Universal testing machine and a verification of non-contact real-time strain measurment by Digital Image Correlation Method

Abstract

The universal testing machine which serves mainly for research of the strength criteria and investigation of the fatigue strength is briefly described in introductory part of this paper with emphasize on its control system. Using the laboratory testing system a non-contact real-time strain measurement based on the Digital Image Correlation Method (DICM), has been successfully established for uniaxial cyclic/fatigue tests of steel. It allows recording of the evolution of strain during the short fatigue life of the steel under test. A frequency of 10 Hz for strain data acquisition was reached. The success of this method would facilitate performing various types of fatigue tests on different kinds of material and would allow gaining better insight and understanding of their fatigue and failure behaviour.