Stretch Bending Rig
The stretch-bending rig applies a combined bending and axial tensile/ compressive loading to the test component.
The response of beams subjected to bending and axial tensile/compressive quasi-static loading conditions are obtained. The main components of the test rig are a rigid steel frame, two horizontally mounted servohydraulic actuators (330 kN) subjecting the axial action, and a loading device (e.g. a die) supported on a vertically oriented servohydraulic actuator (330 kN) introducing the transverse action. In the present configuration, the specimens have length 2 m, and they are bent around an exchangeable die with a defined curvature. The rig has a complete instrumentation including load cells, displacement transducers and clinometers. It can be operated in force as well as displacement control, and a broad variety of loading sequences may thus be defined.
The rig has been employed in tests where the bending operation of car bumpers is studied. It has also been used to simulate pipelaying.
