Design of a high-energy drop weight rig

Abstract

A drop weight rig, somentimes also referred to as drop hammer, is a heavy-duty testing machine to perform tests as the drop weight tearing tests (DWTT) for diverse steel materials (including plank, section bar, cast steel and forged steel). These tests allow the evaluation of the material ductility by observing the fracture pattern and its temperature dependency, according to diverse testing standards. The machine makes use of the gracity force, where a mass, restrained by vertical guides, is lifted and then released. Here, the design of a drop weight tester for scientific applications is described. The rig is designed to achieve an energy capacity of 42 kJ, hence involving the construction of a tougher metallic supporting structure, a heavier concrete foundation and steel anvil as a larger lifting mass. All these machine components were properly designed, as here presented, together with some comments on data acquisition system for scientific applications.