Apparatus and method for material testing

Abstract

According to embodiments of the present application, there is provided a material testing apparatus comprising: a guiding mechanism; a sample holding mechanism for holding a sample; a force applying mechanism, the force applying mechanism comprising a first actuator for applying a releasable force to the sample; a crosshead supported on the guiding mechanism and arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding mechanism and the force applying mechanism; an energy store arranged to store regenerated energy from at least the first actuator; an energy consumer arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy store, wherein the energy consumer comprises the first actuator; and a controller configured to control the first actuator to release the force applied to the sample, wherein the first actuator is arranged to output the regenerated energy based on the release of the force.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to apparatus and methods for testing materials. Background Technology

[0002] Materials testing machines (sometimes also called structural testing machines) are used to test the physical properties of material samples. Materials testing machines use a sample holding mechanism to hold the material sample and a force application mechanism to apply force to the sample. Energy is used to apply force to the sample via the force application mechanism and to provide acceleration to the moving parts of the materials testing machine. Some of this energy is retained as potential energy within the machine (e.g., a compressed spring) or as kinetic energy caused by the momentum of the moving parts. When the force applied to the sample is released or deceleration is implemented, some of this energy flows back into the materials testing equipment as “regenerative energy.” Typically, the energy is “depleted” as heat in a dynamic suppression resistor, which is wasted and creates a thermal load that the machine transmits to any climate control system in the laboratory where the materials testing machine is located.

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to alleviate at least some of the problems mentioned above. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to the present invention, a material testing apparatus is provided, comprising: a guiding mechanism; a sample holding mechanism for holding a sample; a force applying mechanism including a first actuator for applying a releasable force to the sample; a lateral carrier supported on the guiding mechanism and arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding mechanism and the force applying mechanism; an energy storage unit arranged to store at least regenerative energy from the first actuator; an energy consumer arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit, wherein the energy consumer includes the first actuator; and a controller configured to control the first actuator to release the force applied to the sample, wherein the first actuator is arranged to output regenerative energy based on the release of the force.

[0005] Optionally, the energy consumer may include a second actuator. Furthermore, the controller may be configured to control the second actuator, wherein the second actuator may be arranged to output regenerative energy.

[0006] In some embodiments, the energy storage device may include at least one energy storage unit. In some embodiments, the energy storage device may include at least one capacitor.

[0007] Alternatively, the first actuator may be arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage to apply a releasable force to the sample.

[0008] An energy consumer may include at least one of a cooling system or one or more control electronics.

[0009] According to the present invention, a method for operating a material testing apparatus is provided, the material testing apparatus comprising a guiding mechanism, a sample holding mechanism for holding a sample, a force applying mechanism including a first actuator for applying a releasable force to the sample, and a transverse carrier supported on the guiding mechanism and arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding mechanism and the force applying mechanism; and wherein the method comprises: controlling the first actuator to release the force applied to the sample; outputting regenerative energy by the first actuator based on the release of the force; storing at least the regenerative energy from the first actuator in an energy storage device; and consuming at least partially the energy stored in the energy storage device by an energy consumer, wherein the energy consumer includes the first actuator.

[0010] Optionally, the method may include a second actuator that controls the energy consumer and outputs regenerated energy by the second actuator.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method includes storing regenerated energy in at least one energy storage device of an energy storage device. In some embodiments, the method includes storing regenerated energy in at least one capacitor of an energy storage device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method includes at least one of a cooling system or one or more control electronics consuming at least part of the energy from the energy storage device.

[0013] Optionally, the method may include at least partially consuming energy from an energy storage device by a first actuator to apply a releasable force to the sample.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, computer software is provided, which is configured to perform any of the above methods at runtime. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 A device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0017] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 3 A controller according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0019] Figure 4 A method according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Throughout this application, the reference to "sample" is intended to mean a specimen, such as a material sample used for testing. A sample can be a piece of material placed in a material testing machine for testing. The material testing machine can apply forces to the sample to test a variety of different physical properties of the sample material. A sample can be taken from the material production process, for example, as a sample of material being produced.

