Summer 2001 - Tinius Olsen

PULL & STRETCH
FAXBACK ON 01737 764768 OR POST BACK TO:
Martin Wheeler
Sales and Marketing Director
Hounsfield Test Equipment Ltd
6 Perrywood Business Park
Honeycrock Lane
Redhill, Surrey
RH1 5DZ
Visit us at www.hounsfield.com
We hope you have enjoyed this first issue of
The Standard. For more information relating to
the subjects covered in this Newsletter, please
tick the box and fax or post this form back to us.
If you have any specific comments or wish to
see more about other areas, please let us know.
Please send me more information on:
Hounsfield W-Series machines.
PIRA International – setting the standards
in packaging design.
Hounsfield S-Series machines.
QMAT-Pro – A new improved software
solution that makes every stage of
material testing simple and accurate.
Temperature Chambers – for testing
between -70˚C to 300˚C.
UKAS accreditation and details of
Hounsfield’s machine calibration services.
The Standard • HOUNSFIELD TEST EQUIPMENT LTD • Summer 2001
UKAS – The mark
of confidence
At the heart of every testing or
measuring operation there must be
confidence – absolute confidence in the
equipment, its accuracy and the
procedures involved. Quality cannot be
assured unless the highest standards are
consistently met – which is why
Hounsfield is fully authorised by UKAS,
the United Kingdom Accreditation
Service and can use the accreditation
‘mark’, incorporating the Royal Crown.
UKAS is the national organisation – recognised by
the Government – for the accreditation of testing
and calibration laboratories, certification and
inspection bodies. As such, it oversees the integrity
Setting the
benchmark
and competence of organisations operating in this
field to maintain client and public confidence.
In an increasingly global market, UKAS
accreditation becomes even more important
because, since it is recognised internationally, it
means that companies and organisations wishing
to sell overseas are not required to submit their
products to further testing.
In addition, with full UKAS accreditation,
Hounsfield is able to calibrate other manufacturers’
tension & compression machines. Its calibration
testing machinery has been set against the
international standards system and any certificate
issued by Hounsfield is fully traceable for audit trail.
Continued on page 2
CRUSH!
PEEL!
FLEX & BEND
Please ensure I receive a copy of The Standard in future
Name:
Company Name:
Address:
Job Title:
Packaging is a huge business. It involves
a wide range of materials – from glass
and plastics to paper, board and foil.
All have to perform to particular
standards if the contents are not to be
damaged or contaminated and that
means stringent testing.
Post code:
Telephone: Fax: Email:
We may contact you from time to time to inform you about other materials testing solutions from Hounsfield. If you do not wish to receive any further
information from Hounsfield, please tick the box and return this form to us. We will ensure that your details are removed from our mailing list.
HOUNSFIELD TEST EQUIPMENT LTD
6 Perrywood Business Park, Honeycrock Lane, Redhill, Surrey RH1 5DZ
Tel: +44 (0)1737 765001 Fax: +44 (0)1737 764768 e-mail: sales@hounsfield.com website: www.hounsfield.com
Pira International is the leading independent
supplier of research, testing and consultancy
services to the global packaging industry.
Employing over 200 people at their premises in
Leatherhead, Surrey, Pira undertakes up to 30,000
tests every year! Although UK-based, much of
Pira’s work is for export or foreign markets and
they serve up to 10,000 customers worldwide,
from blue-chip multi-nationals to smaller
manufacturing companies. Pira’s testing facilities
Tensile testing in Pira’s labs in Leatherhead, Surrey
therefore, have to conform to differing world
standards according to customer requirements.
Consequently, it is vital that Pira uses the best
materials testing equipment available – equipment
that’s accurate, reliable and, above all, easy-to-operate.
Continued on page 2
HOUNSFIELD
TEST EQUIPMENT LTD
PUNCTURE!

