Manual HDT/Vicat tester

HDT Test Method

• A specimen conforming to the reference standard, typically a rectangular bar, is tested using a simply supported beam setup, loaded at the center.
• The specimen and its holding station are immersed in a heated liquid bath that transfers heat to the specimen.
• The bath temperature increases at a constant rate of 120 °C per hour.
• The instrument measures and records the temperature at which a specific bending deflection is reached. This deflection depends on the applied load, the specimen’s dimensions, and its orientation.
• This temperature represents the HDT (Heat Deflection Temperature) of the material under test.

Vicat Test Method

• A penetrator with a cross-sectional area of 1 mm² is placed on the surface of the specimen and subjected to a constant load of either 10 N or 50 N (depending on the method chosen among those specified in international standards).
• The test station holding the specimen is then immersed in a heated bath where the temperature is increased linearly at a uniform rate (either 50 °C/hour or 120 °C/hour).
• The temperature at which the penetrator penetrates 1 mm into the specimen is measured and recorded, representing the Vicat softening point of the material under test.

Product Range

The AMSE HDT/Vicat range includes models with 2, 3, or 4 independent stations, all featuring manual lifting.

Among the available versions are those equipped with a Touch Screen interface, allowing quick and intuitive input of test parameters, real-time monitoring of each station’s test progress, reading of results, and saving of test parameters and results to an external memory device (USB stick) for PC management via dedicated software.

This solution offers the advantage of enabling the operator to manage test results without the need for a PC directly connected to the instrument.

All versions are also available with a desktop PC provided instead of the Touch Screen.