The goal of this project is to provide junior-level engineering students with "hands-on" experience in modern instrumentation. A personal computer is used to gather and reduce data and to present the results in testing the mechanical properties of materials. The equipment purchased is used as instrumentation for an older tensile testing machine and includes strain gage and LVDT/RVDT input-output modules, central processing module, electronic extensometer and troptometer with rotary position sensor, data logging and control computer software, personal computer, printer, and plotter. The award is being matched by an equal amount from the principal investigator's institution.
