of the material. It simply gives an indication based on surface properties, it is only suitable for making comparisons between samples.
Monday, 2 February 2009
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Hardness Test
Hardness Test
Simply stated, hardness is the resistance of a material to permanent indentation. It is important to recognize that hardness is an empirical test and therefore hardness is not a material property. This is because there are several different hardness tests that will each determine a different hardness value for the same piece of material. Therefore, hardness is test method dependent and every test result has to have a label identifying the test method used.
Hardness is, however, used extensively to characterize materials and to determine if they are suitable for their intended use. All of the hardness tests described in this section involve the use of a specifically shaped indenter, significantly harder than the test sample, that is pressed into the surface of the sample using a specific force. Either the depth or size of the indent is measured to determine a hardness value.
Why Use a Hardness Test?
Easy to perform
Quick - 1 to 30 seconds
Relatively inexpensive
Non-destructive
Finished parts can be tested - but not ruined
Virtually any size and shape can be tested
Practical QC device - incoming, outgoing
The most common uses for hardness tests is to verify the heat treatment of a part and to determine if a material has the properties necessary for its intended use. Establishing a correlation between the hardness result and the desired material property allows this, making hardness tests very useful in industrial and R&D applications.
Hardness Scales
There are five major hardness scales:
Brinell - HB
Knoop - HK
Rockwell - HR
Shore - HS
Vickers - HV
Each of these scales involve the use of a specifically shaped diamond, carbide or hardened steel indenter pressed into the material with a known force using a defined test procedure. The hardness values are determined by measuring either the depth of indenter penetration or the size of the resultant indent. All of the scales are arranged so that the hardness values determined increase as the material gets harder. The hardness values are reported using the proper symbol, HR, HV, HK, etc. indicating the test scale performed.
Five Determining Factors
The following five factors can be used to determine the correct hardness test for your application.
Material - grain size, metal, rubber, etc.
Approximate Hardness - hardened steel, rubber, etc.
Shape - thickness, size, etc.
Heat Treatment – through or casehardened, annealed, etc.
Production Requirements - sample or 100%
Simply stated, hardness is the resistance of a material to permanent indentation. It is important to recognize that hardness is an empirical test and therefore hardness is not a material property. This is because there are several different hardness tests that will each determine a different hardness value for the same piece of material. Therefore, hardness is test method dependent and every test result has to have a label identifying the test method used.
Hardness is, however, used extensively to characterize materials and to determine if they are suitable for their intended use. All of the hardness tests described in this section involve the use of a specifically shaped indenter, significantly harder than the test sample, that is pressed into the surface of the sample using a specific force. Either the depth or size of the indent is measured to determine a hardness value.
Why Use a Hardness Test?
Easy to perform
Quick - 1 to 30 seconds
Relatively inexpensive
Non-destructive
Finished parts can be tested - but not ruined
Virtually any size and shape can be tested
Practical QC device - incoming, outgoing
The most common uses for hardness tests is to verify the heat treatment of a part and to determine if a material has the properties necessary for its intended use. Establishing a correlation between the hardness result and the desired material property allows this, making hardness tests very useful in industrial and R&D applications.
Hardness Scales
There are five major hardness scales:
Brinell - HB
Knoop - HK
Rockwell - HR
Shore - HS
Vickers - HV
Each of these scales involve the use of a specifically shaped diamond, carbide or hardened steel indenter pressed into the material with a known force using a defined test procedure. The hardness values are determined by measuring either the depth of indenter penetration or the size of the resultant indent. All of the scales are arranged so that the hardness values determined increase as the material gets harder. The hardness values are reported using the proper symbol, HR, HV, HK, etc. indicating the test scale performed.
Five Determining Factors
The following five factors can be used to determine the correct hardness test for your application.
Material - grain size, metal, rubber, etc.
Approximate Hardness - hardened steel, rubber, etc.
Shape - thickness, size, etc.
Heat Treatment – through or casehardened, annealed, etc.
