Material testing system for generating static diagnostic information and dynamic diagnostic information

Abstract

A disclosed example material testing system (100), such as a universal testing machine, includes: a test fixture (102) configured to determine at least one mechanical characteristic of a test sample; and a processor configured to, in response to a request for a machine-readable code (such as a QR code (302)), generate the machine-readable code (302) by encoding static information about the material testing system (100) and dynamic information representing a state of the material testing system (100), the dynamic information includes at least one of environmental information measured in the test fixture, security information about the material test system, recorded data in the material test system, load strip information about load strip equipment mounted on the test fixture, motor voltage measured in the test fixture, and motor voltage measured in the test fixture. Testing the duty cycle of the fixture, or testing the cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the fixture; and outputting the machine-readable code (302) on a display (224) of the material testing system (100) such that a service engineer can directly read the code (302) on the display (224) of the material testing system (100) when maintaining the material testing system (100) on site.

Description

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 424,718, entitled “MATERIAL TEST SYSTEMS FORGENERATING STATIC AND DYNAMIC DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION,” filed on November 11, 2022. The entire contents of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 424,718 are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to mechanical testing and, more particularly, to materials testing systems for generating static and dynamic diagnostic information. Background Art

[0004] Universal testing machines are used to perform mechanical tests on materials or components, such as compression or tensile strength tests. When such testing machines encounter errors or problems, users or owners often turn to the machine manufacturer for assistance. To address this, testing machine manufacturers may offer support services, including telephone support and / or on-site visits by trained technicians. Summary of the Invention

[0005] There is disclosed a materials testing system for generating static and dynamic diagnostic information, substantially as illustrated by and described in conjunction with at least one of the accompanying drawings, and as more fully set forth in the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout, wherein:

[0007] Figure 1 is an example testing apparatus for performing mechanical property testing according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A block diagram of an example implementation of a test apparatus.

[0009] Figure 3 An example user interface that may be displayed by a materials testing system is presented, the example user interface including machine-readable code accessible by a computing device.

[0010] Figure 4is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions that may be executed by Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 The example material testing system executes to generate and output machine-readable code including static information and / or dynamic information about the material testing system.

[0011] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Where appropriate, similar or identical reference numbers are used to designate similar or identical components. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] When a conventional mechanical test device does not operate as expected, an operator (or other personnel associated with the test device) may contact the manufacturer or distributor of the test device to attempt to troubleshoot the operational problem. In order to troubleshoot a conventional test system, the contact between the service personnel and the test device operator typically involves multiple different contact methods (such as phone calls, emails, text chats, and / or other steps) to provide the service personnel with a complete set of information required to satisfactorily resolve the problem for the operator. These multiple steps can be a source of frustration for the operator and / or reduce the uptime of the test device used to perform mechanical tests. In addition, if the remote service personnel cannot resolve the problem, a face-to-face service visit may be required, which increases the service costs for the test device owner and / or support service provider.

[0013] The disclosed example systems and methods improve the ability of a test system owner or operator to diagnose common problems encountered with a material testing system at a lower cost and / or in less time. In some examples, a user of the test system accesses static and dynamic information from the material testing system using a portable computing device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet computer, etc.). The static information can include substantially constant information about the test system, such as the model number of the material testing system, the serial number of the material testing system, a system identifier (e.g., a combination of the model number and serial number of the material testing system), the type of the material testing system, the category of the material testing system, a description of the material testing system, and / or any other substantially constant information about the material testing system. Dynamic information may include information indicating the status of the material testing system, such as error codes generated in the material testing system (e.g., codes detected by the system), error messages in the material testing system (e.g., messages generated in response to problematic user actions), environmental information measured in the material testing system, safety information about the material testing system, logged data in the material testing system, load bar information about load bar equipment installed on the material testing system, software versions on the material testing system, diagnostic information detected on the material testing system, motor voltage measured in the material testing system, duty cycle of the material testing system, and / or cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the material testing system. Static information and / or dynamic information may be used to more quickly and / or easily troubleshoot the material testing system.

