Tensilkut's Blog

Cutting Samples From Pipe Wall

Tensilkut — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 16:47:40 +0000

Will the Tensilkut machine cut tensile bars from pipe wall without flattening the pipe?

In a word, Yes.

sample cut from large diameter pipe wall

A section must be cut from the pipe wall which is the proper width to fit inside the Master Template, and then it is cut in the same manner as cutting a perfectly flat specimen. The resulting tensile bar will retain the original curvature of the pipe, while having the correct dimensions, including taper through the gauge section, and be ready for immediate insertion into your testing machine.

CNC Tensilkut III Video

Tensilkut — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:17:20 +0000

Because the recent video of the CNC Tensilkut III showed very little of the motion, here is a video in which the cutting head is moving along its X axis. Note that no cutting is occurring in this clip. This is a Quicktime video; please download Quicktime if you can’t view it.

Operation of the CNC Tensilkut III

Tensilkut — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:25:37 +0000

While there are plenty of photos of the CNC Tensilkut III, this is the first time we’ve posted video of the operation of the machine. You will have to look closely, because these samples are lined up front to back on the table, so the cutting head is moving only a minor amount on a left/right or up/down basis, and the table is moving forward and backward for cutting the length of the specimen. When the camera pans to the view of the computer screen, the red shapes indicate the uncut specimens, while the blue lines display the sample which has already been prepared.

Because the door cannot be opened while the cutting operation is in progress, we can’t give a closer view of the operation of this machine.

Tensilkut II Demonstration

Tensilkut — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:11:46 +0000

To aid you in picturing the operation of the Tensilkut II, here’s a video demonstration of the cutting of a piece of 1/8″ thick aluminum from start to finish. The footage was taken from very close range, so there are no views of the entire machine.

Use of the One Sided Template

Tensilkut — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:14:53 +0000

Tensilkut one sided templates are used of preparation of either very small specimens or specimens with odd contours. One sided templates have set screws located in the top bar of the template which applies pressure to the clamping bar to hold the specimen steady during the machining operation.

Loosen the set screws to release the clamping bar, which slides up and down on the shoulder pins at either end of the template. Insert the prepared specimen blank into the template through the side; be certain that it is pushed back such that one entire side of the specimen blank rests against the back wall of the template. Tighten down the set screws to hold the blank firmly. Due to the unique low cutting forces involved with Tensilkut, only moderate pressure is required to hold the sample during the machining operation. The template is basically a holding fixture, and not a vise – excessive pressure in the socket screws could result in deformation of the template assembly.

The contour of the test specimen is controlled by the contour of the hardened top bar of the template, which is riding along the guide sleeve of the control unit. This guide sleeve determines the final width of the test specimen, while the master template controls the configuration of the gauge area.

The sleeve is adjusted by the micrometer dial measured in .001” divisions, with a complete revolution of the dial equal to .050”. Turn the micrometer dial to full out (counterclockwise, as in unscrewing a bolt), until the stop is reached, and the indicator points to 50 on the dial. This is the finishing position for the guide sleeve – it is in the closest proximity to the cutting bit when a sample is completely machined. To machine a ¾” wide sample to .500” gauge width, a total of .250” must be taken off (.125” per side). Starting with the dial on 50 and the guide sleeve closest to the cutter, turn the dial so that the slide moves outward .125”, or a distance equal to the total amount which must be taken off that side. With the template against the guide sleeve, the sample will just contact the cutter.

Setting the dial on the Tensilkut machine

Turn on the motor on the Tensilkut machine. Bring the left end of the contoured section of the master template containing the sample in contact with the sleeve, and with moderate hand pressure and a continuous motion, move the template across the table top in contact with the sleeve until the right end of the contoured section is reached. With the previous adjustment of the guide sleeve as above, the cutter will just touch the sample when the template is moved against the guide sleeve. To begin the first actual contour cutting of the sample, the sleeve must be moved inward an amount equal to the depth of the first machining cut. Again, bring the left end of the contoured section of the master template into contact with the sleeve, and move the template across the table top as described above, repeating this motion alternated with moving the sleeve inward an amount equal to the depth of the first cut until the machining of that side of the sample is complete. Ideally, the final pass should be a light pass of approximately .001” to .003” depth, for the optimum surface finish.

