Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA)

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) is purchasing a Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) system according to this tender documentation. The equipment will be located at the Mikpolis RDI unit in Mikkeli, Finland. Pricing must include shipping costs to Mikkeli, Finland (Patteristonkatu 3, 50100 Mikkeli, Finland). Installation, commissioning and user training must be included in the delivery. The primary use of the equipment is the characterization of the viscoelastic and mechanical properties of materials as a function of temperature, frequency, time and applied force or deformation. The system will be used for determining properties such as storage and loss modulus, damping behaviour, creep and stress relaxation behaviour, and characteristic transition temperatures. The equipment must be suitable for a wide range of materials, including polymers, polymer composites, elastomers and biomaterials. The system must support several deformation modes, including tensile, compression and bending measurements. The DMA system must provide accurate force and displacement measurement over a wide dynamic range and enable measurements over a broad temperature and frequency range. The system must include controlled heating and cooling as well as the possibility to perform measurements under a controlled purge-gas atmosphere. The system must support both dynamic and static mechanical testing. Dynamic measurement modes must include temperature, frequency, combined temperature-frequency, load and time sweeps. Static measurement capabilities must include creep, stress relaxation and universal testing. The system must include the sample holders and accessories required for three-point bending, single and dual cantilever bending, tensile, compression and penetration measurements. The equipment must include software for instrument control, measurement execution, real-time monitoring, calibration, data acquisition and analysis. Simultaneous measurement and evaluation must be possible. The software must provide tools for determining characteristic temperatures and values and for exporting measurement data and graphical results in commonly used formats. Xamk currently operates NETZSCH DMA, DSC and TGA instruments. To maintain compatibility with the existing laboratory data and analysis workflow, the analysis software supplied with the new DMA system must be capable of opening and evaluating measurement data generated by the existing DSC and TGA systems. Compatibility with the existing measurement data is considered essential in order to enable combined analysis of DMA, DSC and TGA results and to avoid separate software environments for the different thermal analysis techniques. The system must include the necessary calibration functions and calibration materials for verification of the force, dynamic response, system compliance, phase and temperature measurement. The calibration procedures should be integrated into the instrument software. The equipment will be used in a multi-user research and testing laboratory environment. Therefore, reliable operation, reproducible measurement conditions, ease of use, efficient changing of measurement geometries, traceability of measurement configurations and availability of technical support are important. The offered solution must comprise a complete and operational DMA system including the instrument, temperature-control systems, sample holders, calibration accessories, measurement and analysis software, computer equipment required for operation, installation, commissioning and user training. A budget of EUR 130 000 (0% VAT) has been allocated for this procurement. XAMK will not accept offers exceeding this amount.,