Central Control System for Characterizing Mechanical Behaviour of Materials

舍布鲁克大学土木工程和建筑工程系拥有一个特殊的多尺度设备平台，使其研究人员能够进行从纳米尺度(纳米材料、纳米工程)到宏观尺度(混凝土工厂、现场测试等)的创新研究。与这项提议有关的研究人员开展的项目涉及各种材料(普通、自固结或超高性能混凝土、岩石和集料、复合材料和金属材料)。这些领域的科学和技术突破需要对材料在压应力、拉应力和弯曲应力下的机械性能和行为进行表征测试。 不幸的是，我们必要的拉伸和压缩试验机不再允许对材料进行适当的表征。虽然承载框架的结构保持良好状态，但它们的控制系统要么陈旧，要么出了故障。这种情况使我们处于脆弱的地位，极大地降低了我们充分和有效地开展研究计划的能力。目前，非常重要的战略项目以及博士和硕士项目都受到了影响。此外，由于这种情况，我们别无选择，只能拒绝与工业界签订的几份研究合同。此外，研究生不能进行他们的实验计划，必须依赖文献中的数据，而这些数据并不总是可靠的。 我们迫切需要的、对我们的工作至关重要的设备是一个能够操作我们三台专用印刷机的中央控制器。这一个设备将取代三个非常过时和功能失调的单独控制器，目前这些控制器中的两个无法运行，也使第三个处于危险之中。这将确保拥有一个单一的、最新的、高性能的控制系统，该系统将确保我们的研究计划，并允许现在和未来几年培训高素质的人员。

The Department of Civil Engineering and Building Engineering at the Université de Sherbrooke has an exceptional multiscale equipment platform that allows its researchers to conduct innovative research from the nanoscale (nanomaterials, nanoengineering) to the macroscale (concrete plant, in situ tests, etc.). The projects carried out by the researchers associated with this proposal involve a variety of materials (ordinary, selfconsolidating or ultrahigh performance concretes, rocks and aggregates, composite and metallic materials). Scientific and technological breakthroughs in these areas require characterization tests of the mechanical properties and behaviour of materials under compressive, tensile and bending stresses. Unfortunately, our necessary tensile and compression test machines no longer allow materials to be properly characterized. While the structure of the load frames remains in excellent condition, their control system is either archaic or out of order. This situation has put us in a vulnerable position, greatly reducing our ability to adequately and effectively conduct our research programs. Very important strategic projects are currently compromised, as well as Ph.D. and master's projects. Furthermore, due to this situation we have had no choice but to decline several research contracts with industry. In addition, graduate students cannot carry out their experimental program and must rely on data from the literature, which are not always reliable. The equipment urgently needed and essential to our work is a central controller capable of operating our three specialized presses. This one device would replace three very outdated and dysfunctional individual controllers that currently render two of these presses non-operational and also put the third at risk. This will ensure having a single, up-to-date, high-performance control system that will secure our research programs and allow the training of highly qualified personnel now and for several years to come.