BEAM APPARATUS

The Beam Apparatus allows an extensive range of experiments to cover virtually all course requirements relating to bending of beams. The basic unit provides facilities for supporting beams on simple, built-in and sinking supports, applying point loads, and measuring support reactions and beam deflections. It includes five different test beams. A pack of ten additional beams (SM1004a) is available for further experiments.

The Beam Apparatus can be used for an almost limitless number of experiments ranging from determination of the elastic modulus for beams of different materials, through to studies of continuous beams with any loading. Great care has been taken at the design stage to ensure maximum flexibility and ease of use.

The main frame of the apparatus consists of an upper cross-member carrying graduated scales and two lower members bolted to T-legs to form a rigid assembly. The three load cells and cantilever-support pillar slide along the lower members and can be clamped firmly in any position. The load cells have direct digital readout and each is fitted with a hardened steel knife edge which can be adjusted to set the initial level or to simulate a sinking support. Locking pins can convert each load cell to a rigid support when required.

The cantilever support is a rigid pillar with a sturdy clamping arrangement to hold the beams when built-in end conditions are required. Four weight hangers and a set of weights are supplied to apply static loads. Three digital indicators measure all beam deflections. The indicators mount on magnetic carriers that slide along the upper cross-member. The indicators, carriers, load cells and weight hangers all have cursors that register on the scale (located on the upper cross-member) to ensure easy, accurate positioning. All digital indicators and load cells have sockets and cables for connection to TecQuipment’s optional Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS®).

The standard test beams are in three thicknesses and include three different materials. They are suitable for the complete range of experiments covering different loading and support configurations. The optional set of beams provide for experiments on different types of beam including compound, channel and non-uniform beams of various materials.

The Beam Apparatus comes with a comprehensive user guide.

For quick and reliable tests, TecQuipment’s optional VDAS® gives accurate real-time data capture, monitoring and display, calculation and charting of all important readings on a computer.

DefleX® is a complementary tool designed to introduce students to the concept and technique of Digital Image Correlation (DIC). This product is compatible with our DefleX®-2D product that uses one video camera and our DefleX®-3D product that uses two video cameras to track the movement of materials during a dynamic event. They are complete and compact systems for measuring full-field displacements and strains over a material’s surface in two and three dimensions, offering students a digital blended learning experience as part of their engineering courses. 

Key Features: 

• Ideal for student use and classroom demonstrations
• Made for maximum flexibility and ease of use for extensive range of experiments
• Simply supported and cantilever beam tests with up to four supports with any loading
• Three load cells with digital indicators measure reaction forces or act as rigid sinking supports
• Precision digital indicators for accurate deflection measurements
• Weights and hangers supplied to apply point loads
• Supplied with five different test beams
• Compatible with our DefleX® system
• Ten Test Beams supplied as standard 

Recommended Ancillaries:

• Bench-mounted version of the Versatile Data Acquisition System (VDAS®-B)
• Set of Additional Beams (SM1004a)
• Strain Gauged Beam (SM1004c)
• Set of Basic Composite Beams (SM1004d1)
• Set of Cored Composite Beams (SM1004d2)
• Set of Variable Stiffness Composite Beams (SM1004d3)