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UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Education
Construction Materials and Testing
UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE
(UTM) also known as universal tester is used to test the mechanical properties of materials
such as tensile strength and compressive strength of construction materials. The universal
as part of its name reflects the versatility of the equipment in terms of the different test
that can be performed. Different tests like peel test, flexural test, tension test, bend test,
friction test, spring test etc. can be performed with the help of UTM.
Components of Universal Testing Machine (UTM)
A universal testing machine consists of two main parts :
Loading Unit - The arrangement of the test specimen and the exertion of the load is held in the
loading unit.
Control Unit - The variations in the application of the load and the corresponding test result are
obtained from the control unit.
Figure 1: Components of UTM
LOADING UNIT
The loading unit of a UTM consists of the following components :
Load Frame - The load frame of a universal testing machine can be made either by single
support or by double support. The load Frame consists of a table (where the specimen is
placed for the compression test), upper crosshead, and lower crosshead.
Upper crosshead and Lower crosshead - The upper crosshead is used to clamp one end of
the test specimen. The lower crosshead in the load frame is the movable crosshead whose
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UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Education
Construction Materials and Testing
screws can be loosened for height adjustment and tightened. Both the crossheads have a
tapered slot at the center. This slot has a pair of racked jaws that is intended to grip and
hold the tensile test specimen.
Elongation Scale - The relative movement of the lower and upper table is measured by an
elongation scale which is provided along with the loading unit.
CONTROL UNIT
The main components of the control unit in a universal testing machine are :
Hydraulic Power Unit - This unit consists of an oil pump that provides non-pulsating oil flow
into the main cylinder of the load unit. This flow helps in the smooth application of load on
the specimen. The oil pump in a hydraulic power unit is run by an electric motor and sump.
Load Measuring Unit - This unit has a pendulum dynamometer unit that has a small cylinder
with a piston which moves with the non-pulsating oil flow. The pendulum is connected to
the piston by pivot lever. The pivot lever deflects based on the load applied to the
specimen. This deflection is converted to the load pointer and displays as the load on the
dial.
The range of load application can be adjusted by means of a knob in the load measuring
unit (0-100 kN; 0-250 kN; 0-500 kN and 0-1000 kN). The accuracy of measuring unit
controls the overall accuracy of the machine.
Control Devices - The control devices can be electric or hydraulic. Electric control devices
make use of switches to move the crossheads and switch on/off the unit. A hydraulic
control device consists of two valves, Right Control Valve and Left Control Valve or Release
Valve. A right control valve is used to apply load on the specimen. The left control valve is
used to release the load application.
FUNCTIONS OF UNIVERSAL TESTING MACHINE
The main functions of UTM are to test the mechanical properties of materials. The standard tests
performed by UTM are:
Tensile Test
Compression Test
Adhesion Tests
Pull-Out Tests
Bending Test
Hysteresis Test
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UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Education
Construction Materials and Testing
UTM can be used to test a wide variety of materials like concrete, steel, cables, springs, steel wires
and chains, slings, links, rope, winches, steel ropes, etc.
UTM provides the value of load application and the respective displacements. From the observed
value, the load deflection graph is obtained. With the load value in the Y-axis and the displacement
in the X-axis. The displacement is actually the movement of the crossheads during the load
application.
Figure 2: Force vs Displacement
From the load deflection graph, the stress-strain analysis, modulus of elasticity, yield strength of
the specimen tested can be determined.
WEW-600B Computer Screen Display Hydraulic Universal Testing Machine
Detailed information:
Application:
WEW-600B computer display universal testing machine is used for tensile test, compression test,
bending test and shearing test of metal and nonmetal materials. Equipped with computer, printer,
electronic extensometer, optical-electricity encoder and other testing software, WEW computer
display testing machine can accurately test the tensile strength, yield strength, non-proportional
extension strength, elongation rate, elastic modulus and other mechanical properties of metal
materials. Six curve graphs including force-displacement, force-deformation, stress-displacement,
stress-deformation, force-time and deformation-time, and other test data can be printed. The self-
checking function ensures problem diagnosis automatically. It is widely used in industrial and
mining enterprises, scientific research institutes and engineering quality supervision station.
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UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Education
Construction Materials and Testing
Features:
1. Supports tensile test, compression test, bending test and shearing test;
2. Supports self-defined testing parameters;
3. Supports open EXCEL report form; users can define the report format based on their own needs;
4. Has self-analysis function;
5. Supports management by level (administrator and tester);
6. Simple, reliable and flexible;
7. Meets national standard GB228-2002.
Technical parameters:
1. Model: WEW-600B
2. Max. force : 600KN
3. Relative error: ≤±1%
4. Accuracy of capacity measurement: 0.01KN
5. Accuracy resolution of displacement: 0.01mm
6. Accuracy of deformation measurement: 0.01mm
7. Stretching space: 650mm8. Compression space: 380mm
9. Piston move length: 150mm
10. Clamping mode: Automatic
11. Round specimen clamping diameter: φ13-40mm
12. Width of specimen clamping: 75mm
13. Thickness of specimen clamping: 0-15 mm
14. Diameter of shearing specimens: 10 mm ( Option )
15. Top and lower pressboard size: φ160(or 204×204)mm
16. Max. tensile space : 450mm
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UNIVERSITY OF SAINT LOUIS TUGUEGARAO
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
School of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology Education
Construction Materials and Testing
17. Max .compression space: 450mm
18. Piston speed: 50mm/min
19. Power of oil pump motor: 1.1kw
20. Dimension: 720×580×2100 mm
21. Weight : 2100kg
Figure 3: WEW-600B Computer Screen Display Hydraulic Universal Testing Machine