UNIVERSAL TESTING

MACHINE
WEW-1000B
Universal Testing Machine
also known as a universal tester,
materials testing machine or
materials test frame, is used to
test the tensile stress and
compressive strength of
materials. It is named after the
fact that it can perform many
standard tensile and compression
tests on materials, components,
and structures.
Description of UTM
The Universal Testing Machine
consists of two main parts; the
loading unit and the control
panel.
The Loading Unit
The loading unit consists of a
robust base at the centre of
which is fitted the main cylinder
and piston. A rigid frame
consisting of the lower table, the
upper cross head and the two
straight columns is connected to
this piston through a ball and
socket joint. A pair of screwed
columns mounted on the base
pass through the main nuts to
This cross head is moved up or
down when the screwed columns
are rotated by a geared motor
fitted to the base. Each cross-
head has a tapering slot at the
centre into which are inserted a
pair of racked jaws. These jaws
are moved up or down by the
operating handle on the cross-
head face and is intended to
carry the plate (grip) jaws for the
tensile test specimen.
An elongation scale, which
measures the relative movement
between the lower table and the
lower cross-head, is also provided
with the loading unit.
The Control Panel
The control panel contains the
hydraulic power unit, the load
measuring unit and the control
devices.
1.The Hydraulic Power Unit
The Hydraulic Power Unit consists
of an oil pump driven by an
electric motor and a sump for the
hydraulic oil. The pump is of the
reciprocating type, having a set
of plungers which assures a
continuous non-pulsating oil flow
into the main cylinder for a
smooth application of the test
load on the specimen. Hydraulic
lines of the unit are of a special
2.The Load Measuring Unit
The load measuring unit, in essence is
a pendulum dynamometer unit. It has a
small cylinder in which a piston moves
in phase with the main piston under the
same oil pressure. A simple pendulum
connected with this small piston by a
pivot lever thus deflects in accordance
with the load on the specimen and the
pivot ratio. This deflection is
transmitted to the load pointer which
indicates the test load on the dial.
The pivot lever has four fulcrum
-knife-edges, giving fo4ir ranges
of test load, (viz. 0-100 kN; 0-250
kN; 0-500 kN and 0-1000 kN).
The required range can be
selected by just turning a knob
provided for the purpose. The
overall accuracy of the machine
depends mainly on the accuracy
of the measuring unit.
3.Control Devices
These include the electric control
devices, the hydraulic control
devices and the load indicating
devices.
The Electric Control
Devicesare in the form of four
switches set on the left side of
the panel face. The upper and
lower push switches are for
moving the lower cross-head up
and down respectively. The
remaining two are the ON and
OFF switches for the hydraulic
pump.
The Hydraulic Control Devicesare
a pair of control valves set on the
table or the control panel. The right
control valve is the inlet valve. It is a
pressure compensated flow control
valve and has a built-in overload relief
valve. If this valve is in the closed
position, while the hydraulic system is
on, oil flows back into the sump.
Opening of the valve now, cause the
oil to flow into the main cylinder in a
continuous non-pulsating manner. The
left control valve is the return valve.
If this valve is in the closed position,
the oil pumped into the main cylinder
causes the main piston to move up.
The specimen resists this, movement,
as soon as it gets loaded up. Oil
pressure inside the main cylinder (and
elsewhere in the line) then starts
growing up until either the specimen
breaks or the load reaches the
maximum value of the range selected.
A slow opening of this valve now
causes the oil to drain back into the
sump and the main piston to descent.
The Load indicating
Devicesconsist of a range
inflating dial placed behind a load
indicating dial. The former move
and sets itself to the range
selected when the range adjusting
knob is turned. The load .on the
specimen at any stage is indicated
by the load pointer which moves
over the load indicating dial and
harries forward with it a dummy.
Components
Load frame - usually consisting of two
strong supports for the machine. Some
small machines have a single support.
Load cell - A force transducer or other
means of measuring the load is required.
Periodic calibration is usually called for.
Means of measuring extension or
deformation- Many tests require a measure
of the response of the test specimen to the
movement of the cross head.
Extensometers are sometimes used.
Cross head - A movable cross
head (crosshead) is controlled to
move up or down. Usually this is
at a constant speed: sometimes
called a constant rate of
extension (CRE) machine. Some
machines can program the
crosshead speed or conduct
cyclical testing, testing at
constant force, testing at
constant deformation, etc.
Electromechanical, servo-
 Output device - A means of providing
the test result is needed. Some older
machines have dial or digital displays
and chart recorders. Many newer
machines have a computer interface
for analysis and printing.
Conditioning - Many tests require
controlled conditioning (temperature,
humidity, pressure, etc.). The machine
can be in a controlled room or a special
environmental chamber can be placed
around the test specimen for the test.
Test fixtures, specimen holding
jaws, and related sample making
equipment are called for in many
test methods.
Main uses and operation
range
It can do the tensile,
compression, bending and
shearing test for metal materials.
It can also do the compression
and bending test of non-metal
materials, such as plastics,
cement, concrete and so on.
The set-up and usage are
detailed in a test method, often
published by a standards
organization. This specifies the
sample preparation, fixturing,
gauge length (the length which is
under study or observation),
analysis, etc.
The specimen is placed in the
machine between the grips and
an extensometer if required can
automatically record the change
If an extensometer is not fitted,
the machine itself can record the
displacement between its cross
heads on which the specimen is
held. However, this method not
only records the change in length
of the specimen but also all other
extending / elastic components of
the testing machine and its drive
systems including any slipping of
the specimen in the grips.
Once the machine is started it
begins to apply an increasing
load on specimen. Throughout
the tests the control system and
its associated software record the
load and extension or
compression of the specimen.
Machines range from very small
table top systems to ones with
over 53 MN (12 million lbf)
capacity.
Main technical items and
specs
No. Item Technical Specifications
1 Max. Capacity 1000kN
2 Subsection (1, 2, 5, 10) 0-100kN, 0-200kN,
0-500kN, 0-1000kN
3 Testing force accuracy + 1%
4 Deformation subsection 1, 2, 5, 10
5 Max. tensile test space 620mm
6 Max. compression test space 580mm
7 Clamping diameter of round 14 45
specimen
8 Max. clamping width of flat 70mm
specimen
9 Clamping thickness of flat 0-40mm
specimen
10 Size between upper and lower 205x205mm
pressure plates
11 Distance between test 100-500mm
bending rollers
12 Width of bending roller 120mm
13 Piston travel 0-250mm
14 Total power 2.1kW
15 Overall dimension of machine 980x650x2220mm
16 Overall dimension of control 600x600x1160mm
box
17 Weight 3300kg
Working environment
a) Within room temperature 10-
35C
b) Relative humidity < 80%
c) In shockless environment, no
corrosive medium and
electromagnet interference
d) Range percent of voltage is not
over than +10% of rated
voltage
e) In must be set levelly on steady
Tests
The most common test performed by a
universal testing machine is a test of
tensile strength. One end of a sample is
held in place while the other end is pulled
away until they two sides are torn
apart.Flexural strengthis tested in a
similar fashion, but the machine pushes on
one end of the sample instead of pulling
on it. Again, the test stops when the
sample breaks, though some materials are
flexible enough that they will bend, rather
than breaking, giving no final results.
Shear tests and compression tests are
less common, though they are still used
for a variety of materials. In
acompression test, a sample is pressed
between two plates until it breaks or
loses its form. This test is often used to
measure the strength of plastic foams
and to find out how easily plastic bottles
lose their shape. In theshear test, a
metal blade is pushed into the sample at
a constant rate until it shears off a piece
of the sample. This test is measured in
terms of force/area sheared.