Pavetest targets China with new dynamic testing machine

Matest subsidiary Pavetest has launched the DTS-130, a 130kN servo-hydraulic dynamic testing system. The machine allows large asphalt specimens to be tested at temperatures down to -50oC and has been developed with the Chinese market in mind. “This size of machine has become pretty much the standard in China for historic reasons,” explained Pavetest managing director and founder Con Sinadinos. “I would estimate that 90% of this size of machine that are sold goes to China.” While the size of the machin
April 28, 2015 Read time: 3 mins
The new machine from Pavetest features a novel two-piece concept for the climactic chamber
282 Matest subsidiary 7955 Pavetest has launched the DTS-130, a 130kN servo-hydraulic dynamic testing system. The machine allows large asphalt specimens to be tested at temperatures down to -50oC and has been developed with the Chinese market in mind.

“This size of machine has become pretty much the standard in China for historic reasons,” explained Pavetest managing director and founder Con Sinadinos. “I would estimate that 90% of this size of machine that are sold goes to China.”

While the size of the machine is unnecessary for many tests, organisations in China prefer to buy a machine which is big enough to cover all eventualities, says Sindadinos.  Pavetest hopes that its machine will prove popular with universities, since many of the institutions who use this type of equipment have already invested in a machine and accessories.

The DTS-130 uses a two-piece concept for the climatic chamber which Pavetest adopted for its DTS-30 machine. The temperature control unit attaches to the test chamber using a magnetic seal and can be wheeled away when not required. According to Pavetest, the benefits of this approach are that servicing, replacing or upgrading the temperature control unit is easy and it can be removed without dismantling the machine or disrupting the testing program.

Though the DTS-130 is comparable in price to competitor machines, Sinadinos believes that it is the control and data acquisition system which gives the Pavetest machine the edge. The 16-channel control and data acquisition system and TestLab universal software provide sampling rates up to 192,000/sec, 20 bit (1/1,000,000) resolution over the entire transducer range and up to 64 times oversampling. This means that the number it records is the average of up to 64 samples, giving cleaner data.

Fellow Pavetest director Alan Feeley, former head of R&D at 3912 IPC Global, who has designed the control and data acquisition system and software, has also devised a system which allows users to tailor their own tests. The demand for this requirement has been increasing in recent years, according to Sinadinos, with equipment suppliers often having to rewrite software to meet a particular university or institution’s needs.

Pavetest provides ‘Method’ files for all the popular national and international test methods, so that the user can clone and/or change these to suit their personal requirements. In most Method files, the analysis is done in Excel, so the user can modify the analysis based on their individual needs.

The software also allows for users who are not test-savvy to be prompted, says Sinadinos. “At the other end of the scale, we have people who are not PC-savvy or familiar with software, perhaps someone towards the end of their career who has been brought into the lab. Our software includes the ability to write a wizard that takes users through the tasks and steps they need to perform.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Smarter compaction equipment from key manufacturers
    June 23, 2015
    Intelligent compaction technologies continue to advance in sophistication - Mike Woof writes Ever more sophisticated intelligent compaction technologies are being offered to customers, which can boost working efficiency and help improve construction quality. This is particularly the case for the compaction of asphalt running surfaces. Asphalt cooling leaves only a short time window during which a paved mat can be properly compacted, so intelligent compaction systems offer major gains for contractors and cli
    Read More
  • Marini’s versatile asphalt plant for developing markets
    January 4, 2016
    Marini is offering a versatile new asphalt plant targeted at emerging markets – Mike Woof writes A new asphalt plant from Marini has been developed specifically for the needs of customers in developing countries. The company says that this is a high-quality asphalt plant but without the sophisticated technology required in developed markets such as Europe. The versatile BE Tower is designed to be easy to transport, install and then take apart and move to a different site when needed. The company has also
    Read More
  • Meeting engine emission regulations challenges
    February 16, 2012
    New engine emission regulations pose major challenges for engine manufacturers - Geoff Ashcroft reports. The arrival of emissions regulations in January for engines over 130kW has meant that engine makers have adopted varied technologies to meet and exceed those goals. For the end user though, buying new kit that complies with Tier 4 Interim/Stage IIIB emissions regulations is likely to carry additional costs.
    Read More
  • CECE Summit – is Europe ready for a digital construction worksite?
    November 20, 2015
    The CECE has voiced his concern over government regulations that could strangle innovation for the digitalisation of construction machinery. China’s imploding economy was another topic at the recent conference in Brussels, reports David Arminas. The CECE has urged the European Parliament and European Commission to enact legislation that promotes rather than hinders the construction sector’s transition to a digitalised way of working. “We need a smart regulatory framework that helps to unlock the full poten
    Read More

Highlighted Content