[0014] The disclosed example material testing system includes: a test fixture, the test fixture being configured to determine at least one mechanical property of a test sample; and a processor, the processor being configured to: generate a machine-readable code in response to a request for a machine-readable code by encoding static information about the material testing system and dynamic information representing a state of the material testing system, wherein the dynamic information includes at least one of the following: environmental information measured in the test fixture, safety information about the material testing system, logged data in the material testing system, load bar information about a load bar equipment mounted on the test fixture, a motor voltage measured in the test fixture, a duty cycle of the test fixture, or a cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the test fixture; and output the machine-readable code.

[0015] In some example material testing systems, the static information includes at least one of the following: a model number of the material testing system, a serial number of the material testing system, an identification of the material testing system, or a description of the material testing system. In some example material testing systems, the dynamic information further includes at least one of the following: an error code generated in the material testing system, logged data in the material testing system, a software version on the material testing system, or diagnostic information detected on the material testing system. In some example material testing systems, the test fixture includes at least one of a transverse headstock, an actuator, or a material clamp. In some example material testing systems, the machine-readable code includes a QR code or a barcode.

[0016] The disclosed example method for providing information from a material testing system involves: in response to a request for a machine-readable code, generating, using a processor of the material testing system, a machine-readable code by encoding static information about the material testing system and dynamic information representing a state of the material testing system, wherein the dynamic information includes at least one of the following: environmental information measured in a test fixture, safety information about the material testing system, logged data in the material testing system, load bar information about a load bar equipment mounted on the test fixture, a motor voltage measured in the test fixture, a duty cycle of the test fixture, or a cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the test fixture; and outputting, using the material testing system, the machine-readable code.

[0017] In some example methods, outputting involves displaying the machine-readable code on a display. In some example methods, outputting involves transmitting the machine-readable code via at least one of RFID, near field communication (NFC) transmission, near field communication, or ultrasonic communication.

[0018] In some example methods, the static information includes at least one of the following: a model number of the material testing system, a serial number of the material testing system, an identification of the material testing system, or a description of the material testing system. In some example methods, the dynamic information further includes at least one of the following: an error code generated in the material testing system, a software version on the material testing system, or diagnostic information detected on the material testing system.

[0019] Figure 1is an example material testing system 100 for performing mechanical property testing. Example material testing system 100 can be, for example, a universal testing system capable of performing static mechanical testing. Material testing system 100 can perform, for example, compression strength testing, tensile strength testing, shear strength testing, bending strength testing, flexural strength testing, tear strength testing, peel strength testing (e.g., adhesive strength), and / or any other compression, tension, torsion, thermal, and / or impact testing. Additionally or alternatively, material testing system 100 can perform dynamic testing.

[0020] The example material testing system 100 includes a test fixture 102 and a computing device 104 communicatively coupled to the test fixture 102. The test fixture 102 applies a load to a material under test 106 and measures mechanical properties of the test, such as displacement of the material under test 106 and / or force applied to the material under test 106.

[0021] The example computing device 104 may be used to configure the test fixture 102 , control the test fixture 102 , and / or receive measurements from the test fixture 102 for processing, display, reporting, and / or any other desired purpose.

[0022] Figure 2 Can be used for implementation Figure 1 1 is a block diagram of an example computing system 200 of the materials testing system 100. Figure 2 The example materials testing system 100 includes a test fixture 102 and a computing device 104. The example computing device 104 may be a general purpose computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile device, a server, an all-in-one computer, and / or any other type of computing device.