Production Requirements - sample or 100%
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Nondestructive testing
The need for NDT
It is very difficult to weld or mold a solid object that has the risk of breaking in service, so testing at manufacture and during use is often essential. During the process of casting a metal object, for example, the metal may shrink as it cools, and crack or introduce voids inside the structure. Even the best welders (and welding machines) do not make 100% perfect welds. Some typical weld defects that need to be found and repaired are lack of fusion of the weld to the metal and porous bubbles inside the weld, both of which could cause a structure to break or a pipeline to rupture.
During their service lives, many industrial components need regular non-destructive tests to detect damage that may be difficult or expensive to find by everyday methods. For example:
Aircraft skins need regular checking to detect cracks;
Underground pipelines are subject to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking;
Pipes in industrial plants may be subject to erosion and corrosion from the products they carry;
Reinforced concrete structures may be weakened if the inner reinforcing steel is corroded;
Pressure vessels may develop cracks in welds;
The wire ropes in suspension bridges are subject to weather, vibration, and high loads, so testing for broken wires and other damage is important.
Finished machined parts, such as bearings, that have newly been assembled can be tested for missing pieces, such as a ball or roller bearing, or grease within the housing non-destructively with a checkweigher. A roller motor for a conveyor can be tested for the proper level of oil, without disassembling the finished product. Thousand of manufactured products can benefit from this form of testing.
Over the past centuries, swordsmiths, blacksmiths, and bell-makers would listen to the ring of the objects they were creating to get an indication of the soundness of the material. The wheel-tapper would test the wheels of locomotives for the presence of cracks, often caused by fatigue — a function that is now carried out by instrumentation and referred to as the acoustic impact technique.
Use of X-rays for NDT is a common way of examining the interior of products for voids and defects, although some skill is needed in using radiography to examine samples and interpret the results. Soft X-rays are needed for examining low density material like polymers, composites and ceramics.
Methods and techniques
NDT is divided into various methods of nondestructive testing, each based on a particular scientific principle. These methods may be further subdivided into various techniques. The various methods and techniques, due to their particular natures, may lend themselves especially well to certain applications and be of little or no value at all in other applications. Therefore choosing the right method and technique is an important part of the performance of NDT.
Shopping
It is very difficult to weld or mold a solid object that has the risk of breaking in service, so testing at manufacture and during use is often essential. During the process of casting a metal object, for example, the metal may shrink as it cools, and crack or introduce voids inside the structure. Even the best welders (and welding machines) do not make 100% perfect welds. Some typical weld defects that need to be found and repaired are lack of fusion of the weld to the metal and porous bubbles inside the weld, both of which could cause a structure to break or a pipeline to rupture.
During their service lives, many industrial components need regular non-destructive tests to detect damage that may be difficult or expensive to find by everyday methods. For example:
Aircraft skins need regular checking to detect cracks;
Underground pipelines are subject to corrosion and stress corrosion cracking;
Pipes in industrial plants may be subject to erosion and corrosion from the products they carry;
Reinforced concrete structures may be weakened if the inner reinforcing steel is corroded;
Pressure vessels may develop cracks in welds;
The wire ropes in suspension bridges are subject to weather, vibration, and high loads, so testing for broken wires and other damage is important.
Finished machined parts, such as bearings, that have newly been assembled can be tested for missing pieces, such as a ball or roller bearing, or grease within the housing non-destructively with a checkweigher. A roller motor for a conveyor can be tested for the proper level of oil, without disassembling the finished product. Thousand of manufactured products can benefit from this form of testing.
Over the past centuries, swordsmiths, blacksmiths, and bell-makers would listen to the ring of the objects they were creating to get an indication of the soundness of the material. The wheel-tapper would test the wheels of locomotives for the presence of cracks, often caused by fatigue — a function that is now carried out by instrumentation and referred to as the acoustic impact technique.
Use of X-rays for NDT is a common way of examining the interior of products for voids and defects, although some skill is needed in using radiography to examine samples and interpret the results. Soft X-rays are needed for examining low density material like polymers, composites and ceramics.
Methods and techniques
NDT is divided into various methods of nondestructive testing, each based on a particular scientific principle. These methods may be further subdivided into various techniques. The various methods and techniques, due to their particular natures, may lend themselves especially well to certain applications and be of little or no value at all in other applications. Therefore choosing the right method and technique is an important part of the performance of NDT.
Shopping
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
