Zwick offers the sheet metal industry greater flexibility for ductility testing

Today’s sheet-metals applications are becoming increasingly specialized and cold-rolled strip qualities more and more specific in nature. The result has been a significant rise in the demands placed on materials testing machines and systems. Zwick’s comprehensive range of products more than rises to the challenge, covering applications from goods-in inspection to production control or quality assurance, whether for sheet metal manufacturing or fabrication. This flexibility is reflected in Zwick’s exhibits at EuroBlech.

Innovative ductility testing for sheet metals
Zwick’s BUP 200 sheet metal testing machine can handle drawing forces up to 200kN (the series goes up to 1000kN) and can be used to determine essential materials characteristics or for quality assurance in sheet metal fabrication.
Controlled by a PLC, test parameters are entered and test results shown via a touch panel display. Typical testing procedures include determining characteristic values according to International Standards such as ISO 20482, ISO 12004, ASTM E 643-84, GB, 4156-84, JIS Z 2247, JIS Z 7729, GOST 10 510, for the determination of forming limit curve and process-monitoring surface treatments such as coatings and lubricants. It is also used for typical forming tests for deep drawing or stretch forming.

Detailed investigation of the forming process is no problem - drawing force, holding force and cupping die stroke are controlled via testControl electronics and then processed and analyzed with testXpert^® software. The new testXpert^® Master Test Program Evaluation Software for BUP offers significant advantages for users, including freely definable curve presentation of analog or digital input signals, online display of actual measured values, test start/stop and data recording via external signals. It also calculates deep drawing speed, while results obtained can be printed as test reports with customized layouts.

High-precision testing of strength and forming behavior
Metal testing frequently involves standard tensile tests and these can be performed efficiently and with high accuracy using Zwick’s range of modular testing machines. Various measuring and control systems, load frames and drives are available, backed up by versatile functional and add-on units. The model illustrated is the Z100, which is a 100 kN Universal Testing Machine perfectly suited for the large range of forces required in research, quality control laboratories and especially routine production testing.

This machine is equipped with Zwick’s latest and innovative videoXtens extensometer, specially developed for tests in which contact with the specimen is either impractical or inadvisable. Tensile and compressive deformation in metals and foils are measured in high resolution. VideoXtens can measure longitudinal and transverse strain simultaneously, making it ideal for obtaining r and n values to ISO 10113 and ISO 10275. It has also been developed especially for tests where a traditional extensometer would be at risk from damage occurring at specimen break.

Simple, efficient hardness testing
The ZHU topLine is a top-of-the-range universal hardness testing machine, developed with particular emphasis on user convenience, operation and precise measurement. This technologically advanced universal hardness tester is suitable for Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell and other methods, a particularly impressive feature being the state-of-the-art digital zoom optics which provide a wide magnification range using only one lens. Integration with Zwick’s proven testXpert testing software provides trouble-free data evaluation, and easy language-swapping is a boon to global organizations wishing to exchange data.

Data acquisition and evaluation are taken care of by an easy-to-access PC mounted on the support table plus a user-friendly touch screen. The system can be rotated, swivelled or tilted and is adjustable for height, providing a high level of operator comfort and convenience and making it simple and straightforward to use.