Patent ID: 7107857

Claim:
Apparatus for an anvil assembly ( 200 ) for use in a material testing system ( 100 ) which controllably deforms a specimen, the apparatus comprising: an anvil base ( 241 ); an anvil top ( 240 ); and a foil interface ( 242 ) situated between the anvil base and the anvil top, wherein the foil interface comprises at least one composite layer ( 320 A , 320 B , 320 C ) having first and second differing components ( 313 , 315 ; 323 , 325 ; 333 , 335 ) situated in different corresponding first and second regions in the layer and having a predefined geometric orientation with respect to each other, the first component being a conductive material which provides a predefined resistance to current flow there through so as to generate a desired amount of self-resistive heat in the anvil assembly for a given amount of heating current passing through the first region, and the second component being an electrically insulating material that has sufficient physical strength so as not to be appreciably deformed during each deformation of the specimen.