COMPUTER‐ASSISTED INSTRUMENTED‐IMPACT TESTING

Incorporating a computer into an instrumented impact‐testing station can result in a completely automatic testing and analysis process. The advantages associated with complete automation are reduction of cost, higher through‐put of the system, less human errors, standardization of the analytic process and lower demands on operator qualifications. This is probably the best solution for systems built for routine quality‐control testing and screening of standard materials and specimens. Leaving part of the decision making at the hands of a skilled operator will raise the probability of getting meaningful data analysis in non‐standard situations and in cases where the results are not behaving according to a well‐defined model. This solution will operate best in a research environment where the range of studied materials is wider and where non‐standard analysis procedure might be encountered. Due to the current low cost of commercial microcomputers, it seems that it will be advisable to computerize the process of instrumentedimpact testing and probably in the near future any commercially available instrumented impact‐testing machine will automatically be a computerized one.