Happy Halloween from the Great Pumpkin

As the last in our 3-part series of squashing fall vegetation, we bring you .... the great pumpkin video. Although the largest of the pumpkins and dumpling squash, this pumpkin broke at the lowest force - 450 lbf. And according to our Application Lab, it was "perfect".

We wish you all a happy and safe Halloween. Read more

Trends and the Future - Composites

Will you be in the Boston area on Thursday, October 27th? Are you interested in emerging applications for glass and carbon composites, the increasing attention paid to recycling, or challenges that are associated with mechanical testing of these materials? If so, stop by the Hyatt Regency Cambridge for the ASM's October meeting that will focus on a discussion with Lorenzo Majno about the developing markets and challenges for composite materials. Find out more information on the meeting ....

The meeting starts 6:00 PM with a social time, dinner is served at 6:30, and Lorenzo's discussion begins around 7:30. If you can't make the entire evening, at least stop in to chat with Lorenzo. The fees and other information is directly below.

Meeting Cost
ASM Members: $28
Non-Members: $35
ASM Student Members: $15
Non-Member Student: $18
ASM Job-Seeker: $15
New Chapter Member - First Meeting: $0
Lecture Only: $0

Reservation Details
To make dinner reservations, please call 1-800-467-1057. When prompted, record your name, phone number, size of your party and a choice of dinner (chicken, fish, or vegetarian). Read more

Graphene – The Miracle Material?

Graphene, a two-dimensional solid comprising a one-atom thick sheet of carbon, has recently overtaken carbon nanotubes as the research material of the moment. Graphene was first isolated in 2004 by scientists at the University of Manchester in England, but the focus for some years has been on developing ways to manufacture graphene sheets of sufficient size and quality to enable effective research into its properties. These efforts have paid off and recent research studies have established graphene as the strongest material in existence. It also has very high thermal and electrical conductivity. These properties are stimulating the imaginations of researchers worldwide and may lead to the development of new generations of mobile electronics, computers, and even nano-sensors used for oil exploration.

Graphene has long been known to exist. Graphite, such as that used in pencil leads, consists of layers of graphene; carbon sheets stacked together like a deck of cards. The molecular forces holding each card to its neighbors are weak, but researchers had not developed the techniques needed to slide a single card out of a graphite deck.

In September 2004, researchers led by Professor Andre Geim, a physics professor at the University of Manchester in England, isolated layers of graphene with a technique that is now scientific folklore. They placed a graphite flake on a piece of adhesive Scotch tape, folding the tape over and pulling it apart, cleaving the flake in two. Folding and unfolding repeatedly caused the graphite to become thinner and thinner. Then they stuck the tape to a silicon wafer and rubbed it. Some graphite flakes stuck to the wafer, and some of those flakes were one atom thick. It has become known as the “Scotch tape” method of graphene production.

Graphene is now typically created using a chemical vapor deposition process, in which carbon-containing gases are made to decompose on a copper foil substrate. Until recently, the process was plagued by problems of poor crystal consistency, but a new production method utilizing hydrogen gas is reportedly capable of producing graphene sheets with perfectly hexagonal, single-crystal grains. The researchers claim it could lead to the large-scale production of higher-quality graphene.

Graphene’s carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice and, although the substance is chemically very simple, it has astonishing properties. Graphene is light, flexible, and stronger than steel. It conducts heat 10 times faster than copper and can carry 1,000 times the density of electrical current of copper wire. Graphene is proving to be a revolutionary material that could change the technology of semi conductors, LCD touch screens and monitors; create super-small transistors and super-dense data storage; increase energy storage and solar cell efficiency; and transform many other applications.

Researchers at Columbia University, New York, have evaluated the strength of graphene using the diamond tip of an atomic force microscope to apply loads and measure its deformation and rupture strength. They estimate that graphene has a breaking strength of 55 newtons per meter. Scaling that up into everyday terms, it would require a force of 2000 kg to puncture a sheet of graphene that is as thick as ordinary plastic food wrap making graphene the strongest material measured.

University of Maryland researchers have shown that electrons travel over 100 times faster in graphene than in silicon. Their results, published online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, indicate that graphene holds great promise for replacing conventional semiconductor materials such as silicon in applications ranging from high-speed computer chips to biochemical sensors.

Graphene also possesses superior optical and thermal properties that could make it less expensive and use less energy inside portable electronics like smartphones. The University of California recently has created a miniature optical device that could enable the large data files for 3D movies to be downloaded to a smartphone in seconds.

Research institutes, universities, and companies around the world are investigating ways to build devices such as touchscreens, ultrafast transistors, and photo detectors using graphene. In April, IBM demonstrated a graphene transistor that can perform 155 billion cycles per second, which is about 50% faster than previous experimental transistors shown by the company's researchers.