[0021] Figure 1 A material testing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, generally indicated by reference numeral 100, is shown. The material testing apparatus 100 can be configured to perform the following [further details omitted]. Figure 4 The method described is based on an embodiment of the present invention. The material testing apparatus 100 includes a sample holding mechanism 120 (e.g., a sample holding device) for holding a sample 130 and a force applying mechanism 140 (e.g., a force applying device) including a first actuator for applying a releasable force to the sample 130.

[0022] The first actuator 210 of the force application device 120 is arranged to apply a releasable force to the sample 130, thereby enabling the testing of the physical properties of the sample 130. The first actuator 210 can repeatedly apply force to the sample 130. For example, the first actuator 210 can apply a deforming or test force to deform the sample 130 by means of one or more of tension, compression, or torsion. The first actuator 210 can be an electric actuator or an electromechanical actuator. However, other types of actuators are also conceivable.

[0023] It should be understood that when the first actuator 210 applies a releasable force to the sample 130, at least some of the energy used by the actuator 210 to apply the force is retained in the material testing apparatus 100. For example, at least some of the energy used to apply the force may be retained in the form of potential energy (e.g., a compressed spring) or in the form of kinetic energy resulting from the momentum of the components of the apparatus 100 that are moved to apply force to the sample 130. When the applied force is released, for example, when the first actuator 210 releases the force applied to the sample 130, at least some of the retained energy is received by the material testing apparatus 100 as regenerative energy. Therefore, the first actuator 210 outputs regenerative energy based on the release of the force applied to the sample 130. The regenerative energy may be in the form of electrical energy.

[0024] Regenerative energy can be released when deceleration is applied to a component of the device 100 that is moved to apply force to the sample 130. Multiple different components of the material testing device 100 are moved to apply force to the sample 130. For example, a force-applying device 140, including a first actuator 210, can be moved to apply force to the sample 130. Therefore, when deceleration is applied to the first actuator 210, at least some energy (such as retained kinetic energy) is output to the material testing device 100 as regenerative energy. The first actuator 210 can decelerate when it reaches a physical limit that causes the movement of the first actuator 210 to stop, or when the first actuator 210 is controlled to stop via a braking signal or control signal.

[0025] However, regenerated energy can be redundant because it is waste energy that can be eliminated from the system. In existing equipment, this regenerated energy is eliminated from the materials testing equipment 100 by being “depleted” as heat, for example, in a dynamic suppression resistor. Therefore, regenerated energy is wasted and creates a heat load, which the materials testing equipment transfers to any climate control system in the environment (e.g., a laboratory) where the materials testing equipment 100 is located.

[0026] In an embodiment of the invention, the regenerative energy output by the first actuator 210 is stored in the material testing device 100 for use. Advantageously, the regenerative energy is therefore not wasted, but can be used by the material testing device 100.

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the power system of a test apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Specifically, Figure 2 A first actuator 210, an energy storage unit 220, and an energy consumer 230 are shown in the force application device 140. The energy storage unit 220 is arranged to store at least the regenerative energy from the first actuator 210. When regenerative energy is output from the first actuator 210, the regenerative energy is transferred to the energy storage unit 220. For example, a circuit is implemented in which the regenerative energy output from the first actuator 210 is directed to the energy storage unit 220 for storage by using at least one switching device (such as a relay switch or a solid-state switch).

[0028] In some embodiments, the energy storage device 220 includes at least one energy storage device. This at least one energy storage device may include an electrical energy storage device or an electromechanical energy storage device. For example, the energy storage device 220 may include at least one battery. The energy storage device 220 may include at least one capacitor, such as... Figure 2As shown, it should be understood that this is merely an example. Thus, when the energy storage 220 stores regenerated energy, this can correspond to at least partially charging at least one capacitor 220. When the energy storage 220 includes at least one capacitor, the energy storage 220 stores regenerated energy for at least a short period of time. However, depending on the type of energy storage 220, for example, if the energy storage 220 is a battery, the energy storage 220 can store regenerated energy for a longer period of time.

[0029] Advantageously, by storing the regenerative energy from the first actuator 210, the energy wasted by the material testing device 100 is reduced, because the regenerative energy is retained in the material testing device 100 instead of being depleted as heat.

