New universal testing machine introduced to help students crush it in the design phase

The College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science at Purdue University Fort Wayne demonstrated what its new, $330,000 universal testing machine can do during a ribbon-crushing ceremony on Monday in the Support Services Building.

UTMs are used in quality control, research, and design validation across many industries. They measure the mechanical properties of materials by applying various loads and evaluating their response.

The college’s new UTM has a maximum load capacity of 337,000 lbs. It will be used primarily by civil engineering and construction management students and faculty. The associated courses deal with materials, concrete design, and steel design.

UTM tests can be done on cement, reinforced concrete, steel, bricks, wood, plastics, and polymers to measure things such as tensile strength, flexural strength, splitting strength, and cyclic strength. They can also measure elastic modulus and rupture modulus.