Patent Description:
The present invention concerns an apparatus to measure shear properties of composite materials.

In particular, the present invention consists of an advantageous, but not exclusive, application for measuring the shear properties of fibre-reinforced composite materials, to which the following description will explicitly refer without loss of generality.

As is known to a person skilled in the current state-of-the-art, components made of fibre-reinforced composite materials can be subject to shear stresses while they are being in use, and any resulting deformations may compromise the effectiveness and, therefore, the life of the component.

For some time now, the need has therefore been felt to be able to measure the shear strength of composite materials in order to verify these mechanical properties and, consequently, choose those most suitable for manufacturing the various components. Although this need has been felt for several years, to date the tests useful for defining the shear properties of nonhomogeneous (orthotropic or anisotropic) materials still have many criticalities. This is demonstrated by the high number of standards (more than <NUM>) that have been introduced, the majority of which are intended for specific and non-universal cases.

The reference standard for determining the shear properties of fibrous composite materials is the ASTM D7078 standard. This standard is the result of combining the advantages of two types of test, the Iosipescu (for the type of specimen) and the Rail Shear Test (for transfer of the stress to the specimen). The ASTM D7078 standard introduces into the central region of the specimen a practically pure and homogeneous state of shear stress. An advantage of the V-Notched Rail Shear method is the universality of the test; by changing the lamination of the specimens, different shear properties are measured (G<NUM>, G<NUM>, G<NUM>). Although the standard represents an innovative method, the instrumentation associated with it has a structure that entails drawbacks in terms of significance of the result.

In particular, under the ASTM standard the specimen to be tested is a flat rectangular parallelepiped with two symmetrical V notches, positioned in the centre of the longest side. The V notches affect the distribution of the shear deformation in the central region of the specimen, producing a more homogeneous distribution than a specimen without notches. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of these V notches, there is a reduced section in the centre of the specimen itself and consequently the shear stress is confined to this area and is greater than all the rest of the test material. Consequently, the area between the pair of V notches is subject to a pure shear stress.

The specimen as described above is reversibly fixed to two fixing components so that the V notches are located along the load axis of the machine and this axis passes through the centre of the thickness of the specimen. Each of the two fixing components houses a pair of locking plates (tabs), useful for clamping the specimen by means of screws, allowing to transfer the load to the specimen by means of the friction between the surfaces of the specimen and the locking plates.

Once the specimen has been loaded, using a universal testing machine, the relative movement between the fixing components introduces shear forces in the specimen until causing it to break in the region comprised between the two notches.

In the equipment associated with the ASTM standard, the two fixing components, after a certain relative movement value, tend to no longer guarantee the correct initial alignment, becoming distorted and thus introducing inside the specimen a shear load affected by other components (flexion). In this way the application of a pure shear stress cannot be guaranteed, and the results obtained from the moment, when the distortion occurs, are considered not reliable and not representative of the shear response of the material. Among the phenomena which the above-mentioned distortions can introduce there is also the occurrence of out-of-plane shear components, the presence of which can significantly influence the result of the test due to the anisotropy of the material, which represents an intrinsic property of composite materials.

The need was therefore felt for a new instrument able to overcome the drawbacks of the known state-of-the-art and, therefore, allow the correct application of the ASTM standard, avoiding the occurrence, inside the specimen, of a shear load affected by other parameters.

<CIT> and<NPL> disclose assemblies to measure shear properties of composite materials according to the state of the art.

The inventors of the present invention have produced an instrument with technical characteristics in a way to meet the above need.

The subject of the present invention is an apparatus to measure the shear properties of composite materials; the apparatus comprising a pair of fixing components on which a specimen of composite material is reversibly fixed and two pairs of locking plates, each of which is housed in a seat obtained in a relative fixing component and is designed to lock a lateral end of said specimen, clamping it on two opposite lateral surfaces thereof; said specimen being in contact exclusively with said two pairs of locking plates; each one of said fixing components comprising connection means for the connection to a material mechanical test machine defining a load axis, and being made in a single block with a material having a stiffness greater than or equal to <NUM> GPa;
said apparatus being characterized in that, comprises exclusively a pair of cylindrical guide bars arranged along respective axes parallel to the load axis, each of which has a first end fixed to one of the two fixing components and is slidingly housed in a through cavity obtained in the other of the two fixing components; each of said through cavities housing a recirculating ball sleeve (bearing rings) in which said guide bar runs.