The mark of confidence, continued from page 1
Hounsfield has enjoyed UKAS accreditation for
the past three years and is convinced it is invaluable
both for its present business and future expansion.
It gives customers the reassurance of knowing
they’re dealing with an organisation that’s both
diligent and an advocate of good practice.
Hounsfield is also actively preparing for the
introduction of the new international standard –
BS EN ISO IEC 17025:2000 – which comes into
force next year. Effectively, this combines
UKAS and European standards governing the
competence of testing and calibration laboratories,
and will mean, for example, that all Hounsfield
calibration work should be acceptable
throughout the world.
For more information on UKAS accreditation
and machine calibration contact Terry Adams,
Calibration and Service Manager on
01737 765001, or alternatively e-mail
terry.adams@hounsfield.com
See fax back option on reverse ■
New technical
engineer in the North
As part of its policy to enhance customer service
and support throughout the country, Hounsfield
has appointed another regional Service and
Calibration Engineer. Based in Manchester, Keith
Flannagan will cover the North of England, the
whole of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Like his other regional colleagues, Keith – who
has more than 20 years’ experience in customer
service and support working to UKAS and ISO
standards – will be responsible for installation,
commissioning and operator training, as well as
preventive maintenance, routine calibrations plus
any breakdowns or repairs.
‘By getting physically closer to our customers
through these regional appointments, we are able
to offer better response times, ‘next day’ repairs
and assured on-time calibration certification,’
said Terry Adams, Hounsfield’s Service and
Calibration Manager.
Setting the benchmark, continued from page 1
So, they have turned to Hounsfield for their primary rigidly held compared to some other machines, an
tensile and compression testing machines. In one important factor in good measurement practice”
of their three, UKAS accredited, laboratories adding “the accompanying QMAT-Pro software
there are two Hounsfield machines, a H10KM enables extremely straightforward data capture
and the latest H25KS with QMAT-Pro software. and analysis.”
These machines undertake around 50 different Both commented that Hounsfield was always
tests on materials and products, including
open to customer feedback. “They’ve considered
compression and tensile testing of glass, papers our suggestions, looked at the options and tried to
and plastics as well as a range of peel, flexure and see what they can do” said Mike. “This is not just
puncture tests. Many of these are conducted excellent customer service, it is critical from our
within an environmental chamber allowing for commercial perspective. In developing equipment
different temperature and humidity levels.
that meets our organisational needs, Hounsfield is
helping us remain at the forefront of our industry.”
Mike Bancroft, Head of Measurement Technology
As specialists in packaging research, Pira also
at Pira, said the Hounsfield machines were their
use their Hounsfield machines to establish
first choice for tensile testing. Both he and other
material characterisation for inter-laboratory
users find the interface “extremely user friendly”
testing. This involves about 200 laboratories
adding “the machines are well-designed and
world-wide and ultimately means that Pira’s
well-engineered”.
Hounsfield machines are used to establish
Malcolm Shill, Laboratory Manager, commented: benchmark material standards globally.
“with ‘the Hounsfields’, the load cell is always See reverse or visit www.piranet.com ■
A league of their own
The UK’s No. 1 range of materials testing each has a ‘parallel port’ for direct printing of
machines is the Hounsfield S-Series. detailed reports.
Widely used in industry and research,
Launched in 1995, the S-Series represents the
these machines are renowned for their
best of Hounsfield’s design and manufacturing
ease of use, accuracy and reliability.
expertise. With over 2,000 S-Series machines
They are designed to accurately quantify the currently in use in over 65 countries worldwide –
quality and performance of a wide range of there is no greater testament to their accuracy
materials from metals, plastics, rubber, and and reliability.
textiles, to timber, adhesives, film, paper and See fax back option on reverse ■
composites. Vertically bench-mounted, they can
test for tension, compression, flexure and shear
and are available with force capacities of up to
1kN, 5kN, 10kN, 25kN, 50kN or 100kN.
