A wide variety of research tools are available to the group for experimental work in areas of mechanical testing of advanced materials and nondestructive evaluation. The group also has ample computing resource for theoretical and numerical work. Material Testing Systems The laboratory has an assortment of Instron material testing systems and an Instron- Dynatup impact testing system. Instron 5544 electro-mechanical testing system is rated at 2-kN (~ 460 lbf). Control and data acquisition on this single column system is fully automated by Instron Merlin® software, allowing precise measurement and data collection. Besides the 2-kN load cell, a 50-N (~ 12 lbf) load cell and smaller grips are also available for small load testing. Examples of application are in the testing of tissues, membranes, micromachine components and other biomaterial. Instron 8501 servo-hydraulic material testing systems is rated at 1000-kN (22-kip) and provides a broad range of material testing capabilities. A spectrum of optional accessories including load cells, fixtures, extensometers, software, and related peripheral equipment enables this system to be readily tailored to meet various testing needs. It was used for numerous fatigue testing in various studies in our group, such as the composite stiffness degradation studies, and acoustic emission in aluminum and composites. Instron 8580 Cruciform testing system consists of two sets of 56 kip servo-hydraulic actuators with axially aligned load cells and hardened tool steel spacing shafts. For biaxial compression testing, all four actuators apply end loads to the specimen. The actuators are configured with a dither frequency of 400 Hz to minimize stiction. High frequency, coupled with low displacement oscillation maintain a dynamic motion in the actuators, reducing friction effects and data scatter. Instron/Dynatup 8250 HV instrumented impact test system is a pneumatically assisted drop weight mechanism. Impact velocity ranges from 2.0 ft/s to 44 ft/s and the impact energy ranges from 0.7 J to 450 J. Standard features include hand-held pendant operation, full view safety enclosure, pneumatic assist, pneumatic rebound brake (enables catching the impactor after first impact, avoiding multiple impacts on the specimen), safety interlocks, hoist motor, automatic height return and height indicator. The GRC-930I data acquisition system accurately obtains load-deflection and energy data from a sensor in the tup.