[0030] Advantageously, the energy storage device 220 may include an array of "small" capacitors ("small" can mean a capacitance of up to, for example, 50 μF or 500 μF) (e.g., more than 2, more than 6, or more than 10). For example, an array of 12 capacitors, each with a capacitance of 470 μF, can be used. Using such a small capacitor array can improve the high-frequency response of the energy storage device 220, thereby enabling the energy storage device 220 to respond quickly to incoming regenerative energy. Using such a small capacitor array can achieve the effect of impedance matching to the motor driver of the material testing device 100, preventing unwanted transients and resonances in the power circuit of the material testing device 100. It should be understood that arrays of different sizes of capacitors with different sizes can achieve the same or similar advantageous effects.

[0031] As mentioned above, Figure 2 The electrical system includes an energy consumer 230. The energy consumer 230 is arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit 220. The energy consumer 230 is a device arranged to consume energy to perform operation. The energy consumer 230 includes a first actuator 210. For example, the first actuator 210 may be arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit 220 to apply a releasable force to the sample 130. A circuit may be implemented in which energy stored in the energy storage unit 220 is transferred to the energy consumer 230 for use in the energy consumer. In addition to energy from the energy storage unit 220, the energy consumer 230 may also consume energy from another energy source. For example, the energy consumer 230 may consume energy from the mains power supplied to the device 100, especially when the energy in the energy storage unit 200 is insufficient to power the energy consumer 230. When the energy storage device 220 is at least one capacitor and the energy consumer 230 consumes energy from the energy storage device 230, this can correspond to discharging at least partially the at least one capacitor.

[0032] Advantageously, arranging the energy consumer 230 to consume the energy from the energy storage unit 220 improves the energy efficiency of the material testing equipment 100 because the material testing equipment 100 can reuse energy.

[0033] In some embodiments, the energy consumer 230 may include a second actuator 230. The second actuator of the energy consumer 230 may be arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit 220. The second actuator may be an electric actuator or an electromechanical actuator. However, other types of actuators are also contemplated. The second actuator of the energy consumer 230 may also be arranged to output regenerative energy based on operations performed by the energy consumer 230. That is, the output of regenerative energy from the second actuator (i.e., the actuator of the energy consumer 230) is released during energy consumer operation. Thus, the second actuator does not continuously output regenerative energy.

[0034] Therefore, the first actuator 210 and the second actuator of the energy consumer 230 can release regenerative energy. That is, the first actuator 210 can output first regenerative energy, and the second actuator 230 can output second regenerative energy. The second actuator can output second regenerative energy when performing the energy release operation.

[0035] In some embodiments, energy consumer 230 may include at least one of a cooling system of test equipment 100 or one or more control electronics. Operations performed by the cooling system may be the operation of a fan, heat pump, or Peltier cooling system, in which energy is consumed from an energy storage device. Operations performed by the one or more control electronics may be the control of other components of the materials testing equipment 100. It should be understood that energy consumer 230 may include other subsystems of the materials testing equipment 100, such that energy consumer 230 may include subsystems other than the provided examples of a cooling system and one or more control electronics.

[0036] At least one of the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100 may be arranged to consume at least a portion of the energy from the energy storage device 220. Furthermore, at least one of the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100 may be arranged to output regenerated energy based on operations performed by the energy consumer 230.

[0037] In some embodiments, at least one of the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the materials testing equipment 100 may include the aforementioned second actuator. Therefore, at least one of the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the materials testing equipment 100 may be arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit 220. Furthermore, at least one of the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the materials testing equipment 100 may be arranged to output regenerated energy based on operations performed by the energy consumer 230.

[0038] Advantageously, when the energy consumer 230 includes multiple first actuators 210, second actuators, a cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100, the likelihood of the energy storage 220 overflowing due to excessive regenerative energy is reduced. Since multiple components of the material testing equipment 100 consume the regenerative energy stored in the energy storage 220, the regenerative energy is recovered and reused across multiple components of the material testing equipment 100.

[0039] Energy storage 220 can be arranged to store regenerative energy output from at least one of the second actuator 230 or cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100. That is, energy storage 220 can store second regenerative energy. For example, a circuit can be implemented in which regenerative energy output from the second actuator is directed to energy storage 220 for storage using at least one switching device (such as a relay switch or a solid-state switch).

[0040] The materials testing apparatus 100 includes a controller 170 configured to control various operations of the apparatus. The controller 170 is configured to control a first actuator 210 to apply and release a force applied to a sample 130, wherein the first actuator 210 is arranged to output regenerative energy based on the release of the force. As described above, at least some of the energy used to apply a force to the sample 130 is retained in the materials testing apparatus 100 and regenerative energy is output from the first actuator 210 based on the release of the force applied to the sample 130.

