EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, July 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MTS Systems
Corporation (NASDAQ: MTSC), a leading global supplier of
high-performance test systems and sensors, continues to develop
advanced technology which will help to ensure that society is
better prepared for potential seismic events. The company announced
today that it has completed the installation of a new advanced
testing system at the National Center for Research on Earthquake
Engineering (NCREE), located in Tainan, Taiwan. The seismic table test system is able
to emulate the motion of the ground during seismic events, such as
earthquakes. Through testing, engineers can evaluate everything
from construction materials, building techniques and overall
structural integrity to help to minimize the impact of these events
on communities around the world.
When earthquakes occur they can have huge impact on the
surrounding area - causing billions of dollars of damage, and in
many cases, large numbers of fatalities. Because Taiwan is located on the Pacific Rim, which is subjected to
considerable seismic activity, the Taiwanese government has made
significant investments to safeguard the country from the impact of
future earthquakes and tsunamis. The value of this is highlighted
by the fact that the Premier of Executive Yuan of Taiwan, Dr. Lin
Chuan, along with other dignitaries, recently toured NCREE's
new MTS installation and were given a demonstration of its
capabilities. The test performed flawlessly, accurately replicating
the 1999 earthquake in Jiji, Taiwan which caused more than $10 billion in damages and killed more than 2,400
people.
Housed inside a spacious, dedicated facility on the NCREE Tainan
Laboratory, the multi-element MTS test system comprises an 8 meter
x 8 meter shake table, a wall/floor structural test laboratory, and
an isolation bearing tester. The shake table is among the largest
to be implemented in the world to date. It can support a 250 ton
payload, with an extended stroke length to reproduce the conditions
that arise during longer period earthquakes. To reduce the
vibration effects experienced by neighboring buildings on the NCREE
Tainan Laboratory, the shake table system has been located within a
4,000 ton floating mass (specially designed by MTS experts) that
rests on air bags. The bearing tester sets new benchmarks in terms
of dynamic range and, with a vertical capacity of 60 meganewtons,
is one of the largest that MTS has ever installed. It relies on
hydrostatic bearings that provide almost frictionless motion,
enabling the physical structure to be isolated from the ground
movement in a seismic event - in essence "sliding" on the bearing
rather than transferring the ground movement directly to the
structure.
"There is a pressing need for civil engineers to undertake more
comprehensive seismic simulation studies, so that they can evaluate
the structural integrity of larger scale items, as well as longer
displacement periods. Access to high performance test systems is an
essential part of this work and that is why our collaboration with
the diligent and highly professional staff at MTS, and the
sophisticated equipment that the company has subsequently supplied
us with, have both proved to be so important," said Professor
Shyh-Jiann Hwang, Director General
of NCREE.
"This unique installation is putting greater emphasis on the
need to better protect ourselves from the serious threat posed by
earthquakes and other seismic events. Once again, it highlights how
MTS works closely with leading research institutes around the world
to bring far-reaching benefits to humanity," stated Dr.
Jeffrey Graves, MTS President and
CEO.
About MTS Systems Corporation
MTS Systems Corporation's testing hardware, software and services
solutions help customers accelerate and improve their design,
development and manufacturing processes and are used for
determining the mechanical behavior of materials, products and
structures. MTS's high-performance sensors provide controls for a
variety of applications measuring motion, pressure, position, force
and sound. MTS had 3,500 employees as of October 1, 2016 and revenue of $650 million for the fiscal year ended
October 1, 2016. Additional
information on MTS can be found at www.mts.com.
About NCREE
The National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE)
in Taiwan links researchers and
practicing professionals to build interdisciplinary knowledge and
expertise using a variety of computational and experimental
facilities in earthquake-related fields. It engages in basic and
applied research in order to resolve critical seismic engineering
issues. Due to the needs on pre-earthquake preparedness, emergency
response, and post-earthquake recovery, the center brings together
national academic resources, implements integrated research
projects and develops enabling technologies for earthquake hazard
mitigation. For more information visit:
http://www.ncree.narlabs.org.tw
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SOURCE MTS Systems Corporation