OmniTest Twin-column materials tester

Overview

To suit your materials testing requirements the OmniTest range is available as a single-column materials tester (5 kN or 7.5 kN) and as 3 models of a dual-column tester (10 kN, 25 kN and 50 kN).

They have been designed for versatility and ease-of-use thus appealing to users of varying skills and experience. They all fit comfortably on your bench-top, making them ideal for use in QC and R&D laboratories.

All OmniTest models are controlled by VectorPro-MT software running on a PC. They deliver both consistency and reliability by controlling the key test parameters of stress/strain, force/displacement and speed/load rate.

Whether you need to know the Young's Modulus, Offset Yield, Ultimate Tensile Strength or a whole host of other materials characteristics, the OmniTest has it covered for you. 

The twin-column OmniTest testing system comprises five key elements:

Test frame

The twin-column OmniTest materials testers feature dual-columns containing twin-ballscrews, which drive a solid crosshead to which an ELS loadcell is attached. This ensures excellent rigidity and strength whilst their intuitive controls make them easy to use, even for novice operators.

The construction of these twin-column materials testers provides the crosshead travel required for conducting high-elongation tensile tests whilst also delivering the strength capability for high-load break tests on rigid materials.

All models are ideal for general purpose testing of specimens to determine their tension, compression, flexure, shear and fracture characteristics.

Protective bellows guarantee that dust and splintered materials cannot become trapped inside the machine. Upper and lower safety limit switches minimise the risk of accidental damage caused by grips colliding.

For operator safety, a range of protective shields/enclosures is available in situations where specimens may shatter or create projectiles upon failure. 

Designed to apply tensile and compressive forces from 2N right up to a capacity of 50 kN their high-quality construction, manufactured under ISO 9001 quality standards, ensures the ultimate in repeatable materials testing.

When seeking to precisely measure forces across a wide range it is often necessary to use multiple loadcells. The crosshead design of the OmniTest ensures the operator minimises set-up time by quickly and easily sliding on a new loadcell, which is automatically recognised by the software.

For higher load applications the loadcells are fitted with a simple bolt connection.

The base plate of the OmniTest is pre-drilled with threaded holes to directly accept a wide range of grips and fixtures.

It also accepts the quick-change (QC) adaptors which speed up the interchange of grips when you need to perform a variety of different tests on different geometries of material.

Make use of your own PC to run its software and take advantage of its versatility to make it your ideal choice for materials testing up to 50kN.

Loadcells

The ELS range of high-resolution, precision loadcells is specially adapted to the OmniTest.

They are fully interchangeable and plug into the frame, where their calibration characteristics are immediately recognised by the tester without any input from the operator.

Eighteen different sensors, all measuring from zero, are available to cover the range from 2 N up to 50 kN.

This ensures that you have the optimum selection to meet all your tension and compression testing needs. Measurement accuracy is an outstanding ±0.5% of displayed reading.

Each ELS sensor is delivered as standard with its own calibration certificate traceable to national standards.

Software

VectorPro MT materials testing software is at the heart of the OmniTest materials testers.

VectorPro MT delivers outstanding control of the motor, whilst simultaneously collecting data at 500 Hz from the ELS loadcell and displacement encoder of the frame.

The software is intuitive for both operators and managers. Personalised user accounts and a streamlined designed means that the workflow is simple and creating step-by-step test methods according to the precise requirements of your testing procedures is easy.

Access to the most commonly used test methods enables operators to move seamlessly from task to task, and keep training time to a minimum.

By plotting stress/strain data in real-time on a graph the operator can immediately identify exactly how the test material is performing. Preset materials testing calculations are used to analyse the data to determine whether the specimen has met the pass/fail criteria.

Use the power of VectorPro MT to calculate Young's Modulus, Offset Yield, Ultimate Tensile Strength, Nominal Strain and a whole host of other materials characteristics.

At the end of the test the comprehensive reporting module within VectorPro MT enables the operator to issue a test report as a PDF. Reports can be easily tailored to your customer's exact requirements and automatically emailed to them. Test data can also be exported to Excel or to the network for further analysis.

VectorPro MT generates a clear audit trail with electronic-signature functionality - a must for medical and pharmaceutical clients seeking compliance to FDA 21 CFR Part 11.

Extension measurement

When testing the extension or compressive deformation of a specimen it is often acceptable to measure the movement of the loadcell and grips, as defined by the crosshead distance travelled (known as 'Grip Separation').

This is taken directly from encoders situated on the ballscrews of the OmniTest.

VectorPro MT software compensates for movement encountered within the loadcell and grip string (known also as 'Correction for Machine Compliance') but it cannot be as accurate as measuring extension directly upon the specimen.

For materials requiring extension measurement to be taken directly on the specimen, a range of contact extensometers is available for use with the OmniTest.

The range of contact extensometers include short-travel extensometers suitable for rigid materials (e.g. hard plastics and metals) through to long-travel extensometers designed for highly elastic materials (e.g. rubbers or soft plastics).

Simply select the model which best suits your material characteristics.

Product datasheets

VectorPro FDA 21 CFR Part 11

Product Brochures

OmniTest materials testing system brochure (PDF)

OmniTest Materials Tester Datasheet

Mecmesin Long Travel Extensometers (PDF)

Mecmesin Temperature Chamber (Thermal Cabinet) and high-temp grips

Touchscreen Controller for Twin-column OmniTest range and VectorPro