The Structures range from Matrix, covers the seven commonly taught principles of structures, in the mechanical engineering subject area. Our solutions are suitable for colleges and universities worldwide.
The Structures range teaches students about
Bending Moments (ST8801)
This kit allows students to apply loads to hangers suspended along a beam, held between two supports. One support allows rotational movement, acting as a pinned support, whilst the other allows translational movement, acting as roller support.
A load cell measures the bending moment due to the load applied by the student and students’ can then create positive and negative bending moments. Point loads and uniformly distributed loads can be applied across the beam in order for students to gain experience of various different situations for their experimentation. An integrated load cell measures the force applied across the cut and is displayed on the built in LCD display.
The display has a push button zero feature for experimental setup. The experiment is powered by a USB cable to PC or wall plug. If the USB is connected via a PC port, data acquisition can be output directly into excel or further experimental analysis and simulation.
Learning Objectives
• Bending moment at the cut due to a varying single point load
• Bending moment at the cut due to a moving single point load
• Bending moment at the cut due to a uniformly distributed load
• Bending moment at the cut due to a point load and uniformly distributed load in superposition
Shear Force (ST4484)
This kit allows students to apply loads to hangers suspended along a beam, held between two supports. One support allows rotational movement, acting as a pinned support, whilst the other allows translational movement, acting as roller support.
A load cell measures the bending moment due to the load applied by the student and students’ can then create positive and negative shear force. Point loads and uniformly distributed loads can be applied across the beam in order for students to gain experience of various different situations for their experimentation. An integrated load cell measures the force applied across the cut and is displayed on the bult in LCD display.
The display has a push button zero feature for experimental setup. The experiment is powered by a USB cable to PC or wall plug. If the USB is connected via a PC port, data acquisition can be output directly into excel or further experimental analysis and simulation.
Learning Objectives
• Shear force at the cut due to a varying single point load
• Shear force at the cut due to a moving single point load
• Shear force at the cut due to a uniformly distributed load
• Shear force at the cut due to a point load and uniformly distributed load in superposition
Reactions of a Simply Supported Beam (ST0454)
This product allows student to explore the behaviour of reaction forces on beam with supports. Two ‘simply supported’ supports are attached to load cells so that a precise measure of reactional force can be measure
for a loading parameter. The load cell output in connected to the LCD displays and the USB interference for data acquisition, for further experimental analysis.
The beam has a measure indicator for accurate distance measured between supports, while both support blocks can slide along the rail for exploring the behaviour of varying length. The beam has incremental pins for hanging weights on at different places to create different point loads and can balance the weights on top to create uniformly distributed loads.
Overhanging point loads can be achieved too to create negative reaction forces to show direction of forces. This allows student to explore reactional forces that are positive and negative and the principle of superposition.
Learning Objectives
• Reactions due to point loads
• Reactions due to UDL’s
• Reactions due to overhangs
• Reactional force change due to varying distance between supports.
Bending Stress (ST5671)
The bending stress structures product provides students with a beam with 4 strain gauges attached to it. These strain gauges are then connected into the back panel allowing simple 4mm banana plug socket connections to conduct the experiment.
The experiment explores the bending stress in a beam with applied loads. Using equations for bending deflection and stress, the theoretical value can be compared to the output of the experiment. The strain gauges can be connected up using the 4mm banana cables into 3 different Wheatstone bridge configurations. Student can then explore the behaviour of a quarter bridge, half bridge and full bridge configuration. High precision resistors are used to make up the Wheatstone bridge in the absence of a strain gauge.
The LCD display shows the millivolt change of the output from the Wheatstone bridge. With a zero button to reset the experiment.
The experiment is powered by a USB cable to PC or wall plug. If the USB is connected via a PC port, data acquisition can be output directly into excel or further experimental analysis and simulation.
Learning Objectives
• Stress and strain relationship
• Strain gauges as instruments
• Finding the neutral axis by experiment and calculation
• Quarter, half and full Wheatstone bridge applications, with advantages and disadvantages
Deflection of Beams (ST9544)
This kit allows students to utilise a range of beams in order to understand the elastic properties of beams and cantilevers.
Beams can be fitted to one support to form a cantilever, or between two supports with different fixing methods, forming simply supported and fixed or ‘encastre’ beams. Students apply loads and measure the deflection. This product includes a set of ‘specimens’ of different metals for comparison of the elastic properties. It also allows the student to vary the length of the beam to see how this affects the magnitude of deflection for a given load.
The Digital Mitutoyo dial has its own display, but it is connected to the USB interface so data acquisition can occur across the USB cable.
Learning Objectives
• Beam bending formula
• Deflection due to point loads and UDLs (uniformly distributed loads)
• How beam fixings affect deflection of: Simply supported beams, Fixed or ‘encastre’ beams, Cantilever beams, Propped cantilever
• Shape of a deflected beam
• Beam length and deflection
• Beam material and deflection — the elastic (Young’s) modulus
• Beam cross-section and deflection — the Second Moment of Area (‘I’ value) – and material stiffness
Torsion of Rods (ST0386)
This kit allows students to understand the torsional elastic properties of rods. Students choose from a selection of test rods and fit them to the experimental work panel. They can adjust the distance between the chucks for tests on varying rod length. Each chuck includes pointers that work with the scale on the platform for accurate positioning.
Students apply angular deflection to the specimen using a chuck which includes a precision potentiometer to measure the angular deflection, which is then displayed on the LCD display. The other chuck connects to a load cell to measure the resulting torque, which is displayed on the other LCD display. Students use textbook beam equations to predict the deflection and torque relationship and compare the calculated results with the measured results. This helps confirm the reliability of the textbook equations and the accuracy of the experiment results.
This product includes a set of rods of different metals for comparison of the elastic properties, dimensions and polar second moment of area (‘J’ value). It also allows the student to vary the effective length of the rods to see how this affects the magnitude of deflection for a given torque. The angle and load cell output is connected to the USB interference and can have the data acquisition through the USB cable.
Learning Objectives
• Torsion formula
• Rod length and angle of twist relationship
• Rod material and angular deflection— the elastic (shear) modulus (G)
• Rod cross-sectional dimensions and torsion—the polar second moment of area (J)
Pin Jointed Frameworks (ST6365)
This kit allows students to apply loads in different places on the pin joint framework to explore the tension and compression forces within each structure member. 6 load cells on each of the 6 structure members is connected directly to an LCD display for the output and to the USB inference for data acquisition.
Zero buttons next to the LCD display allows for student to zero the load cell output and setup the experiment each time.
Two hanging positions allow for students to explore the idea of redundancy in frameworks and how load is transmitted through the system. A magnetic pulley allows for students to apply angled loads as well. Students will learn to analysis the structure members using method of joints and method of sections, while using Bow’s notation.
Learning Objectives
• Method of joints
• Method of sections
• Bow notation’s
• Principle of superposition for multiple loads redundancy
