TTI testing Ltd

Principal services

• Fundamental R&D into all aspects of fibre, wire and chain tension systems
• Forensic examination of failures of fibre, wire and chain tension systems
• Consultants in technical textile structures, particularly flexible containers

TTI Testing will always offer innovative proposals on any aspect of materials testing and will design and build new equipment when required.

Test facilities

Tensile testing & fatigue testing machines

• 100 kN [10 tonnef] / 250 mm tensile and 400 Nm torsional machine
• 250 kN [25 tonnef] /150 mm universal testing machine
• 250 kN [25 tonnef] / 250 mm stroke bending / bending-tension test machine
• 200 kN [20 tonnef] / 2000 mm tensile testing machine
• Bench Tensile Tester, up to 25 kN
  

Other test equipment

• Range of abrasion test equipment for textile and rope yarns, cords and small ropes, wet and dry
• The 100 kN + tensile machines can also be configured to test ropes for abrasion resistance
• Coefficient of friction measurements of textile and rope yarns, cords and small ropes, wet and dry.
• The 100 kN+ tensile test machines can be configured to measure coefficient of friction.
• Fibre buckling tester
• Creep testing of textile and rope yarns, cords and ropes
• Optical extensometer for accurate measurement of load/extension curves and creep

Where a project requires it, TTI Testing will build relevant new test equipment or configure existing test equipment.

Other facilities

In house

• Optical microscopy
• Software for fatigue analysis of ropes

Sub-contracted

• SEM analysis of filament structure of yarns
• Differential scanning calorimetry, FTIR and X ray diffraction

TTI Testing will commission these investigations at partner laboratories, but is responsible for analysis and interpretation.

Please contact:

Dr Jeff Nichols (Managing Director)
Tel.: +44 1241 439676
Mob.: +44 7801 972689
Fax.: +44 1323 509770
Email: nichols@tensiontech.com

Dr Isabel Ridge (Technical Director)
Tel.: +44 1235 812717
Mob.: +44 7846 236035
Fax.: +44 1323 509770
Email: ridge@tensiontech.com

---

100 kN / 250 mm tensile and 400 Nm torsional machine

100 kN tension – 400 Nm torsion test machine

This 100 kN tensile testing machine has an electric motor and chain drive for continuous rotation and torque loading up to 400 Nm. Load - 100 kN Stroke – 250 mm Sample length 1900 mm max. Torsion & rotation testing Fatigue rated Sub assemblies may be bolted to the frame for other test configurations

250 kN /150 mm universal testing machine

250 kN tension-compression universal test machine

Load - 250 kN tension and compression Stroke – 150 mm Sample length 1000 mm max. Fatigue rated

250 kN / 250 mm stroke bending / bending-tension test machine

250 kN cyclic bending over sheaves test machine.

250 kN Cyclic Bending over Sheaves (termed CBoS or BoS) test machine. This machine is primarily for the BoS fatigue assessment of ropes (bending under constant load). However, it can if required, also fluctuate the load cyclically during the bending cycle (termed bending-tension fatigue) to simulate the sort of loading which might be experienced by crane or mooring ropes in an offshore environment.

200 kN / 2000 mm tensile testing machine

An example of an R&D project requiring a new test machine, this machine was designed and built by TTI Testing Ltd for the testing of long term fatigue resistance of fibre rope for oil & gas and wave energy markets.

This 7m machine is designed for testing high elongation fibre rope. Load - 200 kN Stroke – 2000 mm Sample length 5000 mm + Fatigue rated Sub assemblies may be bolted to the frame for other test configurations

Bench tensile tester

25 kN mechanical grips for rope yarns and cords [upper] and 2 kN pneumatic grips for high modulus textile yarns [lower]

Max load - 25kN Max elongation - 200% Specialized grips for all types of yarn.

Yarn-on-yarn and external abrasion testing

• Yarns and Cords (max 10mm dia.)
• Wet and Dry Testing
• Larger diameter cords/ropes can, where appropriate, be tested on the 100 kN or 200 kN test machines.
  

Yarn-on-yarn

External

Microscopy and some other investigative techniques

Digital optical microscopy

Scanning electron microscopy

Chemical analysis, using scanning electron microscope

Infra-red spectroscopy, to determine surface contamination

Technical Textile Structures

TTI Testing Ltd will design and commission construction of demonstrator technical textile structures, particularly large flexible containers for a variety of industrial applications.

The image left shows a 6 tonne container, designed by TTI Testing, to hold drill cutting waste, being tested to its target safety factor of 6:1

Another demonstrator design is shown here. The objective was to design a flexible container that could be stored layflat on a pallet but which was self-standing and stable when erected and filled with liquid. The photograph shows the container being tilted on a pallet whilst containing about 1000 kg of water, to demonstrate its stability.