[0041] The controller 170 may be configured to control at least one of the second actuator of the energy consumer 230, the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100. The second actuator 230, the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and at least one of the other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100 may be arranged to output regenerative energy, which may be the second regenerative energy, as described above.

[0042] The force-applying device 120 can apply force via the sample holding device 120. In some embodiments, the force to be applied to the sample 130 is applied by moving the sample holding device 120. The force-applying device 120 can be arranged to apply force to one end of the sample 130 or to the opposite ends of the sample 130. The force-applying device 120 can be adjusted according to the force application requirements and / or the shape and size of the material testing equipment 100. The first actuator 210 can be arranged to move at least a portion of the sample holding device 120 during use to apply force to the sample 130 held therein.

[0043] Return to reference Figure 1 As mentioned above, Figure 1 A sample holding device 120 is shown, which can be arranged to hold a sample 130 and may include multiple components such that the sample 130 is held by the components when placed between them. For example, the sample holding device 120 may include multiple grippers (e.g., claws) respectively arranged at opposite ends of the sample 130. In some embodiments, a pair of grippers is present.

[0044] The sample holding device 120 can be configured to withstand the maximum force applied to the sample by the material testing equipment 100. Therefore, the sample holding device 120 can be constructed or formed of a material such that it will not deform under a force less than or equal to the maximum force to be applied to the sample 130. Thus, the sample holding device 120 can be adjusted according to the force requirements and / or the shape and size of the sample 130 to be tested. Depending on the type and magnitude of the force applied to the sample, the sample holding device 120 can be arranged horizontally or vertically. However, it should be understood that other structures and forms of sample holding devices are also contemplated.

[0045] Figure 1 A guiding mechanism 110 (e.g., a guide) and a transverse carrier 150 are also shown. The transverse carrier 150 is supported on the guide 110 and is arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding device 120 and the force application device 140. Advantageously, using the transverse carrier 150 as a support for other components of the material testing device 100 results in a compact device. Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the force-applying device 140 is supported by the transverse carrier 150 because the force-applying device 140 is located on the transverse carrier 150. Furthermore, the upper portion of the sample holding device 120 is supported by the transverse carrier 150 because, in some embodiments, the upper portion of the sample holding device is suspended below the transverse carrier 150. The transverse carrier 150 can be adjusted according to the force application requirements and / or the shape and size of the material testing equipment 100.

[0046] The guiding mechanism 110 may be a guide element arranged to support the transverse carrier 150 and guide the movement of the transverse carrier 150 relative to the guide element 110. The guide element 110 may be supported by the base 105 of the material testing equipment 100. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, guide 110 includes two pillars extending vertically from base 105, the two pillars being laterally separated by a distance less than the width of the transverse carrier 150. It should be understood that guide 110 can be configured according to force requirements and / or the shape and size of material testing equipment 100. For example, guide 110 may include a single pillar. In the illustrated embodiment, each guide has a generally circular cross-section; however, it should be understood that other cross-sectional shapes of the guiding mechanism are conceivable.

[0047] The lateral carrier 150 can move vertically relative to the guide 110. Figure 1 In one embodiment, the lateral carrier 150 can be arranged to move vertically relative to the guide 110 along two supports of the guide 110 in a first direction and an opposite second direction (related to the vertical direction along the guide 110). The lateral carrier 150 can be moved vertically relative to the guide 110 manually by a user using a handle or lever, or it can be moved electronically using a lateral carrier drive mechanism 180 (which may be a lateral carrier drive mechanism). The vertical movement of the lateral carrier 150 relative to the guide 110 can be referred to as lateral carrier drive operation.

[0048] The lateral carrier drive mechanism 180 may include a combination of electrical and mechanical components arranged to allow the lateral carrier 150 to move vertically relative to the guide 110. For example, the lateral carrier drive mechanism 180 may include a motor and may include a mechanism for converting the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion of the lateral carrier 150 relative to the guide 110.

[0049] In lateral carrier drive operation, the lateral carrier 150 moves (e.g., lifts) to allow the sample 130 to be inserted into or removed from the material testing apparatus 100, and to accommodate test samples of different sizes. Movement of the lateral carrier 150 relative to the guide 110 enables adjustment of the position of the sample holder 120 based on the size of the sample 130.