[0023] Figure 2 The example computing system 200 includes a processor 202. The example processor 202 can be any general-purpose central processing unit (CPU) from any manufacturer. In some other examples, the processor 202 can include one or more special-purpose processing units, such as a RISC processor with an ARM core, a graphics processing unit, a digital signal processor, and / or a system on a chip (SoC). The processor 202 executes machine-readable instructions 204, which can be stored locally at the processor (e.g., in an included cache or SoC), in random access memory 206 (or other volatile memory), in read-only memory 208 (or other non-volatile memory such as flash memory), and / or in mass storage device 210. The example mass storage device 210 can be a hard disk drive, a solid-state storage drive, a hybrid drive, a RAID array, and / or any other mass data storage device.

[0024] Bus 212 allows communications between processor 202 , RAM 206 , ROM 208 , mass storage device 210 , network interface 214 , and / or input / output interface 216 .

[0025] The example network interface 214 includes hardware, firmware, and / or software to connect the computing system 200 to a communication network 218, such as the Internet. For example, the network interface 214 may include wireless and / or wired communication hardware compliant with IEEE 802.X for transmitting and / or receiving communications.

[0026] Figure 2 The example I / O interface 216 includes hardware, firmware, and / or software to connect one or more input / output devices 220 to the processor 202 to provide input to and / or output from the processor 202. For example, the I / O interface 216 may include a graphics processing unit for interfacing with a display device, a universal serial bus port for interfacing with one or more USB-compliant devices, FireWire, a fieldbus, and / or any other type of interface. The example materials testing system 100 includes a display device 224 (e.g., an LCD screen) coupled to the I / O interface 216. Other example I / O device(s) 220 may include a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a trackball, a pointing device, a microphone, an audio speaker, a display device, an optical media drive, a multi-touch touch screen, a gesture recognition interface, a magnetic media drive, and / or any other type of input and / or output device.

[0027] The example computing system 200 may access non-transitory machine-readable media 222 via the I / O interface 216 and / or the I / O device(s) 220 . Figure 2 Examples of machine-readable media 222 include optical discs (e.g., compact discs (CDs), digital versatile / video discs (DVDs), Blu-ray discs, etc.), magnetic media (e.g., floppy disks), portable storage media (e.g., portable flash drives, secure digital (SD) cards, etc.), and / or any other type of removable and / or installed machine-readable media.

[0028] Figure 1 The example material testing system 100 further includes a test fixture 102 coupled to the computing system 200. Figure 2In some examples, the test fixture 102 is coupled to the computing device via an I / O interface 216, such as a USB port, a Thunderbolt port, a FireWire (IEEE 1394) port, and / or any other type of serial or parallel data port. In some other examples, the test fixture 102 is coupled to the network interface 214 via a wired or wireless connection (directly or via a network 218).

[0029] Figure 2 The test fixture 102 includes a frame 228, a load cell 230, a displacement transducer 232, a cross-member loader 234, a material holding device 236, a controller 238, and (a plurality of) sensors 240. The test fixture 102 may include any number of other transducers based on the type(s) of mechanical tests that the test fixture 102 is capable of performing. Other test fixtures may be dynamic test fixtures and / or include different test devices, while including appropriate transducers that generate test data and can be controlled via the computing device 104. The example test fixture 102 may include actuators, load bars, clamps, structural members, and / or any other components to facilitate compressive strength testing, tensile strength testing, shear strength testing, bending strength testing, flexural strength testing, tear strength testing, peel strength testing (e.g., adhesive strength), and / or any other compression, tension, torsion, thermal, and / or impact testing, and / or dynamic testing.

[0030] Frame 228 provides rigid structural support for the other components of test fixture 102 that perform the test. Load cell 230 measures the force applied to the material being tested by cross member loader 234 (e.g., an electric motor, hydraulic pump, pneumatic actuator, and / or other actuator, which may be supported by a cross headstock and / or other movable member(s) coupling the actuator to the specimen) via material holding device 236. Cross member loader 234 applies force to the material being tested, while material holding device 236 (e.g., a clamp or other fixture) clamps the material being tested to cross member loader 234 or otherwise couples the material being tested to the cross member loader. Exemplary material holding device 236 includes clamps, jaws, collets, anvils, compression platens, or other types of holding devices, depending on the mechanical properties being tested and / or the material being tested.

