Automatic system compliance estimation and correction for mechanical testing systems

A method for determining a compensated value attributable to a deflection of a mechanical testing system, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a processor of a computing system, a load measurement signal from a load sensor of the mechanical testing system, and a displacement measurement signal from a displacement sensor of the mechanical testing system, in response to an actuator of the mechanical testing system applying a mechanical load to a reference sample mechanically coupled to at least one fixture of the mechanical testing system;
• creating, by the processor, a load filter and a displacement filter to be applied to the load measurement signal and the displacement measurement signal, respectively, using a transfer function;
• calculating, by the processor, a load compensation value by applying the load filter to the load measurement signal, and a displacement compensation value by applying the displacement filter to the displacement measurement signal;
• and
• comparing, by the processor, the load compensation value with the displacement compensation value to determine the compensated value prior to testing a specimen so that the compensated value is used to automatically correct a measured deflection of the specimen to arrive at an actual specimen deflection.

A mechanical testing system comprising:

• a mechanical testing device, the mechanical testing device including a load sensor and a displacement sensor;
• a computing system coupled to the mechanical testing device, the computing system having a processor, a memory device coupled to the processor, and a computer readable storage device coupled to the processor;
• wherein the storage device contains program code executable by the processor via the memory device to implement a method for determining a compensated value attributable to a deflection of the mechanical testing system, the method comprising:
• receiving, by the processor, a load measurement signal from the load sensor, and a displacement measurement signal from the displacement sensor, in response to an actuator of the mechanical testing system applying a mechanical load to a reference sample mechanically coupled to at least one fixture of the mechanical testing system;
• creating, by the processor, a load filter and a displacement filter to be applied to the load measurement signal and the displacement measurement signal, respectively, using a transfer function;
• calculating, by the processor, a load compensation value by applying the load filter to the load measurement signal, and a displacement compensation value by applying the displacement filter to the displacement measurement signal;
• and
• comparing, by the processor, the load compensation value with the displacement compensation value to determine the compensated value prior to testing a specimen so that the compensated value is used to automatically correct a measured deflection of the specimen to arrive at an actual specimen deflection.

A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device storing a computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising an algorithm that when executed by a computer processor of a computing system implements a method for determining a compensated value attributable to a deflection of a mechanical testing system, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a processor of a computing system, a load measurement signal from a load sensor of the mechanical testing system, and a displacement measurement signal from a displacement sensor of the mechanical testing system, in response to an actuator of the mechanical testing system applying a mechanical load to a reference sample mechanically coupled to at least one fixture of the mechanical testing system;
• creating, by the processor, a load filter and a displacement filter to be applied to the load measurement signal and the displacement measurement signal, respectively, using a transfer function;
• calculating, by the processor, a load compensation value by applying the load filter to the load measurement signal, and a displacement compensation value by applying the displacement filter to the displacement measurement signal;
• and
• comparing, by the processor, the load compensation value with the displacement compensation value to determine the compensated value prior to testing a specimen so that the compensated value is used to automatically correct a measured deflection of the specimen to arrive at an actual specimen deflection.