[0050] In some embodiments, the material testing apparatus 100 may include a clamping mechanism 160, such as a clamping device, arranged to apply a releasable clamping force to a guide 110 to hold the transverse carrier 150 in a position relative to the guide 110. The clamping device 160 may include at least one clamping member (not shown) arranged to apply the releasable clamping force. The at least one clamping member may be at least partially movable and arranged to contact the guide 110. Due to the contact between the at least one clamping member and the guide 110, the clamping force may be a frictional force between the at least one clamping member and the guide 110. In some embodiments, the clamping device 160 may include an electrically operated clamping device. For example, the electrically operated clamping device may include a motor for controlling the movement of the at least one clamping member.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, controller 170 can be implemented by processor 171 and memory 172 including computer program 173, which includes computer program instructions 174. Processor 171 may include output interface 175 and input interface 176, through which the processor outputs data and / or commands in the form of control signals, and through which the processor inputs data and / or commands. Controller 170 can be implemented as pure hardware (circuit), in some respects as software (including pure firmware), or as a combination of hardware and software (including firmware). Computer program 173 can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium (disk, memory, etc.). Computer program 173 can be computer software arranged to execute at runtime according to the following description. Figure 4 The method described.

[0052] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Method 400 can be derived from the foregoing description and... Figures 1 to 3 The material testing equipment 100 on display is used for testing.

[0053] Method 400 includes controlling 410 to release a force applied to sample 130 by a first actuator 210. The force applied to sample 130 is a releasable force that can test the physical properties of sample 130. For example, the first actuator 210 can apply a deformation force or test force to deform sample 130 by one or more of tension, compression, or torsion.

[0054] Method 400 includes outputting regenerative energy 420 by the first actuator 210 based on the release of a force. As described above, at least some of the energy used to apply the releasable force can be retained in the sample 130. Therefore, when the force applied to the sample is released, the method includes outputting at least some of the energy retained in the sample 130 as regenerative energy to the materials testing device 100. In particular, method step 420 may include outputting the regenerative energy in the form of electrical energy that can be stored in an energy storage device (such as energy storage device 220).

[0055] Method 400 includes storing at least regenerative energy from the first actuator 210 in an energy storage device 220 (e.g., ...). Figure 2 The method step 430 may include storing the regenerated energy in at least one energy storage device of the energy storage device 220. The method step 430 may also include storing the regenerated energy in at least one capacitor of the energy storage device 220.

[0056] Method 400 includes at least partially consuming energy stored in energy storage 220 by energy consumer 230. As described above, energy consumer 230 includes a first actuator 210. Method step 440 includes consuming energy to perform an operation. For example, method step 440 may include at least partially consuming energy stored in energy storage 220 by the first actuator 210 to apply a releasable force to sample 130.

[0057] Method 400 may also include an energy consumer 230 consuming energy from different energy sources in addition to the energy from the energy storage 220. For example, method 400 may include an energy consumer 230 consuming energy from mains power or a battery. When the energy storage 220 is at least one capacitor and method step 400 includes the energy consumer 230 consuming energy from the energy storage 230, this may correspond to discharging the at least one capacitor. Method step 440 may include a second actuator (i.e., the actuator of the energy consumer 230) at least partially consuming the energy stored in the energy storage 220 by applying a second force to the sample 130. Method step 440 may include at least one of a cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the materials testing apparatus 100 performing operations to at least partially consume the energy stored in the energy storage 220.

[0058] Method 400 may include a second actuator controlling energy consumer 230 450, and the second actuator outputting regenerative energy. For example, regenerative energy may be output when the second actuator releases force, such as when performing an energy release operation. That is, method 400 includes a first actuator 210 outputting a first regenerative energy 420 based on the release of force, and optionally, a second actuator outputting a second regenerative energy.

[0059] Method step 450 may include controlling at least one of a cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100, and the regenerative energy is output by the cooling system, one or more control electronics, and other subsystems of the material testing equipment 100.

