laboratory
Equipment
Equipment
Hardware:
Measuring and testing technology
- Tensile testing machines Zwick/Roell Z010 (10kN), Z0.5 (0.5kN)
- Biaxial tensile testing machine (laboratory development)
- Apparatus for measuring rebound elasticity
- Durometer for measuring SHORE hardness
- General measurement technology: strain gauges, force sensors, pressure sensors, acceleration sensors, displacement sensors, distance sensors, angle sensors, etc.
- USB measuring system for measuring pressure distribution with TekscanTM pressure measuring foils (laboratory development)
- USB multi I/O measurement cards from National Instruments and Mailhouse Electronics
- Stress-optical apparatus with loading table
Computer systems
- 2 Dell workstations (2 Xeon 6 Core 64 GB memory and 2 Xeon 8 Core, 32 GB memory)
- Various computer systems (OS: Windows, Mac and Linux)
Digital image processing
- Keyence VXH-600 II digital microscope
- Digital 2D and 3D image correlation system Dantec/LIMESS
Software:
- Finite element programme Code_Aster (EDF France, open source) with SALOME and GID as pre- and post-processor
- Multi-body simulation (MBS) with AnybodyTM (Anybody Technology, Denmark)
- 3D visualisation, segmentation, design and modelling with AmiraTM (FEI, France)
- CAD programmes: IDEAS, AutoCAD/Inventor, E-CAD EAGLE
- Mathematics programmes: MAPLE, MatLAB, SciLab
- Measurement data acquisition: LabVIEW, DIADEM
Projects
- Femur clamped in a tensile/compression testing machine
- Application of the shape optimisation program to a hook and a spanner
- Optical stress analysis on the bone/prosthesis combination
- FEM stress analysis on a femur
- Bicycle force measurement pedal for measuring pedal forces
- Measurement of the pressure distribution under the sole of the foot
- Pressure distribution measurement
- Hip protector test stand
- Needle force-displacement measuring device
- Syringe pump
- Biaxial tensile test measuring system
Computer simulation of the shape optimisation of a hook, created on a Silicon Graphics workstation with FEM program COSMOS/S and shape optimisation program CAOSS (Computer Added Optimizing System Sauter, Karlsruhe).
Stress analysis with the FEM programme COSMOS on the initial model
Result after shape optimisation, the maximum stress is reduced by 30%.
This mechanical stimulation leads to bone remodelling and ultimately to loosening of the hip endoprosthesis.
Pressure distribution measurement under the foot
Microcontroller for measuring point scanning and data processing for wireless transmission, BlueTooth wireless connection between the foot sole measuring system and notebook, processing, display and storage of the measurement data on the notebook.
Hip protector test stand
Test setup for testing hip protectors (blue). The test stand is equipped with force and acceleration sensors as well as angle sensors.
Video of the impact.
Needle force-displacement measuring device
Measuring device for force-displacement measurement during epidural anaesthesia. The measured values are required for VR simulation (virtual reality) and are used to develop training simulators.
- Freely selectable speed
- Specification of the maximum penetration depth
- Automatic switch-off and return to zero position if the force is too high, e.g. needle hits bone, or by pressing the emergency button
- The maximum force can be freely set, measurement via the motor current
- Exact path measurement via integrated encoder, slippage is recognised immediately
- Precise force measurement via separate force sensor
- Tensile and compressive force can be measured
- Measured force value is recorded via an existing analogue input of the stepper motor controller
- Programming and control exclusively via USB port
- Programming with LabView (VISA module)
Cooperation with the University Hospital Aachen, the VR-Group of the computer centre of the RWTH Aachen and the biomechanics laboratory of the FH Aachen.
Syringe pump
> In-house development
> Double-stroke syringe pump
> Precision snapping motor
> µController-controlled
> Transfer of control parameters via LabVIEW©
