Complete In-House Production With Speed and Quality
Unlike testing operations where individual instruments perform independent tasks, our Specimen Preparation department operates by a different paradigm-that of an integrated, high speed production facility.
Here, the equipment is all designed for flexibility, capacity and speed. It works in concert to create an infinite range of sample geometries from a nearly infinite list of materials without leaving "fingerprints" that might affect the subsequent testing. Low stress finish grinding of all specimens, including the notches, produces specimens which test accurately.
Automated, High Speed Machining
Dirats Laboratories has invested in new machining technologies and automation to shrink turnaround times within the machine shop from a matter of days to same-shift service.

Specimen Preparation Using:

· Band saw, water jet, abrasive and EDM cutting for wide sectioning flexibility

· Fully automated processes for exceptional speed and efficiency

· Low residual stress grinding for all mechanical test specimens

· Test fixturing engineering and fabrication

Equipment

· 4 Band Saws

· 4 Abrasive Saws

· 2 Water Jet Cutters

· Wire EDM

· Ram EDM

· 3 CNC Lathes

· 2 Tracer Lathes

· 2 Thread Grinders

· 2 CNC Plunge Grinders

· 2 CNC Notch Grinders

· CNC OD Grinder

· Hydraulic OD Grinder

· Studer 531 CNC Grinder

· 4 Longitudinal Polishers

· CNC Belt Grinder

· Abrasive Media Machine

· 2 Vertical Milling Centers

· Horizontal Milling Machine

· 3 Surface Grinders

· Double Disk Grinder

· 3 Haas Mini Mills

· TesaScan 25 Measuring System

· Vector Extrude Hone Machine

SPECIMEN PREP-LATEST NEWS

Integrated High Speed Specimen Preparation
Large forgings and castings are often accompanied by complex sampling plans requiring precise excision of many specimen blanks and hoursof labor-intensive cutting using conventional laboratory sawing techniques. Dirats Laboratories trivializes even the most aggressive of sampling plans by investing heavily in high-end cutting technology.

Above left, a HE&M, CNC ball screw-driven, 32" x 36" capacity band saw worth $125,000 is slicing through a 200-lb forged titanium gas turbine compressor disk, reducing 18-20 hours of tedious sawing to a 45-minute operation. At right, an $85,000 computer-driven, Flow International Bengal high pressure water jet cutting machine propels water and garnet media at 2-1/2 times the speed of sound to follow complex patterns, creating 20 specimens from the compressor disk slab in less than two hours. Just as important as speed is the specimen quality. These parts are perfectly dimensioned, near net shape and have excellent edge quality-unlike those produced by abusive abrasive sawing.

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