Facilities

Experimental Facilities

Our Laboratory is located in the subasement of UCL’s Roberts Engineering Building (LB7). It is equipped with:

  1. Electromechanical Universal Testing Machines:  Instron 5985 with a maximum force capacity of 250 kN, equipped with 500 N, 10 kN and 250 kN load cells and an Instron environmental chamber 3119-606 (temperature range -100°C to +350°C, LN2 cooling). Instron 5969 with a maximum force capacity of 50 kN. Both machines have a large variety of grips: tensile wedge action grips 150 kN (2716-008), self-tightening roller grips 2 kN (2713-004) and 1kN (2713-007), compression platens 150 mm and 50 mm (2840-119), three-point and four-point bending (2810-181/182/184). Strain gauge extensometer with 50 mm gauge length (2630-112) and displacement deflectometer with 50 mm range (W-E401-J) are available.
  2. Digital Image Correlation and Photogrammetry System: Dual camera system composed of two Blaser Ace monochrome cameras with 5.0 MP resolution and 75 fps maximum frame rate (acA2440-75um), connected to the Correlated Solutions Vic-Snap for image acquisition, Vic-2D, Vic-3D and Vic-Gauge 3D for image correlation and real-time non-contact full-field surface measurements. Additional accessories include Schneider Xenoplan 1.4/35 mm and 2.8/50 mm lens with polarization filter, Vic-Snap remote control, Panasonic HC-VXF990 camcorder and Hedler Profilux LED1000.
  3. Digital Microscope: Nikon ShuttlePix P-400Rv is a digital microscope that can be used as a docked version with a motorized stand for high-magnification (20x optical zoom) and various measurements and inspections, or as a portable digital camera for capturing any sample sizes.
  4. Custom-made Bulge Test Setup: bulge test setup for the inflation of circular and elliptical samples, equipped with Omega IP610-030 pressure controller and Omega DPG409-015G electronic pressure gauge.
  5. Data Acquisition Systems: NI-6251 USB BNC,  NI CompactDAQ cDAQ-9174 with NI-9209, NI-9219 and NI-9923 modules, and NI myRIO-1900.

Additionally, we have access to shared facilities:

Testing equipment

  • Bio- and nano-indener: Anton Paar UNHT3 Bio and NHT3. Max load 20 mN (bio) and 500 mN (nano), load resolution 0.003 µN (bio) and 0.02 µN (nano), depth resolution 0.003 nm (bio) and 0.01 nm (nano).
  • Hydraulic testing machines: tension/compression Instron with 100 kN max load.

Sample preparation

  • 3D printers with different technologies: fused deposition modelling (FDM), selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), multi-material Polyjet and two-photon lithography. Additional information can be found at the UCL’s webpages of the Institute of Making and the Bartlett workshops.
  • Universal Laser Systems: laser material processing from cutting to engraving of various materials.

Measurement system

  • FARO Arm: Portable coordinate measuring machine with an accuracy of 30 μm (contact probe) and 25 μm (non-contact laser probe).
  • Scanning Laser Vibrometer: Polytec PSV 400, full-field vibration measurement with non-contact laser.
  • High speed cameras: Photron Fastcam Nova S12. 12,800 fps with full resolution and 1 Mfps with reduced resolution.

Coming soon:

  • X-ray MicroCT Scanner equipped with in-situ testing
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with in-situ testing