The nanoTensile 5000 automated test system represents a major addition to Hysitron’s nanomechanical instrument suite. Combining the most valuable aspects of Hysitron’s industry-leading mechanical test technology, the nanoTensile instrument enables simplified small-scale tensile testing by providing materials researchers with a state-of-the-art instrument which, in its design, inherently solves the various scale-related challenges that complicate the investigation of exceedingly small specimens.

The challenge of axial specimen alignment is addressed by the nanoTensile transducer head that automatically aligns the specimen without the need for user intervention. In addition, data from these same off-axis force sensing capabilities can be recorded during the tensile test to reveal additional subtle failure modes of inhomogeneous specimens. Finally, a customizable gripper and mounting platform interface accommodates application-specific tensile grippers as well as “pull test” arrangements for the characterization of small-scale devices and materials.

The Hysitron nanoTensile 5000 instrument features:

• Automated specimen alignment reduces time consuming experimental set-up, experimental redundancy, and increases measurement accuracy
  
• Non-Z data acquisition gives the researcher access to previously inaccessible information to thoroughly investigate failure modes and deformation mechanisms
  
• Non-Z data reduces the error in tensile stress calculations caused by specimen alignment offset
  
• Accuracy and repeatability of the instrument eliminates excessive experimental repetition to obtain actionable, repeatable data
  
• Reduced experimental set-up time enables more experiments per unit time
  
• Intuitive, Windows-based operation enables rapid proficiency in open-user environments