TPT May 2009

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Inspection, Measuring, Testing & Marking
May 2009
Imatek Ltd, UK, is a manufacturer of
materials testing equipment used primarily
in the fields of impact testing and polymer
melt rheology. The company’s machines
are used to test the properties of materials,
components and assemblies within a wide
range of industries including aerospace,
automotive, and steel production.
The use of higher grade steels in oil and
gas pipeline construction is creating the
need for a new generation of specialist
impact testers. Imatek offers a range
of drop weight tear testers (DWTT) for
measuring the fracture characteristics
of steel specimens according to API
recommended practice 5L3, EN 10274,
ASTM-E 436 and ‘Pellini’. Steel grades of
X120 and specimens of up to 50mm can be
accommodated.
A major feature of the Imatek range is the
optional high-quality instrumentation and
analysis software that provides information,
both graphical and tabular, for the specimen
failure. Whereas historically the DWTT test
method has not required instrumentation, more
recent research indicates that it is of significant
benefit when testing tougher x-steels.
Instrumentation enables crack initiation and,
most importantly, propagation energies,
for the specimen to be determined. This is
considered a better measure of ‘in-use’
performance for these steels. Imatek also
offers an integrated high-speed video option.
Imatek’s integrated high-speed video
system uses its C3008 data acquisition
system to combine signals recorded during
a test event together with high-speed
video imagery, all under the control of the
ImpAcqt software. Since the camera and
the data acquisition share the same trigger,
data points and images can be precisely
correlated.
A video sequence provides a great deal of
qualitative information about the test event,
and the software also allows quantitative
information to be extracted.
Integrated high-speed video offers an
advantage in many application areas and is
available as an option for any of the Imatek
range of impact testers or in a stand-alone
mode, making it a general purpose tool
that can be utilised by other parts of a
customer’s operation.
The system is already proving useful in
the testing of steel tensile specimens at
high rate, enabling detailed analysis for the
deformation of the specimen gauge length
to be undertaken.
Customers currently benefiting from
Imatek’s products include Mittal Steel,
Arcelor, Canadoil, Ruukki Steel, Posco
Steel and Corus.
Imatek Ltd – UK
Fax: +44 1438 829054
Email:
Website:
Specialists in heating
& cooling systems and
equipment for highly
corrosive liquids…
external heating
systems
tank heaters
Liberta House · Sandhurst · Berkshire · GU47 8JR · England
Telephone: +44 (0) 1252 876123 • Facsimile: +44 (0) 1252 875281
www. b r a u d e . c o . u k • s a l e s@b r a u d e . c o . u k
Installed
by steel
processors
worldwide
Tank
and vessel
heaters for
pickling
Better steels call for better testing
 Imatek’s drop weight tear tester