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multi-length

-speed

-force scale universal mechanical testing systems

Fast Direct Drive Actuator

Near zero out-of-plane motion

High-resolution sensors

Psylotech designs, builds and integrates mechanical load frames into imaging systems: beamlines, microCT, nanoCT, XRD, and optical, confocal & scanning electron microscopes. We leverage DIC and DVC to characterize materials across length scales. Learn more about Psylotech’s core technologies.

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xTS – X-ray Tomography

beamlines
microCT
nanoCT

The xTS rotates the load train within the frame, benefiting from Psylotech’s low out-of-plane motion technologies. The rotating load train maximizes microCT spatial resolution and reduces nanoCT scan times. The system is lightweight & portable, and making it ideal for shipping to beamlines. Post imaging software corrects runout and wobble, providing sub-micron spatial resolution.

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µTS – Optical/Confocal Microscopy

The uTS was purpose built for DIC and microscopy. It is the fountainhead of Psylotech’s technology development. The low out-of-plane motion keeps samples in focus, enabling local strain measurement on small samples.

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App Note

X-ray Diffraction

The µTS and xTS can be adapted for XRD. Easily deployable in Synchrotron and Neutron Line applications. Dual actuator option keeps the sample centered in the beam. Extended strokes and temperature chamber options are available.

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µTS – Mixed Mode Fracture

Psylotech has allowed users to develop a more comprehensive approach by developing a dual axis load frame which can provide a wide range of mode-mixes (combination of tension and shear) in a relatively simple manner and leveraging of DIC.

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Options

SEM

The scanning electron microscope µTS is vacuum hardened and implements a ring encoder to shorten the actuator. Despite the SEM’s large depth of field, low out of plane motion is important for DIC to reduce false strain measurements.

Grips

Standard grip options include tension, compression, 4 & 3 point bending, and mixed-mode Arcan. Psylotech also offers customization services to meet specific user needs.

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Temperature

Psylotech offers a microscope-compatible -100 to 300C convective temperature chamber. We also integrate 800 and 1600C furnace designs licensed from the University College London. Laser heating options to 2500C are available to early adopters.

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Centering Stage

A servo-controlled centering stage keeps the sample’s area of interest under the microscope, even to large deformation. The relative motion is software settable, which is particularly useful when monitoring beam bending samples, where the area of interest is not necessarily half way between the grips. A much lower resolution but more compact stepper centering stage is also available. Alternatively, dual moving cross heads can provide centering.

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High Speed/Fatigue

Dual moving cross-heads doubles system speed and acceleration. Increasing the ballscrew lead provides the same advantages, but at the expense of force capacity. For high cycle fatigue, a lubricant reservoir can be incorporated into the actuator.

Extended Stroke

Implementing a ring encoder enables the stroke to be extended as needed. The extra ball screw length protrudes through the rear of the actuator, enabling stroke longer than the actuator itself.

Publications

University of Waterloo, Composite Biomaterial Systems Lab in Systems Design Engineering

Sanaz S. Hashemi, Dibakar Mondal, John Montesano, Thomas L. Willett, Effects of biopolymer functionalization and nanohydroxyapatite heat treatment on the tensile and thermomechanical properties of Bone-Inspired 3D printable nanocomposite biomaterials

Purdue University, School of Materials Engineering

Hyeyoung Son, Dawson Michael Smith, Zhaofan Li, Taehoo Chang, Wenjie Xia and Chelsea Simone Davis, Particle alignment effects on mechanical properties of cellulose nanocrystal thin films

NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center

Zachary Stephen Courtright, Cost-Effective, High-Temperature Materials Testing

About

About Psylotech

Psylotech endeavors to build a world-wide community around multi-scale mechanical testing. Our load frames were designed after the advent of DIC. Our design philosophy is geared to provide experimentalists complete control over their experiments, while concurrently making the default process easy to use. We value quick response time for support and user interactions.

Psylotech was founded in 2006, initially to produce high resolution sensors. With the help and guidance of Prof. Ioannis Chasiotis of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, we were awarded a 2009 Army Research Lab SBIR with WMRD to build a microscope compatible miniature universal load frame for DIC. In 2018, we built the first rotating load train in situ X-ray tomography for Prof. Hongbing Lu, chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Texas, Dallas.