Imatek has recently completed the successful installation of a DWT40-100 Drop Weight Tear Tester (DWTT) at Hyundai Steel in South Korea. This follows the first installation in Korea of a similar high capacity machine at POSCO Steel in 2004.
With both machines providing impact energies of up to 100,000 Joules, these are believed to be the highest capacity instrumented DWTT machines installed, worldwide, by any supplier. This latest success at Hyundai therefore represents a major achievement for UK based manufacturer Imatek and a milestone in the materials testing industry.
Although the DWTT test is typically used to measure the fracture characteristics of steel used in the construction of steel pipe for the gas and oil industry, Hyundai will also be using the new machine for performing tests on steel used in ship building applications.
A major feature of the Imatek range is the optional high-quality instrumentation and analysis software that provides detailed information, both graphical and tabular, for the specimen failure. Whereas historically the DWTT test method has not required instrumentation, more recent research indicates that it is of significant benefit when testing the tougher x-steels. Instrumentation enables crack initiation, and most importantly crack propagation energies, for the specimen to be determined which is considered a better measure of 'in-use' performance for these steels than visual assessment of the fracture surface.
Hyundai Steel was established in 1953 as the country's first steel company. It is Korea's second largest steel producer behind POSCO Steel. Hyundai's steel products are used the world over in everything from railway lines to bridge support mechanisms and power transmission towers. Hyundai Steel operates three production facilities in South Korea and one in China from which it produces about 10 million tons annually.
The use of higher grade steels in the oil, gas and manufacturing industries is creating the need for a new generation of specialist Impact Testers. Imatek offer a range of DWTT systems for measuring the fracture characteristics of steel specimens according to API recommended practice 5L3, EN 10274 and ASTM-E 436. Steel grades of X120 and specimens of up to 50mm can be accommodated.
The Imatek DWT40-100 is housed in Hyundai's brand new 5.84 trillion won (US$4.70 billion) integrated steel mill being constructed in Dangjin-gun. Hyundai aims to be a model example of an environment-friendly plant through a revolutionary storage facility that reduces pollution and makes the steelmaking process more efficient. The No. 1 blast furnace is scheduled to open in January 2010 and start commercial production in April.
Imatek drop weight tear tester