One of the most exciting recent discoveries related to graphene is that water flowing over the surface of a graphene sheet will generate electricity. Led by Professor Nikhil Koratkar of the Rensselaer School of Engineering, researchers investigated how the flow of water over surfaces coated with graphene could generate small amounts of electricity. The research team demonstrated the creation of 85 nanowatts of power from a sheet of graphene measuring .03 millimeters by .015 millimeters. This amount of energy should be sufficient to power tiny sensors that are introduced into water or other fluids. One of the areas where this property could be highly advantageous is oil exploration.

Hydrocarbon exploration is an expensive process that involves drilling deep down in the earth to detect the presence of oil or natural gas. Oil and gas companies envisage enhancing this process by sending out large numbers of nanoscale sensors into drilled wells. These sensors, carried by pressurized water pumped into the wells, would travel horizontally through the network of cracks and fissures that exist underneath the earth's surface.

It’s not possible to power these micro-sensors with conventional batteries, as the sensors are just too small. However, a coating of graphene around the sensor may capture enough energy from the movement of water over the sensors to provide a reliable source of power for the sensors to transmit collected data and information back to the surface. Oil companies would no longer be limited to vertical exploration, and the data collected from the sensors would arm these firms with more information for deciding the best locations to drill.

About 200 companies and start-ups are now involved in research around graphene. In 2010, it was the subject of about 3,000 research papers. However, amidst all this excitement, many scientists, including Dr. Geim who, with Dr. Konstantin Novoselov, won the Nobel Prize for physics in 2010 based on their graphene work, recommend caution. Some are certain that graphene will not do everything that has been thought up for the material because the properties have only ever been demonstrated on a very small scale. Graphene seems to have great potential, but there are few examples so far of it working in our macro world. Read more

Are You Using Event Log Files?

Many WaveMatrix™ customers are unaware of the existence of an event log file that is created each time you run a test. The log file, named [testname].log, details each separate event that occurs from the moment the test starts and contains useful information such as how many cycles have run, test values, and more. It is a great resource for troubleshooting problems such as why the test stopped unexpectedly. The file is stored alongside the other results for that test.


Here is a typical line from a log file showing the test stopping when the position limit is exceeded:

Read more

A Question from a Customer

Q. Some Bluehill^® calculations don’t show a result when I think they should. Where can I find information on the calculations?

A. Bluehill contains a comprehensive online document - Calculations Library - that has details of every calculation in the Bluehill suite.

It details the calculation algorithm, any calculation dependencies (some calculations cannot work until other results are calculated), and the reasons that a calculation may fail to work. You can open the Calculation Library document using the Help menu in Bluehill.

All of the online calculation information is also available on your software media as a PDF file entitled Calculation Reference. Read more

Did You Experience the First Annual Medtec India?

Did you know that 40% of the world’s population lives in China and India? With increasing global competiveness, expanding healthcare coverage, and increasing wealth, both of these countries are poised for substantial increases in the utilization of medical devices.


To that effect, the Nehru Center in downtown Mumbai just hosted the first Annual Medtec India conference and exhibition. More than 30 vendors entertained 500+ visitors interested in seeing what is the latest and greatest in terms of processing equipment, testing equipment and a multitude of technical services. Additionally, speakers from multi-national companies like Stryker, Johnson & Johnson and Abbott Vascular discussed the state of the regulatory environment in India; addressing challenges, limitations, and opportunities.

The Instron Bio Team manned a booth which highlighted our capabilities in medical device testing. We brought an E1000 with Wavematrix™ Software to demonstrate our ability to address the ongoing need for increases in fatigue testing within this application space. Excited about our ongoing business expansion in India, we are looking forward next year’s expanded conference (4 times as many exhibitors anticipated) in New Delhi.

If you have any questions about the evolving market or any interesting stories about working in India, let us know! Read more

What's the Connection to Hardness Testing?

Stop by the Wilson Hardness blog - Hardness Testing Connection - and find out! Hosted by the Wilson Hardness Group, this valuable resource is ideal for getting the most up-to-date information and relevant news in the world of hardness testing. We encourage you to visit the blog and connect with the Hardness team by submitting comments, asking questions, and sharing your thoughts Read more

From Dumpling Squash to Dumpling Pancake

The next video in our three-part series of squishing our favorite fall vegetables includes the dumpling squash. Although this vegetable could not compare to the messy little pumpkin, it did hold up to 780 lbf before compressing into a nice squash pancake. Now, all we need is a good dumpling squash recipe.

Read more

How Much Pressure can You Withstand?

Did you know that when O-rings - solid-rubber seals shaped like a doughnut - are compressed between mating surfaces they block the passage of liquids or gases? O-rings are one of the most common seals used in machine design because they are inexpensive, easy to make, reliable, and have simple mounting requirements. They can seal tens of megapascals (thousands of psi) pressure. To put this in perspective as to how much pressure they can seal, the air pressure in one tire of a family sedan is 32 psi.