[0031] An example controller 238 communicates with the computing device 104, for example, to receive test parameters from the computing device 104 and / or report measurements and / or other results to the computing device 104. For example, the controller 238 may include one or more communication or I / O interfaces to enable communication with the computing device 104. The controller 238 may control the cross-member loader 234 to increase or decrease the applied force, control the clamping device(s) 236 to clamp or release the material being tested, and / or receive measurements from the displacement transducer 232, the load cell 230, and / or any other transducer(s).

[0032] The example test fixture 102 may further include one or more sensors 240 to measure conditions in and / or around the test fixture 102 and / or to monitor or measure activity of the test fixture 102 . For example, the sensor(s) 240 may include: environmental sensor(s) for monitoring ambient temperature, humidity, and / or any other condition(s) surrounding the test fixture 102 that may affect operation; temperature sensors for monitoring component temperature; voltage sensors for monitoring motor voltage, power supply input and / or output voltage, and / or other voltages in the test fixture 102, duty cycles of components in the test fixture 102, and / or other voltage-derived data; current sensors for measuring motor current, power supply input and / or output current, and / or other currents in the test fixture 102, duty cycles of components, and / or other current-derived data; distance and / or proximity sensors for measuring the distance traveled by components in the test fixture 102 (e.g., the distance traveled by a clamp, a lateral headstock, etc.); and / or any other type of sensor for determining relevant information about the test fixture 102.

[0033] In addition to using sensors to detect conditions in and / or around the test fixture 102, the example processor 202 may also monitor other conditions or states of the test fixture 102 and / or the computing system 200. For example, the processor 202 may monitor and / or determine error codes generated in the materials testing system (e.g., codes detected or generated by software), error messages in the materials testing system (e.g., messages generated by software in response to problematic user actions), safety information about the materials testing system, logged data in the materials testing system, load bar information about load bar equipment installed on the materials testing system, software versions on the materials testing system, diagnostic information detected on the materials testing system, and / or any other software-detected information.

[0034] In some examples, a combination of sensors and software may be utilized to detect one or more conditions or states of the test fixture 102 and / or the computing system 200 .

[0035] When a user (eg, an operator) encounters a problem with the materials testing system 100 , the user may access static information and / or dynamic information about the materials testing system 100 to assist in resolving the problem.

[0036] To access static information and / or dynamic information, a user may issue a specific request via the I / O interface 216, which may cause the material testing system 100 to generate a visible code, transmit a radio frequency (RF) transceiver to receive an RF transmission, and / or output a machine-readable code that can be accessed by another computing device via any other method. Example visible codes include one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes (e.g., QR codes or the like). Example RF transmissions may include scanning an RFID tag or reader, communicating via near field communication (NFC) transmissions, and / or any other short-range communication, ultrasonic communication, and / or any other wireless communication.

[0037] In some examples, the material testing system 100 generates machine-readable code to include static information about the material testing system 100 and dynamic information representing a status of the material testing system 100 . Figure 3 The present invention shows that the material testing system 100 (e.g., via Figure 2 2 . An example user interface 300 is shown that is displayed on a display device 224 of a computer 300 and includes a machine-readable code 302 accessible to a computing device 304. The material testing system 100 can generate the machine-readable code 302 based on current dynamic information and update the machine-readable code 302 when the dynamic information changes. In some examples, the material testing system 100 selects relevant dynamic information to encode in the machine-readable code 302 based on the context in which the code 302 is generated (e.g., for a troubleshooting request, an error or problem detected in the material testing system 100, and / or for any other context).

[0038] Figure 4 is a flow chart representing example machine-readable instructions 400 that may be executed by Figures 1 to 3 The example instructions 400 are executed by the example materials testing system 100 to generate and output machine-readable code including static information and / or dynamic information about the materials testing system 100. The example instructions 400 may be executed in parallel with, or as part of, a user interface or test control software executed on the materials testing system 100 via the computing system 200.

