The Advanced Composite Materials and Textile Research Laboratory (ACMTRL) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell has existing state-of-the-art facilities for design, analysis, fabrication, and testing of fibrous and composite structures.
Mechanical Testing Equipment
- Instron Testing Machines: 1kip, 5kip, 20kip, 220kip load frames (electromechanical and servohydraulic)
- Test fixtures: Tension, compression, 3/4-pt bend, and short beam shear fixtures
- Strain measurement: Video extensometer, electrical extensometers, strain gage systems, LVDT's
- Environmental chamber
- Data Acquisition: Measurements group 2311 signal conditioner/amplifiers; Full range of data acquisition and control boards (up to 100MHz)
- 3 meter, Instrumented Drop weight impact tester
- Dynatup Tabletop Impact Tester
- Fiber/yarn abrasion tester
- High temperature creep tester/immersion creep tester
- Flexural fatigue tester
- Matec ultrasonic immersion NDE system
- Charpy/Izod impact testing machine
- Rockwell Hardness tester
- Instrumented laser vacuum torsional pendulum for DMA
Sample Fabrication Equipment
- Tetrahedron MTP-8 vacuum hot press
- Drypoll High Temp curing oven
- Vacuum assisted resin infusion system
- 64-carrier braiding machine
- Machining equipment with diamond and carbide saws and bits
- Tooling for molding and machining mechanical test specimens
Materials Characterization Equipment
- Buehler sample preparation system (polishing, grinding equipment)
- Nikon and B&L stereo-optical microscopes
- Sony CCD camera and image analysis system
- Fiber volume fraction measurement (burnout and resin digestion methods)
- Scanning electron microscope
- DSC, DMA, DEA, TMA, TGA
- Viscometers
- Capillary Rheometers
- Torque Rheometers
- Reciprocating screw rheometer for thermoplastics and thermosets
- Abrasion and flammability test capabilities
- Dynamic mechanical spectrometers
- Quartz rod dilatometer for CTE measurement
- Omega thermal measurement system
Finite Element Analysis Software
- LS-DYNA
- HyperMesh
- ABAQUS
- ANSYS
- FEMAP