Labs
SFI CASA Lab Equipment
SFI CASA has access to a wide range of test-facilities and equipment.
We are happy to introduce:
Shock Tube Facility
18,2 m long tube divided into six sections. The tube ends in a 5.1 m dump tank. Threaded holes in the tube floor enable mounting of test specimens in the test section. Windows in the test section and the dump tank allow high-speed cameras to investigate the structural response during an experiment.
Pendulum Impactor
The pendulum accelerator, is a device for impact testing of components and structures. The test rig accelerates a trolley on rails towards a test specimen fixed to a reaction wall. The accelerating system consists of an arm that is connected to a hydraulic/pneumatic actuator system. The maximum energy delivered to the trolley is approximately 500 kJ.
Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar
Consists of a high-pressure chamber unit that can accelerate a striker bar against the end of the input bar. A compression stress wave is then generated in the input bar and the test sample sandwiched between the input and output bars are subjected to a dynamic loading.
Stretch Bending Rig
Applies a combined bending and axial tensile/compressive loading to the test component. The length of the specimens is 1-2 m, and they are bent around an exchangeable die with a defined curvature. The rig has been used to study the bending operation of car bumpers and the behavior of pipelines subjected to impact and subsequent stretching.
BUP600
This multi-purpose hydraulic sheet metal forming machine is designed to test the formability of sheet metals. The machine has a 600 kN load capacity, a maximum clamping force of 50 kN, a maximum test stroke of 120 mm and a maximum test speed of 750 mm/min.
Transmission Electron Microscopy
SFI CASA cooperates with the TEM Gemini Centre at NTNU, providing SFI CASA access to 5 TEMs: a JEOL double corrected ColdFEG ARM200F (2013), a JEOL 2100F (2013), a JEOL 2100 (2013), a Philips CM30 (1989) and a JEOL 2010 (1993). The TEM Gemini Centre also has a well equipped sample preparation lab and computing facilities.
Cameras
During impact testing of materials and structures, the events are recorded using high-speed cameras. Our Phantom V2511 delivers a speed of over 25,000 frames-per-second at full resolution. At reduced resolution this one can deliver 1,000,000 fps with the fast option. We also have a Kirana-05M camera with a maximum frame rate of 5 000 000 FPS, allowing detailed studies of crack propagation.
SFI CASA has a FLIR SC7500 infrared camera that can convert infrared radiation to a visual image that depicts thermal variations across an object or scene. It can be used to measure the surface temperature of a specimen under inelastic deformations. With a resolution of 320x256 pixels the maximum frame rate is 380 per second, while at a resolution of 48x4 pixels the maximum frame rate is 31 800 per second (FPS).
CASA also has other high-speed cameras and several cameras for Digital Image Correlation measurements.
Gas Gun
A compressed gas gun for ballistic impact studies. A variety of projectile geometries can be fired, with a maximum velocity of 1000 m/s.
Split-Hopkinson Tension Bar
A device for material testing at strain rates in the range between 100 and 1500 s–1. Data is recorded with strain gauges and high-speed cameras. An induction heater facilitates tests at elevated temperatures.
Droptower Impact System
In this machine impact testing of materials and small components can be carried out at low and high temperatures. The mass of the projectile ranges from 2-70 kg and gives an impact velocity in the range 0.8-24 m/s. All tests can be carried out with an instrumented nose which gives the impact force as a function of time.
Self-Piercing Riveting Machine
In this machine self-piercing riveting can be carried out of sheets under industrial conditions.
Hydro-Pneumatic Machine
The hydro-pneumatic machine (HPM) is a device for tensile material testing. It operates in the strain–rate range between 1 and 100 s -1.
Scanning Electron Microscopy
SFI CASA has access to a SEM lab with the following equipment: Zeiss SUPRA 55VP (LVFESEM, 2006), Hitachi S-4300SE (FESEM, 2002), Zeiss, Ultra 55LE, FESEM (2007), Jeol 840 (1989). 3 SEMs are equipped with EDS and EBSD. The laboratory have in-situ substage systems for EBSD tensile and thermo mechanical experiments (heating, and cooling down to -60 °C).