Inventors:
Niel R. Petersen - Minnetonka MN
David G. Chasco - Bloomington MN
Assignee:
MTS Systems Corporation - Eden Prairie MN
International Classification:
G01N 300
Abstract:
A tensile test controller has both load and stroke control circuits that are coupled together to permit tensile testing a specimen while controlling the load on the specimen, and when the specimen yields, for safely and smoothly switching to stroke control to complete the test and break the specimen. The controller has circuits which provide control over the velocity of the actuator as the specimen yields, and to prevent the specimen from being placed into compression, and also to sense the plastic specimen deformation a desired amount after it has yielded, but before the stroke control function is activated. Simplified supervisory gates are used to insure that the appropriate signal is controlling the test.