Open-source micro-tensile testers via additive manufacturing for the mechanical characterization of thin films and papers.

ABSTRACT: The cost of specialized scientific equipment can be high and with limited funding resources, researchers and students are often unable to access or purchase the ideal equipment for their projects. In the fields of materials science and mechanical engineering, fundamental equipment such as tensile testing devices can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. While a research lab often has access to a large-scale testing machine suitable for conventional samples, loading devices for meso- and micro-scale samples for in-situ testing with the myriad of microscopy tools are often hard to source and cost prohibitive. Open-source software has allowed for great strides in the reduction of costs associated with software development and open-source hardware and additive manufacturing have the p

SUBMITTER: Nandy K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5973562 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature