Lloyd Instruments is offering a system for tensile testing circular rubber products. It features a motorised ring grip that is used in conjunction with a materials testing system, such as the Lrxplus.
Lloyd Instruments is offering a versatile system for tensile testing circular rubber products.
It features a motorised ring grip that is used in conjunction with a universal materials testing system, such as the Lrxplus.
This combination can be used to test O-rings, and other rubber products such as condoms and surgical or medical gloves.
The motorised grip can accommodate bands up to 20mm wide.
The grip consists of two anvils mounted on shafts to allow rotation.
The lower anvil is driven by a small electric motor and is mounted on the lower anchor pin of the testing machine.
The upper anvil is mounted on the loadcell of the testing machine and is free to rotate.
The lower anvil speed can be adjusted between 0 and 20 rpm.
The sample is placed over both anvils and rotated by the electric motor while a tensile load is applied by the testing machine.
In this way stress in the sample is equalised through its length.
The grip can be used for applied forces up to 10kN.
Tensile measurements can be used to monitor the quality and uniformity of latex condoms, since they indicate that the latex has been formulated and vulcanized correctly.
For these products a 20mm-wide sample is cut from the mid-section of the condom.
Three properties of latex are typically measured: the force required to break the latex ring; the percentage elongation before breaking; and the tensile breaking strength.
Tests can be repeated on condoms that have been oven-conditioned to simulate ageing.
Tests also can be carried out on other circular rubber materials such as cross- sections cut from the fingers of rubber gloves.
The Lrxplus is a single-column instrument that can be used for material testing applications up to 5kN.
Fast (8kHz) sampling rates allow detailed measurement and analysis, benefiting research as well as production applications, says Lloyd Instruments.
Special 'creep' and 'relaxation' programmes accompany tensile, compression, flexural and cycling modes to fulfil a wide range of test applications.
The addition of Lloyd Instruments' powerful Nexygen MT materials test and data analysis software, and Ondio application builder software, allows full automation of the tests, collection of data and presentation of results.
