Wednesday, June 29, 2011

An Overview of Non Destructive Testing

Non destructive testing (NDT) involves several methods of identifying damage and flaws and is an essential procedure in industrial plant inspection. NDT is an engineering process of testing materials without altering them. There is no need to cut open a piece or scratch its surface when a nondestructive test is done. As a matter of fact there are numerous ways to test materials without having to alter them in anyway. This is important in various situations wherein the aesthetic appearance of a material cannot be compromised by testing and when the material in concern is hazardous. This process is usually part of industrial maintenance which is done regularly to ensure that the plant is in fit working condition. The techniques used will be used to make decisions whether to suspend operations and do preventive overhaul.

The purpose of NDT is to find out the probability of an existence of damage and flaw, as well as pin it down depending on the outcome of measurement. The methods for testing material flaw do not measure parameters like temperature and pressure.

NDT is a measurement of a physical property or effect from which the presence of damage or irregularity can be inferred. It is not a measurement of a fixed parameter such as temperature or pressure. The tests are conducted without impairing the capability of the equipment, securing its usefulness in the future.

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Metal Hardness Testing. Proceq metal hardness testing equipment Equotip includes non destructive testing instrument for static and dynamic testing and wedge seat testing.

Learn More About the Metal Hardness Tester – Equostat 3

Trivia: The PaperSchmidt paper roll hardness tester is the first rebound hammer designed specifically for paper roll hardness testing.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

NDT Tests the Integrity and Reliability of the Product

Like the name suggests, this methodology of testing the integrity and quality of a product of industrial use is called non destructive testing (NDT). NDT does not cause any form of damage to the product that is being tested. There is no physical removal or displacement of elements of the test product and hence the test is preferred for critical instruments and equipments to test for deformities and irregularities. This method is mostly used in industries than in medical practices. Although, certain form of this method is also used for medical purposes, most often NDT is limited to industrial processes.

NDT uses techniques or rather mediums for testing in the form of ultrasound, X-ray and endoscopy. In fact, its use in the medical diagnostics stopped back in mid 20th century, medical X-ray professionals were known to use NDT in the past. Following are listed in brief the uses of NDT:

- It is used to measure the integrity of the product. Certain industrial processes cannot afford to have the minutest fault in the most unnoticeable places of for instance, steel pipes. This is where the role of NDT is found to be of great significance as the test of probable damage or deformity can be carried out without having to stop any processes or physically changing the original form of the test product.

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Metal Hardness Testing. Proceq metal hardness testing equipment Equotip includes non destructive testing instrument for static and dynamic testing and wedge seat testing.

Monday, June 27, 2011

A Brief Background of the Schmidt Hammer And Its Uses

The Schmidt hammer is not a hammer as we normally think of it as normally a hammer is a wooden handle with a metal bar at the top used just to hit things very hard. There is no skill required and in the wrong hands, they can be dangerous. Ernest Schmidt invented this hammer in 1948. Ernest was a Swiss engineer. The role of that appliance was to carry out tests on rock and concrete. The tests carried out will let the user know the surface hardness and penetration resistance.

The Silver Schmidt tool is a new and improved product, and has many benefits missing from other hammers. Problems had been identified with existing hammers and these included the fact that impact direction had a direct effect on the rebound value, and a less than perfect reading is given. Friction within the wall can also play a part in affecting the reading. The final problem that could cause lack of accuracy is how well the tool is sealed. Silverschmidts new design sorts out these issues, and as a result, tests are now quicker and even more accurate.


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Metal Hardness Testing. Proceq metal hardness testing equipment Equotip includes non destructive testing instrument for static and dynamic testing and wedge seat testing.


Sunday, June 26, 2011

Cold Climates - The Ultimate Testing Ground For Floor Coatings

The garage floor in cold climates are subject to extreme temperatures, freeze/thaw issues and de-icing salts making it the ultimate testing ground for floor coatings.

De-Icing Salts

De-Icing salts might reduce slippage on roads and walkways but they cause significant damage to the concrete garage floor.. When you drive the salts get into the wheel wells of your car or truck and freeze in place temporarily. When you pull into your garage the salts start to melt the frozen snow and ice. The water that drips from your vehicle liquefies the salts that get into the pores of the concrete as well as the surface, starting a rapid deterioration of the concrete. As the concrete gets saturated it creates humidity and makes a home damp and cold. Not to mention mold buildup and deterioration of the drywall and beams of your home.

Spancrete Construction

Many homes have been built with spancrete construction. This is precast concrete panels that may be 24 -30 feet long, 3 feet wide and six inches thick. They are placed on foundations during construction and become your floor. In the home hardwood, tile and carpet covers the spancrete panels. In the garage concrete is poured about 4 inches thick over the spancrete which is also over your garage. As your home settles cracks form in the concrete above where the spancrete panels abut each other.