O-rings are used broadly in many industries including petrochemical, automotive, aerospace, biomedical and electronics, even your electric toothbrush has an o-ring that prevents the entry of water to the batteries compartment which would damage the electric circuits.

The appropriate performance of O-rings is a key factor for the operation of static or dynamic systems such as pumps, hydraulic cylinder pistons, engines, compressors, and tanks. Therefore, it is extremely important to test O-rings to set their technical specifications and to evaluate their quality.

Due to the circular shape geometry, the related testing standards of O-rings, like ASTM D1414, include a mathematical expression for tensile elongation that depends on the O-ring and the testing fixture dimensions. This expression can be easily handled with a Virtual Measurement and provides the required flexibility to handle tensile tests of O-rings. Read more

Standards in Paris

In September, several Instron employees participated in the annual ISO standards meetings on the mechanical testing of metals in Paris, France. The technical committee ISO/TC164 oversees several key areas in metals testing – uniaxial testing (e.g. tensile testing to ISO 6892-1/2 and the soon-to-be-released ISO 6892-3/4), as well as ductility testing on sheet metals (e.g. plastic strain ratio & strain hardening exponent), hardness testing, toughness testing (fracture, Charpy pendulum and tear testing), and fatigue testing.

The development of ISO standards covering all of these areas was discussed at length and the voice of all participating countries was heard and considered. Our very own Jean-Pierre Gale, Dan Raynor, and John Cookson participated in discussions covering all areas of mechanical testing, particularly in the progression of the static tensile test standards ISO 6892-1/3/4 and fatigue test standards (e.g. ISO 12108 – Crack Growth, ISO 4965 – Dynamic calibration and a draft of ISO 23788 - Machine Alignment).

There was a strong sense of learning from each other at the meetings and Instron’s involvement reinforces our commitment to maintain our leadership in materials testing technology and our strong relationships within Industrial and Research & Development organizations. We are actively working to drive the standards forward for the benefit of the materials testing community.

Do you have any questions for our Jean-Pierre, Dan, or John? What about comments to share about working to drive the standards forward? Read more

Automated testing of Suture Materials

In our previous featured post Automated Testing: Are You Doing It?, we talked about the benefits of using automation for your material testing needs, such as increased profitability and improved quality thanks to streamlined testing procedures.

In this video, we would like to show a specific example of Automated Testing where the system is configured to perform unattended tensile testing of biomedical suture specimens.



A typical automated test sequence includes the following steps:
- The robot retrieves a batch separator with a barcode label affixed from a rack, scans the barcode, and downloads the specimen and testing information to the Testmaster2 Automation Control Software.
- The separator is then discarded into a bin and a specimen is retrieved from the racks and placed into the tensile frame and tested.
- After the test, the specimen is removed via a specimen removal device at the back of the frame, which utilizes a low-noise, industrial vacuum to aid in full removal of the tested sutures from the grips area.
- The robot then inserts the next specimen to be tested.

Do you think automated testing is a good solution for labs? Leave us a comment to discuss! Read more

Smashing Pumpkins - The Instron Way

Our customers ask us to test all kinds of unusual things and with Halloween approaching, our Apps Lab Team thought it would be fun to test the strength of various fall vegetables: a small pumpkin, a large pumpkin, and a dumpling squash. The video below is of the little pumpkin. Seeing it's size, we were surprised at how strong (and full of seeds) this little pumpkin was. It made us think, "How strong are the kids that smash pumpkins on the road?!"

Do you have something you'd like to see us test? Let us know - we're up for the challenge!

Stayed tuned to our blog to catch the other 2 videos coming soon! Read more

Biomaterials Conference Brings Us Back to Our Roots

The 24th European Conference on Biomaterials, in Dublin, Ireland did not only prove to be a beneficial conference to our Biomedical Applications team, but it turned out to be a winning experience for a student from Imperial College London, UK.

We find it important and necessary to take the time to speak with our customers to understand their needs for biomaterials testing.

Taking the opportunity to meet with the 900+ attendees at the conference, we asked our booth visitors to fill out a survey based on their research, mechanical testing, and impression of Instron. The results help us to better understand some of the recent market trends and plan for the future.

Esther Valliant was the lucky winner of an Amazon Kindle after taking part in our survey on the Instron stand.

The conference provided an excellent forum for scientists and researchers to exchange information and ideas on a variety of subjects within biomaterials and tissue engineering. We found significant interest in mechanical testing and discussed a host of differing testing challenges and potential solutions.

Simply follow this blog to find out where we’ll be next so you have a chance to stop by our booth and talk with us about enhancements you see as beneficial to your daily applications ... oh, and you may win a prize too! Read more