Mobile 1,500 kN Tensile Testing Machine for Testing Chains, Ropes and Fastenings for the Italian Navy

The stand-out feature of this Zwick testing system is its mobility. The equipment is housed in two containers: the horizontal tensile testing machine in one and the operating station plus the power packs required for operation in the other, each in separate compartments. This flexible solution enables the Italian Navy to erect the unit, used to test ropes, chains and other fastening equipment required for ships, at different locations and put it into operation immediately.

The separation of the testing system into two containers also ensures the safety of the operating staff. Tensile tests to determine the maximum load of chains and steel cables generate high forces and large strains; when the specimen breaks, the torn ends recoil with considerable energy. The operator is separated from the testing machine before the start of the test and carries it out from the safety of the office container.

The office container is approximately 8 meters long and houses the operating panel with measurement and control electronics plus the system electrics and the hydraulic power pack,  together with the cooling system for the hydraulic oil. The testing machine container is around 12 meters long and is equipped with a crane winch and an observation camera. The testing machine itself consists of a stiff 4-column load frame of modular construction, arranged horizontally. If required it can be lengthened to accommodate future upgrades or expansion and is equipped with a hydraulic drive with a maximum force of 1,500 kN. The hydraulic actuator has a stroke of 1,200 mm and a maximum test speed of 300 mm/min. The maximum grip separation is 4,000 mm.

A range of modular grips and inserts allow chains and ropes of various sizes to be tested. Also available are grips with inserts to accommodate large chains, epoxy cones for steel cables, reducing flanges for smaller chains and open inserts for ropes with thimbles. Using a cable winch, the material to be tested is transferred to the test area of the machine and positioned between the two specimen grips using one or both cranes. The grips are activated by remote control and the specimen is gripped securely. After everything has been set up and the door closed, the test program and parameters are selected and the test is started from the operating station.

The high-resolution, channel-synchronised measurement technology allows material characteristic values to be determined very accurately. Range switching is not required, as  force-signal resolution is available over the entire large measurement range. With testXpert® II testing software, performing the test requires no more effort from the operator than pushing a single button.

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