Testing software proliferates.

Testing Software Proliferates

An increasing number of software programs are being written for analysis of plastics, from color matching to rheological testing. Some of the most recent software developments include a mouse-driven package for spectrocolorimeters that provides flexible sensor standardization, viscometer software for rotation or oscillation testing, and multi-testing packages, including one said to solve variability between instruments and within the same instrument. Here is a sampling of some of the latest software innovations, as well as upgraded versions of existing packages.

GETTING THE RIGHT COLOR

Hunter Associates Laboratory Inc., Reston, Va., recently made a mouse-driven software package available for all of its spectrocolorimeters. The new program, called SpecWare, has pulldown menus and expanded prompts for easier use. It can be adapted to Hunter's LabScan, UltraScan, and ColorQuest spectrocolorimeters. Adding a mouse to the software also gives the programs flexible sensor standardization, a company sokesman said, allowing the user to switch measurement modes easily, and enter and exit the program quickly. (CIRCLE 1)

A new enhancement to its color-analysis software comes from Applied Color Systems Inc. (ACS), Princeton, N.J. The company's Chroma-Calc software has been upgraded to include what ACS calls Colorcurve. While Chroma-Calc's capabilities include color formulation, batch correction and color quality control, Colorcurve allows the user to input color numbers that immediately identify the reflectance curve of the color, allowing Chroma-Calc to produce an exact formulation for that color. The software also has a gloss compensation feature for accurate assessment and matching of colors having different gloss values. (CIRCLE 2)

A third supplier to recently introduce a color-analysis system is Nor-Cote International Corp., Crawfordsville, Ind. The company's Rapid Access 2000, a computerized color-control system, uses on-screen menus for color matching and quality control. Networking capabilities reportedly enable users to share color standard information at various workstations. Color strength determination helps judge the amount of color that has to be added to batches of resin. The system also allows the user to store and retrieve thousands of data files, each with its own pass/fail requirements. (CIRCLE 3)

ADVANCES IN RHEOLOGY

New control software for its line of rheological test instruments was recently introduced by Rheometrics, Inc., Piscataway, N.J. The new programs can be adapted to instruments such as the company's RDA II, which measures viscoelastic properties of solids and melts, particularly the cure behavior of thermosets.

Among the programs in the new control software is MultiWAve, a program that allows the testing of a material at up to eight different frequencies and strain rates simultaneously. Also new is a waveform generator that, rather than using sine waves and other traditional testing methods, allows users to define their own waveform to deform a sample. As many as eight test parameters are reported in real-time. (CIRCLE 4)

A new viscometer software package offering either a rotation or oscillation program is now available from the Haake Div. of Fisons Instruments, Valencia, Calif. Specially designed for the company's RV20 rheometer, the package is IBM PC-compatible and featurs a window environment.

The rotation program can determine viscosity and flow behavior of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids or pastes. Test methods such as flow and viscosity curves, viscosity-time curves, temperature curves and shear jumps are available.

The oscillation program is designed to determine dynamic viscoelastic behavior relating to the molecular and structural properties of polymer solutions. Fisons says that frequency and deformation sweeps, along with time and temperature measurements, can be run on the program. (CIRCLE 5)

From Bohlin Reologi, Inc., Cranbury, N.J., comes its new Constant Rate software, which reportedly enables the user to make controlled-stress and controlled-rate measurements of viscosity with the same instrument. Designed to run with the company's line of controlled-stress rheometers, the new program enables the user to measure viscosity at predetermined shear rates that allow for easy comparison of data from conventional viscometers and historical data. Part of the program is a menu-driven table of shear rates from the past 35 years. Alternatively, the table contains specified shear rates for comparison with existing protocols. (CIRCLE 6)

MANY TESTS, ONE PROGRAM

A number of testing equipment suppliers have recently developed software designed to run analyzers for a variety of tests.

REcently introduced by LT Industries, Rockville, Md., is a new software package for its line of VIS/NIR multi-constituent analyzers for research and process-based applications. The new software is reportedly the first package designed to solve variability between instruments and within the same intrument. Called Transparency, the new program enables transfer of models between analyzers worldwide, eliminating the need to recalibrate each analyzer's software, a company spokesman said. The package can also be used as a standalone analysis package for dataset correction. (CIRCLE 7)

Interlaken Technology Corp., Eden Prairie, Minn., has developed its Universal Test Program to run nearly all materials and structural tests. The testing software provides instrument control, data acquisition, plotting, waveform generation, and graphics. A comprehensive operator interface includes pop-up menus and context-sensitive "help" displays. Manual control or fully automated tests can be run on any IBM-compatible PC, and all displays are in engineering units. Test setups can be stored for later use and, graphic displays are in real time up to 10 Hz. (CIRCLE 8)

Yet another software offering in the multi-functional line comes from Inston Corp., Canton, Mass. Called the Falcon Suite of programs, the new software can run a variety of tests, including advanced fatigue crack propagation, fracture toughness and low-cycle fatigue.

Instron also has introduced an upgraded package for tensile testing. The enhanced Version 5.0 of Instron's Series IX data-acquisition, control, and analysis software includes load/strain pacing and control, password security, limit checking, post-test data editor, and an expanded library of standard test calculations. The software runs on IBM-compatible PCs and is designed to acquire data from compression and tensile testing machinery such as Instron's model 4210, which was introduced late last year. (CIRCLE 9)

TestWorks software from Sintech Div. of MTS Systems Corp., Stoughton, Mass., was recently upgraded and released as a new package, TestWorks II. Among the reported enhancements to the new program is a more powerful formula calculator that lets users plug in their own formulas to calculate results that are unique to their needs> a report generation program for developing custom reports with graphics and text> an on-screen control panel similar to that used on many conventional testing machines> and a new interface with mouse support. (CIRCLE 10)