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Industry Feature: Addressing the industry need to create a concrete test hammer that can deliver accurate readings on virtually any concrete from any direction, on any surface without the need to compensate for impact direction, Switzerland-based Proceq announced today that it has launched the new SilverSchmidt concrete test hammer

Saturday, June 25, 2011

How to Utilize a Rebound Hammer Properly

The rebound hammer was the first hammer that was created to measure the properties of rock or concrete. There are different versions of the hammer and this enables the company to provide the type of hammer that all customers want for whatever specific job they are doing. The hammer tests the surface hardness of concrete, and although some people believe that this can be converted to compressive strength, this is not acceptable.

The test for the acceptance of concrete must be carried out with different equipment. If the rebound hammer is used, the reading will not be correct and there may be serious consequences later on. The test results can be altered by a number of factors. Moisture content and surface smoothness are just two of the factors that can change it, and they test can only give an estimate of concrete strength.

The manual-testing tool is the instrument used for testing hardened concrete. This does not damage the concrete in any way, and it is an easy piece of equipment to use. It quickly assesses the results and is the most popular way of carrying out this test. Also known as the Schmidt or Swiss hammer, it carries out a very important function. While it is a good instrument to use, it cannot be used in isolation.


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Industry Feature: Addressing the industry need to create a concrete test hammer that can deliver accurate readings on virtually any concrete from any direction, on any surface without the need to compensate for impact direction, Switzerland-based Proceq announced today that it has launched the new SilverSchmidt concrete test hammer

Friday, June 24, 2011

The Correlation Curve Of A Rebound Hammer

A rebound hammer is primarily used to assess the uniformity of concrete strength within a structure and to localize areas of inferior quality.

When using a rebound hammer to estimate in-situ compressive strength, the reference curves provided by the manufacturer must be used with some caution. The correlation between rebound number and compressive strength is very much dependent on the concrete mixture under test. In order to obtain an estimate of in-situ compressive strength using a rebound hammer in accordance with major standards, a calibration is necessary. The recommended method is to correlate the rebound hammer measurements with destructive tests made on core samples, or cubes/cylinders made from the same concrete mixture as that used in the structure.

Please refer to the following standards and guidelines for details of the requirements for creating such a correlation curve: EN 13791 (Europe), ASTM C805, ACI 228.1R-03 (North America), JGJ T23-2001 (China).

The resulting data is used either to shift a reference conversion curve or to define a custom curve for that particular mix. Typically the curve is defined to provide a safety margin to take into account the various factors that may affect the in-situ tests. EN 13791 recommends the use of a lower 10th percentile curve. This means that 90% of the data pairs lie above the curve and only 10% lie below.


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Industry Feature: Addressing the industry need to create a concrete test hammer that can deliver accurate readings on virtually any concrete from any direction, on any surface without the need to compensate for impact direction, Switzerland-based Proceq announced today that it has launched the new SilverSchmidt concrete test hammer

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Use Electrical Testing Equipment to Ensure the Safety of Your Loved Ones

Electrical test equipments are essential in our daily chores. It helps us in ensuring the safety of all our loved ones. If you don't want to appoint a PAT tester this is the equipment you can use to do the testing yourself.

PAT testing equipment

Talking about PAT testers, for the beginners PAT is a kind of a certification provided to the electrical devices that they have been tested and are safe to use. PAT stands for Portable Appliance Testing. Electrical equipments can go wrong anytime so it is better to get them checked up regularly. There are professional who do this and are known as testers.

Initially they were used to test the electrical equipments after they were manufactured by the manufacturer itself. But now days to comply with the legal regulations organizations use it to ensure the health and safety of the employees. It is also used at home.

There are many electrical appliances which need regular testing. To ensure the safety of everybody using that appliance, these should be checked regularly. The time for checking can be decided depending on the nature of the appliance, the frequency of its use and also the environment in which it is being used.


Find out How To Use Electrical Testing Equipment to Ensure the Safety of Your Loved Ones

Learn about The Basics of Hardness Testing and Special Taps

Find out samples of versatile portable hardness testers

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Electrical Testing Equipment - Different Types For Your Varying Needs

Electrical gadgets have been a part of daily living for many decades now. Each task is made easier by these sets of equipment. Specifically, it lessens the time one needs to devote on a specific endeavor. One of the industrial products in this regard is the so-called electrical testing equipment.

