Lastmodified09/24/2008

TiniusOlsenTorsionTestingMachineProcedure

OnlystudentsorTAswhohavebeenshownhowtousethemachinebyITLLstaffmayoperatetheTorsion
TestMachine.TAsupervisionispreferable.

DescriptionofTiniusOlsenTorsionTester:

Thisisa10,000inlb.capacitytorsiontesterwithareversibleelectromechanicaldrivesystemhavinga4
channelreadoutthatincludesanopticalencoderforchuckposition.Thespecimenisheldbetweenaloading
(twisting)chuckandaweighing(stationary)chuck.Gripsacceptspecimensof5/16to1.5inchindiameter.
Specialgripadapterswillberequiredtotestnoncircularspecimen.Controlsaremanualincludingrotational
speed,directionofrotation,startandstop.

EquipmentSetup:

1. PlugthepowercordintoaLabStation,frontpaneloutlet.Connectthe9pinserialconnectorcable
intotheSerialAport(frontpanel)ofyourcomputer.Ifusingstraingauges,carefullyattachthe
militaryconnectortoplugP1AorP1BcorrespondingtothesideoftheLabStationyouplantouse.

2. IfyouareusingstraingaugesensuretheSCXIchasisisturnedon.

3. Log into the computer and find the LabVIEW program under the following path: H:\ITLL
Documentation\ITLL Modules\Torsional Testing Machine Tinius Olsen. Two LabVIEW VI
programs are available, one for use with strain gauges and one without. Double click on the
appropriateicontoloadtheprogram.

4. TheLabVIEWprogramwillreadalldataandwritetoatextfilethatisreadablebyExcelorMatlab,
forinstance.Controlofthemachineismanualusingfrontpanelbuttonsandspeeddial.

Operationalprocedure:

1. Locktherotatablewheelsonthecart.

2. Ifused, attach specimen to gripadapters bypressing specimen into appropriate adapter slots. Slide
outsidechuckalongmachinebedandopenjawsofbothchucksbyturningCCWeachofthreehexhead
screws.Insertspecimenandslideoutsidechucktowardsinsidechuckuntilitisstoppedbythespecimen
endshaft.Pulltheoutsidechuckbackabout1/2inchandtightenoutsidechuckassemblytobedof
machine(donottightenthejawsofthechuckyet).
Note:Theclampmechanismonthebedofthemachineshouldbesufficientlytightenedtopreventthe
outsidechuckfromlifting, yetlooseenoughforhorizontal movement as thespecimen changes
lengthduringtesting.

3. Repositionspecimenmidwaybetweenchucks.Foreachchuck,tightenthethreejawsalternately,keeping
referencelinesonthegripsconcentricwiththereferenceringsonthechuckfaceplates.
Note:Donotovertightenchuckjaws,asthiswillpreventtheselftighteningfeaturetooperateproperly.
Thegrippinginsertsinthejawsaredesignedtopivotinthedirectionoftwistandincreaseclamping
forceastheappliedforceisincreased.
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4. Ensurethesafetyshieldisinplaceandtheaccessdoorisclosedbeforeproceeding.

5. Torqueisdisplayedonchannel1(firstrow).TheletterFindicatestorquesensorisinafixedrangeand
torquerangemustbeselectedmanually.Rangesavailableare500,1000,5,000and10,000inchpounds.
InSIunitstherangesare50,100,500and1000Newtonmeters.ChangetherangebypressingSEL
button7.Selectinganappropriaterangeisimportantasitdeterminesdataresolution.SELbutton1
indicatestherateofchangeoftorque.

6. Twistangleisdisplayedonthesecondrow.AdisplayedletterAindicatesthesensorisautoranging
anddoesnotrequirerangeselections.Twistangleisdisplayedindegrees.Speedofrotationisdisplayed,
thirdrow,rightsidewithunitsofin/mormm/m(SI).Note:misminutes.Generallythisrateindicator
isnotusedevenifitisdisplayed,astherateisdeterminedfromtheLabVIEWgraphandadjustedusing
thespeeddialsetting.(Seestep10.)

7. PressandholdtheZERObutton8tozerothetorquesensorbeforeeachtest.Likewise,zerotheencoder
channelbypressingtheZERObutton2.Thiszerosallinitialconditions.

8. Selectdirectionoftwistusingfrontpaneltoggleswitch(forwardorreverse).Thedrivechuck,whichis
closesttothecontrols,ismarkedtoindicatedirectionofrotation.
Note:Thedirectionoftwistcanonlybechangedwhenthedrivemotorisstopped.

9. Onthecomputer,runtheLabVIEWprogrambyselectingtherightarrowbuttonfromthetoolbarjust
underthetopmenus.ClickontheselectionbarnearthebottomoftheprogramtouseeitherSIorEnglish
units.Thedisplayonthemachinewillchangetoshowtheselectedunits.

10. Thespeedofrotationiscontrolledmanuallyfromadialonthemachinefrontpanel.Speeddialunitsare
indegrees/minuteandareonlyapproximatevalues.Setthedesiredspeedofrotationandpushthegreen
STARTbutton.Usually,asettingof515deg/minisplentyfast.Speedcanbeadjustedwhilethedrive
motorisrunning,butusecaution,asthisdialisverysensitive.

11. Fromyourexperimentalwriteup,orfromyourownestimate,notefinallimitsoftorqueallowed.Donot
exceedtheselimitsunlessyouaretakingthespecimenstofailure.Exceedingtheselimitswilldestroythe
specimen.Monitorthetestandnoteanyobservationsandchangesinspecimen.Immediatelypressthe
redSTOPbuttonifanyproblemsarenotedoraslimitsarereached.

12. PresstheredSTOPbuttononthemachinewhenthetestiscomplete.ThenselecttheSTOP&SAVE
buttonontheLabVIEWprogramtostoptakingdata.WhentheSTOP&SAVEbuttonisselectedadialog
boxwillappearandyouwillbeaskedwhereyouwanttosaveyourdatafile.DONOTselectcancel
fromthedialogboxoryourdatawillbeLOST.DONOTsaveyourfileinyourclassdirectoryor
anywhereelsewhereyoudonothavewriteprivilegesorthedatawillbelost.Youmaysavethefile
inyourpersonaldirectory(Z:),thePublicfolderinsideyourclassfolderortoaUSBflashdrive.The
programsavesallthedatafromthetimetherunarrowbuttonisselecteduntiltheSTOP&SAVEbutton
isselected.ThedataissavedtoatabdelimitedtextfilethatcanbeopenedinExcel.DONOTusethe
File\SaveoptionfromthemenuasthissavestheLabVIEWprogramitselfandNOTyourdata.
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13. Whentestingiscompleteyoumustrunthemachineintheoppositedirectionuntiltheforcedisplayreads
ZEROpounds.Thetestingsamplemustbeunstressedbeforeyoutrytoremoveit.Oftenthisdoes
notcorrespondtoazeroanglereadingduetoslippage!

14. Whenyouarefinishedunplugthepowerandserialcables&logoffthecomputer.Unlockthecarts
wheelsandreturntheTorsionalTestertothemodulebay(2B60).