The S-Series can operate either on a stand-alone
basis, allowing basic tests to be performed, or in
conjunction with Hounsfield’s easy-to-use
‘QMAT-Pro’ software. They can also be used
with a wide range of ancillary equipment such as
extensometers (for measuring elongation during
tensile tests) or temperature chambers (used
extensively within the automotive and food
packaging industries).
The machines feature a sealed, dust-proof,
liquid crystal display unit, showing force and
displacement as well as real-time test graphics.
They can store and retrieve test profiles and The Hounsfield H5 K-S
Hi-Tech
at low cost
For those who need high technology at
minimum cost, the Hounsfield W-Series
of universal materials testing machines
is the solution.
As a replacement for the original Hounsfield
Tensometer, it has been specially developed to
provide accurate testing at an affordable price.
The range is therefore well suited to organisations
wishing to make an initial investment in QA or
QC equipment.
W-Series machines are horizontal and come in
three frame capacities of 5kN, 10kN and 20kN.
They feature a range of functions including the
ability to produce comprehensive test reports
with user-defined titles, test parameters and
high-resolution graphs, plus accurate force and
displacement measurements and automatic
measurement calculations.
Test reports can be output to a printer directly
from the machine or exported in a standard
ASCII format. And, for all W-Series machines
ordered before the end of August 2001, Hounsfield
will supply a FREE terminal software application
for Microsoft Windows. The application will allow
users to capture data from the testing machine
and transfer it easily into an Excel template for
viewing and manipulation.
Made to Hounsfield’s demanding quality standards,
W-Series machines are easy to operate, strongly
built, portable, easily stored and, above all, safe
to use. The range is the ideal solution for
companies requiring an accurate but low-cost
testing solution.
See fax back option on reverse ■
Test specimen being loaded into a Hounsfield H20K-W
In a QA or QC environment, there is a
greater need than normal for materials
testing equipment to be user-friendly,
accurate and versatile. It is precisely to
meet this need that Hounsfield developed
its advanced ‘QMAT Professional’ software.
Designed for use on the Hounsfield S-Series of
testing machines, ‘QMAT-Pro’ is an easy-to-use
and powerful link between the operator and
material under test, complementing and
enhancing the hardware. Most importantly, it has
been designed to enable quick and easy testing
by operators of all skills levels.
‘QMAT-Pro’ (QMAT is derived from ‘Questions
MATerials’) is actually an extremely sophisticated
piece of software, with advanced features
enabling the fast analysis of materials and the
comparison of results over time, be it a week, a
month or even a year after the original test.
‘QMAT-Pro’can also run over 1,000 test
routines, developed and referenced to
international and industrial testing standards
(including ISO, ASTM, BS, DIN, EN & JIS) and
has an in-built report generator allowing the
creation of bespoke QC testing reports for use
within an ISO 9000 testing environment.
-Pro
The user-friendly link between material,
machine and operator.
‘QMAT-Pro’ has four main elements:
• Test Zone gives access to the comprehensive
library of test routines – tension, compression,
shear, flexure, puncture, tear, peel and friction. It
controls the machine during the test and
calculates the results.
• Post Test Analysis is a sophisticated facility
that enables original test results to be modified
and additional calculations made, even after the
sample has been destroyed during testing.
• File Examination provides instant access to
test results, graphs and data for in depth
statistical analysis, whether immediately after a
test or weeks, months or even years later.
• Test Generator offers maximum flexibility
allowing the operator to modify existing tests,
select results required, define test profiles and
calculations, and to simulate tests safely before
actual execution.
‘QMAT-Pro’ is compatible with Windows 95, 98,
2000 and NT4 operating systems. All test data is
fully portable within the windows environment –
copy and paste raw ASCII data and bitmaps to
Word, Excel, Access, Data files or e-mails.
See fax back option on reverse ■
Create your own test routines using ‘Test Generator’
Monitor quality over time with ‘File Examination’
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