MTS Criterion Series 60 - Manual (Page 11)

Facility Preparation
MTS Criterion™ Series 60 Site Preparation 11
Fixture and Specimen Handling Considerations
Movement of specimens in and out of the test system must be considered early in
the planning of the site layout. With smaller specimens, the use of a rolling work
cart with lift-off storage drawers is recommended to facilitate the handling of
specimens and to minimize the chance of damage to the specimens prior to and
after the test. As specimen size and fixturing increase beyond the typical lifting
capacity of laboratory personnel, use of an overhead crane, lifting straps, or a
forklift may be necessary to handle specimens or fixtures.
Acoustics
Generally, the working noise of the MTS Criterion system is very small; no
special hearing protection is necessary. For large specimens that may break,
hearing protection is recommended. The use of hearing protection is also
recommended for personnel involved in long-term testing in a noisy testing
environment.
Temperature
The operating temperature range of the Integrated Operations Platform is 5°C to
40°C (51°F to 104°F). This includes most temperature-sensitive equipment, such
as disk drives which are dependent on cooler air to maintain proper height of the
read/write heads. Although the load cell or force transducer is temperature
compensated, it is recommended that room air heating and cooling outlets be
directed so that they uniformly distribute air throughout the room. This is
primarily due to the potential changes in specimen characteristics or test data
associated with changes in temperature.
Heat Dissipation
For comfortable working conditions and proper operation of the equipment, the
heat dissipation of the load frame, Integrated Operations Platform, and other
equipment must be considered in providing adequate heating or air conditioning
to the laboratory area.
Heat dissipation for the Integrated Operations Platform and other electronic units
can be estimated by summing the losses going to heat in the room
{approximately 6000 Btu/hr (1500 kcal/hr) for a single 15 amp power panel or
8000 Btu/hr (2000 kcal/hr) for a single 20 amp power panel} and the gains from
personnel and other heat inputs such as furnaces. To this figure, you should add
20% additional heat gain for future changes in test requirements.
Altitude
Systems operated at high altitudes can have heat dissipation problems because of
the lower density of the air. This type of problem might require the use of an air
conditioned environment or cooling fans to reduce the heat load. Most equipment
can be operated at altitudes up to 2000 m (6,561 ft) maximum. Refer to
equipment product specifications for any altitude restrictions.