[0039] At block 402, the example materials testing system 100 (e.g., via the processor 202) determines whether to request a machine-readable code. For example, a user interface of the materials testing system 100 may receive input requesting a machine-readable code, such as by navigating to a troubleshooting interface, or by navigating to a menu or other portion of a navigable interface on which a visible machine-readable code (e.g., a QR code, a barcode, etc.) may be displayed. Additionally or alternatively, the machine-readable code may be requested via an NFC transceiver that receives the request from the computing device 304.

[0040] If a machine-readable code is not requested (block 402), control returns to block 402 to await a request for a machine-readable code. If a machine-readable code is requested (block 402), at block 404, the processor 202 generates a machine-readable code that includes static information about the material testing system 100 and dynamic information representing a state of the material testing system 100.

[0041] Example static information that may be included in the machine-readable code includes substantially constant information about the testing system, such as the model number of the material testing system 100, the serial number of the material testing system 100, a system identification (e.g., a combination of the model number and serial number of the material testing system), the type of the material testing system 100, the category of the material testing system 100, a description of the material testing system 100, and / or any other substantially constant information about the material testing system 100. Example dynamic information that may be included in the machine-readable code includes information representing a status of the material testing system 100, such as error codes generated in the material testing system 100 (e.g., codes detected by the system), error messages in the material testing system 100 (e.g., messages generated in response to problematic user actions), environmental information measured in the material testing system 100, security information about the material testing system 100 (e.g., user authorizations, firewall settings, open firewall ports, changes to firewall configurations from previous connections, default firewall configurations), logged data in the material testing system 100, load bar information about load bar equipment installed on the material testing system 100, software versions on the material testing system 100, diagnostic information detected on the material testing system 100, motor voltages measured in the material testing system 100, a duty cycle of the material testing system 100 (e.g., an average or typical length of use per time period), and / or a cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the material testing system 100 (e.g., a crosshead, grippers, etc.).

[0042] In some examples, the processor 202 may select a subset of the static information available on the material testing system 100 and / or a subset of the dynamic information available based on the contextual information and / or the content of the available dynamic information. For example, the processor 202 may select measurements, log entries, error messages, and / or other subsets of dynamic information to include in the machine-readable code based on the presence of certain error messages. For example, if a communication error code is present, the processor 202 may select log entries, messages, and / or error codes related to network communications. In other examples, if a hardware or software failure is detected, the processor 202 may include sensor measurements of component conditions and / or environmental conditions.

[0043] Based on the request, the processor 202 encodes the selected static information and / or dynamic information into a machine-readable code. For example, the processor 202 may generate and display a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode for display on a user interface, or generate one or more messages for transmission via NFC, RFID, RF, and / or other wireless communications. At block 406, the processor 202 outputs the machine-readable code. The example instructions 400 then end.

[0044] The present method and system can be implemented with hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The present method and / or system can be implemented in a centralized manner in at least one computing system, or can be implemented in a distributed manner in which different elements are spread over several interconnected computing systems. Any type of computing system or other device adapted to perform the method described herein is suitable. A typical combination of hardware and software can include a general-purpose computing system with a program or other code, which controls the computing system when loaded and executed so that the computing system performs the method described herein. Another typical embodiment can include a dedicated integrated circuit or chip. Some embodiments can include non-transient machine-readable (e.g., computer-readable) media (e.g., flash drive, optical disc, magnetic storage disk, etc.), which stores one or more lines of code that can be executed by a machine, so that the machine performs a process as described herein. As used herein, the term "non-transient machine-readable medium" is defined as including all types of machine-readable storage media and excluding propagation signals.

