Zwick Launches Innovative Solution for Composites Testing

Zwick is offering a patented new fixture which the company believes will quickly become a standard for the testing of fibre-reinforced plastics.

The company claims that their Hydraulic Composite Compression Fixture (HCCF), with its hydraulically operated specimen grips, offers several technical and cost saving advantages compared to existing mechanical fixtures such as Celanese or IITRI devices.

The open C-frame construction facilitates the loading of specimens and allows for the attachment of extensometers. According to Zwick, the difficulties with specimen alignment and mechanical set-up have been eliminated, mainly through the use of a friction free guidance system.

Zwick claims that the HCCF reduces variance in test results, and speeds up test throughput saving time and money.

Hydraulic operation provides reliable and reproducible clamping of the specimens as the clamping force is applied uniformly and securely across the specimen.

The compression testing fixture can also be used at high or low temperatures ranging from -60 to +95° C, and the ability to utilise extensometers can avoid the need to bond strain gauges to the specimen.

Zwick's Hydraulic Composite Compression Fixture (HCCF) is used specifically for the testing of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) and glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP) with unidirectional fibre-reinforcement. It is suitable for testing standards such as prEN 2850, DIN EN ISO 14126, DIN 65380, and QVA-Z10-46-38.

Publication Date: 27/11/2009

WWW Link: http://www.zwick.com/

 Subscribe to our Composite News Feed