Instron, a leading provider of materials testing technology, announced a new high-temperature testing add-on for their Bluehill® Universal materials testing software, further enhancing its support for elevated-temperature tensile testing. Building on Instron’s proven reputation for the highest accuracy and repeatability in mechanical testing, this new feature extends integrated ASTM E21 and ISO 6892-2 full-test temperature compliance to multi-furnace workflows. Equipped Instron testing systems can now achieve the highest workflow efficiency – while fully leveraging the simplicity, security, and data integrity features for capturing and reporting critical test parameters and measurements.
Image Credit: Instron USA
Elevated-temperature tensile testing requires precise control and continuous monitoring of indicated temperature from heating up and soaking the specimen, through determination of mechanical properties. Elevated temperature alloys are acutely sensitive to the temperature and strain rate at which they’re determined. Instron’s proprietary Automatic Loop Control algorithm ensures best-in-class strain rate control – automatically adjusting system response to the changing stiffness of your specimen. And with this latest release, Bluehill Universal software integrates secure data integrity protocols to your critical temperature parameters and results.
With the High-Temperature Add-On, Bluehill Universal software further streamlines the recording and reporting of these important values, delivering the most accurate, repeatable, and reproducible results for maximum confidence in testing without compromising the productivity benefits of a multi-furnace test frame.
Unified Data for Greater Confidence
The Bluehill Universal software High-Temperature Add-On now brings together temperature and materials data into a single test record, enabling seamless export for analysis while maintaining full traceability. Continuous temperature recording during heating, soak, and testing phases supports compliance and provides a complete record of test conditions.
New furnace-specific controls allow users to:
- Set target temperatures and soak durations directly within Bluehill Universal software.
- Define and monitor acceptable overshoot limits.
- Track multiple thermocouples for secondary soaking configurations, or optional furnace-level monitoring
These capabilities help laboratories simplify setup, exceed compliance requirements, and ensure integrity, security, and audit-readiness of their data.
Improved Workflow Efficiency
The software enhancements align with the real-world elevated-temperature testing workflow. From thermocouple installation through reaching setpoint and confirming temperature stability, Bluehill Universal software supports continuous monitoring and documentation at every step.
By consolidating control and data capture into a single system, laboratories can reduce manual intervention and streamline operations – improving both testing consistency and overall productivity.
Multi-Furnace Testing to Eliminate Bottlenecks
In many elevated-temperature testing environments, furnace heating and soak times create a throughput bottleneck, often exceeding the duration of the mechanical test itself. To address this challenge, the Bluehill Universal software High-Temperature Add-On now supports fully integrated multi-furnace testing.
Multiple add-on furnaces can be mounted to a single test frame, allowing additional specimens to heat and soak while a prepared specimen is being tested. All associated furnace and mechanical data are captured within the same specimen record, enabling:
- Increased testing throughput
- Reduced idle time between tests
- Streamlined data management across multiple specimens
Driving Productivity in Advanced Materials Testing
“With this add-on, we’re building on a strong foundation of elevated-temperature testing capabilities, including automatic loop control, to deliver even greater confidence in test results,” said Dean Lovewell, Metals Market Manager at Instron. “By enhancing how temperature and materials data are managed within a single environment, we’re helping customers exceed compliance requirements while strengthening data integrity, security, and traceability – so they can trust every result and every record.”
Availability
The enhanced elevated-temperature testing capabilities are available as an optional High-Temperature Add-On in the latest version of Bluehill Universal software.
Bluehill Universal: High-Temperature Add-on
Bluehill Universal: High-Temperature Add-on. Video Credit: Instron USA