[0045] As used herein, the terms "circuit" and "circuitry" refer to physical electronic components (i.e., hardware) and any software and / or firmware ("code") that can configure the hardware, be executed by the hardware, and / or otherwise be associated with the hardware. As used herein, for example, a specific processor and memory can constitute a first "circuit" when executing the first one or more lines of code, and can constitute a second "circuit" when executing the second one or more lines of code. As used herein, "and / or" refers to any one or more of the multiple items connected by "and / or" in a list. As an example, "x and / or y" refers to any element in the three-element set {(x), (y), (x, y)}. In other words, "x and / or y" refers to "one or both of x and y." As another example, "x, y and / or z" refers to any element in the seven-element set {(x), (y), (z), (x, y), (x, z), (y, z), (x, y, z)}. In other words, "x, y and / or z" refers to "one or more of x, y and z." As used herein, the term "exemplary" means serving as a non-limiting example, instance, or illustration. As used herein, the terms "e.g.," and "for example" introduce a list of one or more non-limiting examples, instances, or illustrations. As used herein, a circuit system is "operable" to perform a function when it includes the necessary hardware and code (if necessary) to perform the function, regardless of whether performance of the function is disabled or not enabled (e.g., by a user-configurable setting, a factory adjustment, etc.).

[0046] Although the present method and / or system has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present method and / or system. For example, the frames and / or components of the disclosed examples may be combined, divided, rearranged, and / or otherwise modified. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt specific circumstances or materials to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present method and / or system is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed. Rather, the present method and / or system will include all embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims, both literally and according to the doctrine of equivalents.

Claims

1. A material testing system, comprising: a test fixture configured to determine at least one mechanical property of a test specimen; as well as a processor configured to: generating, in response to a request for machine-readable code, the machine-readable code by encoding static information about the material testing system and dynamic information representing a state of the material testing system, wherein the dynamic information comprises at least one of: environmental information measured in the test fixture, safety information about the material testing system, logged data in the material testing system, load bar information about a load bar rig mounted on the test fixture, motor voltage measured in the test fixture, a duty cycle of the test fixture, or a cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the test fixture; as well as The machine-readable code is output.

2. The material testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The static information includes the model of the material testing system.

3. The material testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The static information includes a serial number of the material testing system.

4. The material testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The static information includes an identification of the material testing system.

5. The material testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The static information includes a description of the material testing system.

6. The material testing system according to claim 1, wherein: The dynamic information further includes error codes generated in the material testing system.

7. The material testing system of claim 1, wherein: The dynamic information further includes a software version on the material testing system.

8. The material testing system of claim 1, wherein: The dynamic information further includes diagnostic information detected on the material testing system.

9. The material testing system of claim 1, wherein: The test fixture includes at least one of a transverse headstock, an actuator, or a material clamp.

10. The material testing system of claim 1, wherein: The machine-readable code comprises a QR code or a barcode.

11. A method for providing information from a materials testing system, the method comprising: generating, in response to a request for machine-readable code, using a processor of the materials testing system, the machine-readable code by encoding static information about the materials testing system and dynamic information representing a state of the materials testing system, wherein the dynamic information comprises at least one of: environmental information measured in the test fixture, safety information about the materials testing system, logged data in the materials testing system, load bar information about a load bar rig mounted on the test fixture, motor voltage measured in the test fixture, a duty cycle of the test fixture, or a cumulative distance traveled by one or more components of the test fixture; and The machine-readable code is output using the materials testing system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein: The outputting includes displaying the machine-readable code on a display.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein: The outputting includes transmitting the machine-readable code via at least one of RFID, near field communication (NFC) transmission, near field communication, or ultrasonic communication.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein: The static information includes the model of the material testing system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein: The static information includes a serial number of the material testing system.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein: The static information includes an identification of the material testing system.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein: The static information includes a description of the material testing system.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein: The dynamic information further includes error codes generated in the material testing system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein: The dynamic information further includes a software version on the material testing system.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein: The dynamic information further includes diagnostic information detected on the material testing system.

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