For the effectiveness of the apparatus subject of the present invention, the inventors have deemed it extremely important for the specimen to be locked exclusively on the two opposite lateral surfaces and with locking elements that can exert a symmetrical action on the specimen. If, on the other hand, the specimen is locked by also engaging the surface of the upper and/or lower horizontal edges of the specimen, inevitably during performance of the test part of the load will be introduced into the specimen through said surfaces, thus causing an imbalance due to a partial contact surface and, consequently, the introduction of non-pure shear loads into the specimen.

Furthermore, the presence of only two guide bars allows the minimization of the contact surfaces and, therefore, the relative possible friction that can compromise the correct and representative measurement.

Preferably, the axes along which the guide bars are arranged, and the load axis lie on the same plane.

The presence of only two guide bars guarantees simpler alignment of the guide bar axes with the load axis.

Preferably, the first end of a guide bar is hot-fitted in a seat obtained in said fixing component.

Of all the possible coupling solutions between the guide bar and the fixing component, the inventors have chosen the hot-fitting solution as it provides the best guarantee of a stable coupling over time and is simple to implement. The hot press-fitting solution entails a direct connection between the pieces, namely, without the need to insert intermediate elements/materials such as, for example, bushes, clamping elements or keys.

In short, the hot-fitting solution for coupling the guide bar and the fixing component guarantees:.

Lastly, the solution adopted is much less affected by fatigue phenomena (load cycles over time) than other types of coupling.

Preferably, said fixing components are made of steel.

Preferably, said apparatus comprises a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system designed to record the deformations of the specimen.

Preferably, said locking plates have a surface roughness such as to increase the friction between the locking plates and the specimen.

An embodiment example of the present invention is described below for non-limiting and illustrative purposes with the aid of the attached figures, in which:.

In <FIG> and <FIG> the number <NUM> indicates overall a measurement apparatus according to the present invention. The apparatus <NUM> comprises a first and a second fixing component <NUM> and <NUM>, identical to each other and in each of which a groove <NUM> is obtained housing a pair of locking plates <NUM>, which by means of the action of three screws <NUM> laterally lock a lateral end of a specimen <NUM> on opposite sides.

In particular, on the surfaces of the locking plates <NUM> a surface roughness has been introduced, with diagonal pattern, by means of a laser treatment. In this way the friction between locking plates <NUM> and the specimen <NUM> increases without affecting the integrity thereof during the test. Thanks to this solution the gripping is increased, improving the way in which the external load is transmitted to the specimen <NUM> and potential sliding is excluded.

Each of the fixing components <NUM> and <NUM> is a single steel block.

The stiffness of the steel guarantees the solidity of the fixing components during the test, while the single block structure guarantees adequate solidity/stiffness of the apparatus, prevents clearance due to the coupling of several components/pieces and, at the same time, ensures the effectiveness of the apparatus <NUM> also at temperatures different from ambient temperature, since different materials with consequent different thermal expansion coefficient are not present.

In each of the fixing components <NUM> and <NUM> a hole <NUM> is obtained useful for fixing an adapter <NUM> for a material mechanical test machine. The hole <NUM> will have an axis X which in use will correspond to the load axis during the test and will coincide with an axis of symmetry of the specimen <NUM> intersecting two V notches <NUM> obtained in the specimen <NUM>.

In each of the fixing components <NUM> and <NUM> a first guide hole <NUM> is obtained, adjacent to the groove <NUM> and designed to slidingly house a guide bar as will be described below, and a second guide hole <NUM>, in which one end of the guide bar will be fixed as will be described below. In particular, in the first guide hole <NUM> a recirculating ball sleeve <NUM> is housed within which a respective guide bar will slide.