Electrical testing equipment may be sub-classified in a number of ways depending on the industry that makes use of the gadget. Some of the most common ones are automated test equipment, backplane testers, battery testers and burn-in test equipment. Here are some essential facts on each type of electrical tester.

Automated test equipment

This is perhaps one of the most advanced of all electrical testing equipment. It makes use of computers in order to test and measure a particular type of industrial unit. This type of equipment is quite costly especially for starters plus it also requires proper technical know-how during the set-up and programming stages.

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Do you know How to detect the hardness of stainless steel pipe?

Find out samples of versatile portable hardness testing machine

Watch this video of a portable hardness tester in action

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

An Overview on Automated Test Equipment

Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is computer controlled equipment that is used for testing the performance and functionality of electronic devices or even help in subassembly of electronic components, PCBs or PCAs. Furthermore, ATE is used to perform stress testing which involves minimal human interaction. ATE performs tests on a device, known as the Device Under Test (DUT). This device is very efficient in measuring the performance and evaluating the test results. DUT is physically connected to the ATE through a machine called a Handler or Prober and a customized Interface Test Adapter (ITA) that helps in familiarizing the ATE's resources to the DUT.

In this process the steps are repeatable, consistent and faster in comparison to the manual processes. It is a great advantage of technology to mankind which is making the testing process much simpler and faster. Most of the smart manufacturing companies have adopted this methodology which has proved really beneficial to them. Earlier it used to take several hours to perform testing of an electronic device but now with the automated test equipment the same task is done in few minutes. Due to this reason ATE is considered to be cost effective and efficient electronic testing equipment which is ideal for high volume testing.

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Learn about The Basics of Hardness Testing and Special Taps

Find out samples of versatile portable hardness testers

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Calibration Service and Its Significance

Calibration Service involves checking the performance of various equipments with the help of different measuring means. The equipments are checked as per their functionality and their capability to perform and this service allows you to make sure whether your equipments are working in the right manner. To undergo the service, a number of tools and techniques are available. They offer material testing commercial instrument calibration to test and check varied equipments. This service provides you the confidence and support enabling your machines to function better.

The service of calibration is a vital measure that keeps a check on the accuracy of performance. As time passes, every equipment or machinery is subject to wear and tear. Calibration service gives the exact report of condition. Measurement specialties accelerometers are available to get the desired results in no time. Inspection and material testing is very essential for proper services. It is crucial to have fully accredited calibration instruments for service providers in order to provide its customers effective, reliable and durable services.


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Trivia: The PaperSchmidt paper roll hardness tester is the first rebound hammer designed specifically for paper roll hardness testing.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Hardness Testers - Different Scales For Various Specifications

Hardness testers are industrial products used in order to measure a certain material's capacity to resist indentation, notches or recesses. This is done by measuring the depth of the indentation of any material. The results showing the smaller indentations signify that the material is harder than the other.

To understand more about the product known as hardness testers, one must be able to look into the scales used in order to determine a material's hardness. There are different varieties ranging from Brinell, coating, Rockwell and nanoindentation to Vickers and Knoop, coating and ultrasonic. There are also methods used along these techniques like superficial, macro and micro testing. Some of these scales are explained in the succeeding paragraphs.

Coating hardness tester

This is a scale that gauges the hardness of a material through the use of scratching, rubbing and indentation tests. The same evaluates the wear resistance of adhesives, sealants, thin paint films and CDs and DVDs. When evaluating coating hardness, brilliant ideas are based from indentation testers of Barber Coleman, Persoz and Koenig pendulums and Bucholz. Sclerometers are also utilized to evaluate and measure the pressure that often results to scratches in a certain material.



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For More Information About Roll Hardness Testers and other Next Generation Tools, visit the Proceq Website

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Metal Hardness Tester – Equostat 3

The Equostat 3 was developed for accurate, rapid and reproducible metal hardness testing. It features excellent sensitivity through small penetration of a few µm and is therefore particularly suited for testing metal hardness of surface layers on scratch-sensitive and polished parts or on thin parts, profiles and pipes with a wall thickness that is below 2 mm (0.08”).

The Equostat 3 works well in outdoor, factory and lab environments. It has only very few requirements on test piece geometries. The Equostat 3 probe can be connected directly to a laptop or a PC. Alternatively, the probe plugs into the Equotip 3 indicating device to combine the Rockwell principle of Equostat with the Leeb rebound principle of Equotip 3 to become the most versatile hardness tester. Live user guidance dialogs enable the user to obtain very accurate and highly reproducible measurements.

Learn More About the Metal Hardness Tester – Equostat 3

Trivia: The PaperSchmidt paper roll hardness tester is the first rebound hammer designed specifically for paper roll hardness testing.