SEDL / STP / STP1208-EB / STP19263S

Automated Data Acquisition and Analysis in a Mechanical Test Lab

Carter, DH
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Gibbs, WS
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM

Pages: 12    Published: Jan 1993

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Abstract

Computers and enhanced control technology have made it possible to perform more sophisticated mechanical tests than ever before, as well as to allow routine tests to be run and analyzed with much greater efficiency. Automated data acquisition, storage, and analysis have become key ingredients in a mechanical test facility, especially in one which uses a wide variety of test equipment and techniques. This paper will discuss one such mechanical test facility where many different types of mechanical tests are performed using automated data acquisition, centralized data storage, and finally a complex system of automated data analysis. Various systems of data acquisition will be discussed, including those used on servohydraulic and screw-driven systems, as well as those used for higher-rate, formability, and creep tests. Methods for networking equipment used in such a facility will be described. Networking is an important criterion for establishing a centralized data base, and for eventually building a system of automated data analysis.