Please note that, when the first side is complete, the sample’s finished edge will appear slightly oversized in relation to the contoured edge of the template

Upon completion of the first side, remove the partially machined specimen from the template and flip it over such that the contoured edge will be against the back bar of the template, and the uncontoured side will be visible. Please note that we do not recommend flipping the specimen end for end as this could result in improper alignment of the shoulders and radii from side to side.

Reversing the sample within the template

After the specimen has been turned around within the template, the micrometer control must be readjusted to its starting position, that is, with the guide sleeve as far forward as it was when the initial cut was made on the first side of the specimen.

The machining procedure used to prepare the first contoured edge should be repeated for the second side. Please note that, again, the sample’s finished edge will appear slightly oversized in relation to the contours of the template. The sample, when removed from the template, will have contours in accordance with the specification required.

September 11, 2001: We Should Never Forget

Tensilkut — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:52:15 +0000

From The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto:

“Because of its geography, its population, and the fact that it was under the control of the Dutch (even then its parent city, Amsterdam, was the most liberal in Europe), this island city would become the first multiethnic, upwardly mobile society on America’s shores, a prototype of the kind of society that would be duplicated throughout the country and around the world. It was no coincidence that on September 11, 2001, those who wished to make a symbolic attack on the center of American power chose the World Trade Center as their target. If what made America great was its ingenious openness to different cultures, then the small triangle of land at the southerntip of Manhattan Island is the New World birthplace of that idea, the spot where it first took shape….”
September 11 is a day to celebrate the American spirit of independence, innovation, courage and tolerance, which have caused our country to be so great. We will never forget those innocent civilians who died at the hands of terrorists who do not share these values. We will never forget those who were in New York that day whose lives were forever altered by these unforgivable acts of terror. Our sympathy goes out to those in other countries who live with acts of terror and brutality more often than we do. We will never forget.

Impactmill

Tensilkut — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:01:25 +0000

The Impactmill accurately notches plastic and non-metallic materials in accordance with ASTM D256 or ISO 180. The totally enclosed ½ HP motor rotates a precision ground, single tooth cutter at 1000 RPM. One or more prepared .500” wide blanks are clamped in the Impactmill’s holding fixture; a rotating cutter notches the specimens as the handwheel is cranked to move the fixture through the cutter’s path. A micrometer control is used to raise and lower the notching cutter on the Impactmill. To check the depth of the notch, a micrometer with a knife edge is mounted on the unit. It is used to accurately measure the critical distance between the tip of the “V” notch and the back of the izod or charpy impact bar. As with all Tensilkut equipment, the Impactmill is designed for location in the laboratory, and can be operated by technicians with no machining experience.

Impactmill for notching plastic izod and charpy test bars

Tensilmark

Tensilkut — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:34:35 +0000

The Tensilmark is a compact, freestanding unit designed to scribe gauge marks on prepared flat or round specimens made of most machineable materials. The marks are accurately produced on 1” or 2” centers, within ASTM tolerances of +.002”. A floating steel bar contains two hardened steel scribe pins for rapid and consistent elongation marks on specimens.

60-32 Tensilmark

Flat specimens are held in place in the Tensilmark by a positioning bar located in front of the floating steel bar. The Tensilmark model designed for marking round specimens holds the piece to be marked in a pair of “V” blocks.

For those with custom marking requirements, the Tensilmark can be manufactured with special pins for metric measurements, or for longer samples.

New Website

Tensilkut — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:26:15 +0000

The new website is up and running! Come see new photos, expanded information on machines, templates and Tensilbits. We also have a special page with the basic information on the machines available in Spanish. Of course, if you have any questions, please leave a comment or email us through our website.

New Tensilkut Website

Tensilkut — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:02:42 +0000

Coming next week: the updated Tensilkut website at www.tensilkut.com !

There will be more information than ever on the Tensilkut machines and accessories, as well as new pictures. Of course, we will continue to write articles for this blog. Should you have questions, or something you’d like to see here, please leave a comment. We’re happy to hear from you.

Tensilkut II in operation