The apparatus <NUM> comprises a pair of guide bars <NUM> with constant diameter, each of which has an end fixed to the first guide hole <NUM> of one of the fixing components <NUM> and <NUM>, and in use is slidingly housed in the second guide hole <NUM> of the other fixing component <NUM> and <NUM>.

In particular, the end of the guide bar <NUM> is fixed to the first guide hole <NUM> by hot-fitting.

The fact that the guide bars <NUM> are fixed in the respective first guide holes <NUM> and are slidingly arranged in the respective second guide holes <NUM> means that in use the same two guide bars <NUM> are positioned along two respective axes X' and X", which are parallel both to each other and to the load axis X. Furthermore, the three axes X, X' and X" lie on the same plane.

The apparatus <NUM> comprises a Digital Image Correlation (DIC) system <NUM> illustrated schematically in <FIG> and arranged to record the deformations of the specimen <NUM>.

Generally, the measurement of the deformations entails the use of strain gauges, the effectiveness of which in terms of response depends on their cohesion capacity with the specimen. As is known to a person skilled in the present shear mechanical test, it is particularly difficult to guarantee this adhesion with composites having a thermoplastic matrix. This problem means that as from a certain deformation value, the cohesion at the strain gauge-material interface may be lacking, with consequent limitation of the measurement field and impossibility of measuring large deformations. Thanks to the use of a DIC system, photographs are taken (or a film sequence is recorded) during the test and it is no longer necessary to glue strain gauges onto the specimen. The photographs or the film sequences are then analysed by means of a software for calculating the deformation.

The guide bar system <NUM> of the measurement apparatus <NUM> subject of the present invention guarantees correct alignment of the two fixing components <NUM> and <NUM> throughout the test.

This advantage, together with the presence of a DIC system, allows the validity field of the deformation measurement test to be extended.

Furthermore, the apparatus subject of the present invention is lighter than the majority of the instruments currently on the market and, therefore, easier to handle and fit in the machine.

To summarize, the measurement apparatus subject of the present invention:.

The apparatus subject of the present invention has a universal character since it can be fitted on any mechanical test machine, and since it can be applied on all fibre-reinforced materials, independently of the type of fibres used (long, short, woven, etc.) and the type of matrix.

Claim 1:
An apparatus (<NUM>) to measure shear properties of composite materials; said apparatus comprising a pair of fixing components (<NUM>, <NUM>), on which a specimen (<NUM>) of composite material is fixed in a reversible manner, and two pairs of locking plates (<NUM>), each of which is housed in a seat (<NUM>) obtained in a respective fixing component (<NUM>, <NUM>) and is designed to lock a lateral end of said specimen (<NUM>), clamping it on two opposite lateral surfaces thereof; said specimen being in contact exclusively with said two pairs of locking plates; each one of said fixing components (<NUM>, <NUM>) comprising connection means (<NUM>, <NUM>) for the connection to a material mechanical test machine defining a load axis (X);
wherein said apparatus comprises as movement guide only a pair of cylindrical guide bars (<NUM>), which are arranged along respective axes (X', X") parallel to the load axis (X) and each have a first end, which is fixed to one of the two fixing components (<NUM>, <NUM>) and is housed, in a sliding manner, inside a through cavity (<NUM>) obtained in the other one of the two fixing components (<NUM>, <NUM>); each of said through cavities (<NUM>) housing a bearing (<NUM>) within which said guide bar (<NUM>) runs; each pair of locking plate (<NUM>) being designed to lock only the lateral end of said specimen (<NUM>); each one of said fixing components (<NUM>, <NUM>) being made in a single block of a material
said apparatus being characterized in that
said material has
a stiffness greater than or equal to 150GPa; each guide bars (<NUM>) having a first end hot-fitted in a respective seat (<NUM>) obtained in said fixing component (<NUM>, <NUM>) and said bearings (<NUM>) being recirculating ball sleeves.