Specialist Scientific Facilities - Drop Test Facility

These facilities are used to measure the response of engineering components to impulse loading including reactive forces, acceleration and dynamic displacement.

Features
• Substantial vertical 5 metre steel tower with a 10 tonne lifting capacity hoist.
• Sophisticated control and release system permitting a variety of drop masses to be released at any point up the tower.
• Drop mass can be varied up to a maximum of 10,000kg.
• Available drop height of 4m, controllable with an accuracy of ±1nm.
• Impact velocities up to 13ms^-1.
• 25m drop tower (not shown).

Applications
• Measuring the toughness of large notched rectangular hollow section steel specimens.
• Assessing hydraulic lift arrestor systems.
• Impact characteristics of large reinforced concrete beams.
• Assessing the performance of energy absorbers for offshore use.
• Assessing the performance of locomotive override protectors..
• Effects of impact on offshore vessel attachment bolts.
• Effects of dynamic loading on aluminium honeycomb panels used in nuclear reactor charge floors.

This facility is available to public and private sector customers from the UK and overseas and is complemented by the analytical and interpretative skills of HSL's experienced scientific and technical staff.

Further Details
Contact our Business Development Group by telephone (+44) 01298 218218, fax (+44) 01298 218822 or email hslinfo@hsl.gov.uk.

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