[0060] It should be understood that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. Any such software can be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage devices (e.g., storage devices such as ROM, whether erasable or rewritable); or in the form of memory (e.g., RAM, memory chips, devices, or integrated circuits); or stored on optically or magnetically readable media (e.g., CDs, DVDs, disks, or magnetic tapes). It should be understood that the storage devices and storage media are embodiments of machine-readable storage devices suitable for storing one or more programs that, when run, implement embodiments of the present invention. Accordingly, embodiments provide a program comprising code for implementing a system or method as described in any of the preceding claims, and a machine-readable memory storing such a program. Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention can be transmitted electronically via any medium (e.g., via communication signals transmitted in a wired or wireless connection), and embodiments suitably cover the same content.

[0061] Throughout the specification and claims of this application, the terms "comprising" and "including," and variations thereof, mean "including but not limited to," and are not intended to (and do not) exclude other parts, additions, components, integrals, or steps. In the specification and claims of this application, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification should be understood to consider both the plural and singular forms unless the context otherwise requires.

[0062] Features, integrals, properties, compounds, chemical parts, or groups described in conjunction with specific aspects, embodiments, or examples of the invention should be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment, or example described herein, unless incompatible therewith. All features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings) and / or all steps of any method or process disclosed herein can be combined in any combination except for at least some mutually exclusive combinations of such features and / or steps. The invention is not limited to the details of any of the foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel feature or combination of novel features disclosed in this specification (including any appended claims, abstract, and drawings), or to any novel step or combination of novel steps in any of the steps of any disclosed method or process.

[0063] The reader’s attention is focused on all papers and documents related to this application that were submitted at the same time as or prior to this specification and made available to the public together with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A material testing device (100), comprising: Guiding agency (110); A sample holding mechanism (120) is used to hold the sample (130). A force-applying mechanism (140) includes a first actuator (210) for applying a releasable force to the sample (130). A transverse carrier (150) is supported on the guide mechanism (110) and arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding mechanism (120) and the force application mechanism (140); An energy storage device (220) is arranged to store at least regenerative energy from the first actuator (210), the regenerative energy being in the form of electrical energy; An energy consumer (230) arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage unit (220), wherein the energy consumer (230) includes the first actuator (210); and A controller (170) is configured to control the first actuator (210) to release a force applied to the sample (130), wherein the first actuator (210) is arranged to output the regenerative energy based on the release of the force applied to the sample (130).

2. The device (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The energy consumer (230) includes a second actuator.

3. The device (100) as described in claim 2, wherein, The controller (170) is configured to control the second actuator, wherein the second actuator is arranged to output regenerative energy.

4. The device (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The energy storage device (220) includes at least one energy storage device.

5. The device (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The energy storage device (220) includes at least one capacitor.

6. The device (100) as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The first actuator (210) is arranged to at least partially consume energy from the energy storage (220) to apply the releasable force to the sample (130).

7. The device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The energy consumer (230) includes at least one of a cooling system or one or more control electronics.

8. A method of operating a material testing apparatus (100), the material testing apparatus (100) comprising a guide mechanism (110), a sample holding mechanism (120) for holding a sample (130), a force applying mechanism (140) including a first actuator (210) for applying a releasable force to the sample (130), and a transverse carrier (150) supported on the guide mechanism (110) and arranged to support at least a portion of one or both of the sample holding mechanism (120) and the force applying mechanism (140). as well as in, The method includes: Control the first actuator (210) to release the force applied to the sample (130); The first actuator (210) outputs regenerative energy in the form of electrical energy based on the release of the force applied to the sample (130); At least the regenerative energy from the first actuator (210) is stored in the energy storage unit (220); and The energy stored in the energy storage unit (220) is consumed at least partially by the energy consumer (230), wherein the energy consumer (230) includes the first actuator (210).

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling a second actuator of the energy consumer (230) and outputting regenerated energy by the second actuator.

10. The method of claim 8 or 9, comprising storing the regenerated energy in at least one energy storage device of the energy storage device (220).

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, comprising storing the regenerated energy in at least one capacitor of the energy storage device (220).

12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, comprising at least one of a cooling system or one or more control electronics consuming at least part of the energy from the energy storage device (220).

13. The method of any one of claims 8 to 12, comprising at least partially consuming energy from the energy storage unit (220) by the first actuator (210) to apply the releasable force to the sample (130).

14. A computer-readable recording medium having computer software tangibly stored thereon, the computer software causing, when run, the device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 to perform the method as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 13.

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