Customer:
Bridgestone NCR Co. Ltd.

Bridgestone is the world’s 2nd largest tire and rubber company (as of January 2009).
Bridgestone NCR Co Ltd. is a joint venture between Bridgestone Corp and NCR Rubber, Bridgestone’s sales agent in Thailand.
The plant manufactures 2 main products: rubber-to-metal bonded products and hoses for air conditioning and fluid transmission.

Need:
At Bridgestone NCR, testing of fatigue strength of its rubber products is crucial to the quality control and quality assurance process. The need to determine fatigue properties of its molded rubber products under high frequency is needed to ensure their competitiveness in the non tire rubber products industry.

Solution proposed by APT & MTS:
The MTS 831 1000Hz Elastomer Testing System was proposed to Bridgestone NCR Co Ltd. The software options proposed were the Static Deflection option and the Dynamic Characterization packages for the MTS 793 Software. Bridgestone also opted for an MTS Environmental Chamber option with a Eurotherm Controller.

Reason for Customer’s Choice:
MTS is known for its strength especially in servo hydraulic systems. The capability of cyclic fatigue testing up to 1000Hz is one of the main reasons MTS products was chosen over its competitors. MTS’ system reliability and detailed software control as well as prompt and high quality service from its representatives is also a factor in the customer’s choice in MTS products.

Customer:
Institute for Building, Science and Technology. Hanoi, Vietnam

Leading institution in Vietnam in research and development in the construction industry.
Involved in major R&D programs in the country, in the fields of structural engineering, concrete and building materials, foundation engineering, anti-corrosion and building's protection, construction technologies, environmental technologies, water supply and drainage, and fire prevention and protection.

Need:
A structural testing system and also a seismic earthquake simulation system to determine the effects of earthquake forces and motions on civil structures.

Solution proposed by APT & MTS:

APT & MTS worked with IBST to provide advise on the design of the strong floor and strong walls that were constructed in the laboratory.

The following systems from MTS completed the laboratory setup:

1. Bi-axial seismic simulation system:

1. 3 meter bi-axial shake table (10 ton mass capability)
2. Digital Seismic Controller – It can accurately simulate earthquake ground motion to reproduce real-world environments in a lab setting.
3. Seismic Control software - Produce accurate broadband seismic simulation and credible results with MTS’ advanced seismic control software.
4. Actuators - Quiet and user-friendly, our actuators create complex motions using closed-loop control for higher fidelity test data.

2. Civil Structural testing system (total of 6 actuators, ranging from 250kN to 1000kN dynamic loads)

1. Actuators - MTS actuators feature polymeric bearings, augmented piston rods and patented swivels to better reproduce complicated service and loading conditions.
2. FlexTest™ Digital Servocontrollers - Proven, easy-to-use FlexTest controllers provide the features and pricing flexibility to accommodate a broad range of testing needs.
3. ultiPurpose TestWare Software - Designed to enhance testing flexibility, MPT software enables customers to easily modify tests to effectively meet changing needs and standards.   

3. Hydraulic Supply and Distribution:

1. MTS SilentFlo Hydraulic Power Unit – Capable of generating a flow-rate of up to 180 gpm (675 lpm). New design reduces the noise level to 70 db(A) fully compensated and eliminates oil leaks
2. Hydraulic Distribution – Stainless steel hardlines connecting the hydraulic power unit to outlets located around the lab.

All the above systems were installed and commissioned by APT and MTS field service engineers and test consultant.

Reason for Customer’s Choice:
MTS was chosen because its seismic simulators offer superior capabilities for carrying out earthquake simulation testing.

Customer:
Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre

The Singapore - MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre is a major new research enterprise established by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in partnership with the National Research Foundation of Singapore (NRF). The SMART Centre serves as an intellectual hub for research interactions between MIT and Singapore at the frontiers of science and technology. Established in 2007, the SMART Centre is MIT's first research centre outside of Cambridge, MA and its largest international research endeavour.

Need:

In response to the study of Coastal Environment and Sediment Transport (CEST), there is a need to develop small scale process models for sediment transport in the coastal environment. A solution is required to verify these models through laboratory experimentation.

Solution proposed by APT & MTS:

Advance Pinncale Technologies Pte Ltd has been appointed by SMART to design, supply, install and commission a Water Channel System (WCS) in Singapore based on our extensive experience in cusomization and simulation testing under closed loop control.

The water channel is a U-tube system comprising of a glass test section made 12 meters long, 0.4 meters wide and 0.7 meters high. The end of the test section is joined by two steel risers of 1 meter diameter. Sand is filled up to a height of 0.2 meters and the U-tube is filled up with water during testing.  A piston in the riser cylinder is driven by an MT 244.21 50kN actuator system to generate the osicllating water motion. The actuator is controlled by an MTS Flextest controller and its simulation sofware. The whole water channel is rested on a skid base supported by pivots at one end and a hydraulic jack on the other end to tilt the WCS if required.