At the MTS Nano Instruments Analytical Services Laboratory, they strive to be the premiere providers of testing and educational services in the field of small-scale mechanical testing. The techniques utilized in our laboratory are ideally suited for evaluating the mechanical properties and performance of thin films, coatings, MEMS devices, and other small volumes of material.

Their dedicated staff of scientists and engineers possesses over 70 years of combined experience in the fields of mechanical testing, modeling, instrumentation, and materials science. Since 1984, they have honed their ability to deliver the most accurate and precise results in conjunction with expert data analysis that ultimately helps our customers better understand and improve the products they make.

Their customer base runs the full gamut of industry, and includes academic institutions and government labs as well.

Contract Services

The next best thing to a customer having his or her own instrument and a staff of materials scientists is using the MTS Nano Instruments Analytical Services Laboratory. When it comes to developing the most appropriate test methods, obtaining the most accurate and precise results, and arriving at meaningful conclusions, our lab offers over 70 years of combined experience in the fields of mechanical testing, modeling, instrumentation, and materials science.

Here is an introduction to MTS Nano Instruments' approach to contract services:

Personnel in their laboratory utilize the suite of Nano Indenter instruments to characterize the mechanical properties of a wide variety of material systems. From low-k materials to consumer products, they offer more than just numbers, they explore the meaning behind them. They also employ a number of techniques that deliver benefits to their customers by saving them time and money. For example, standard depth-sensing or instrumented indentation yields both hardness and Young's modulus at a specific depth or load.

Using MTS Nano Instruments' patented Continuous Stiffness Measurement (CSM) technique, they can determine these mechanical properties continuously as a function of the indenter's displacement into the sample. Use of this technique provides quantitative data at multiple depths from a single indentation test. Obtaining the same data would require tens or even hundreds of tests using the conventional method.

When applications call for specific measurements, MTS Nano Instruments also offers various techniques to evaluate scratch behavior (coefficient of friction, identification of wear mechanisms, scratch profilometry), creep (strain rate sensitivities and stress exponent for creep), viscoelastic properties (storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan delta), and fracture toughness. In addition to employing a spectrum of techniques, MTS Nano Instruments also offers finite element analysis to simulate the indentation of bulk materials and thin films. FEA is a robust means of estimating the effect of pile-up or substrate on experimentally measured properties. The analysis is conducted through Virtual Indenter™, an MTS software package that acts as a user-friendly interface to the finite-element analysis engine, COSMOS® (COSMOS is a registered trademark of Structural Research and Analysis Corporation).

MTS Nano Instruments always encourages their customers to visit their laboratory. It provides an opportunity for them to learn more about what they do and how they do it, but moreover, it helps develop relationships that often lead to unique testing ideas and methods that translate into a competitive advantage for the customer.

Educational Services

While MTS Nano Instruments offers a variety of training courses, their most popular course is Mechanical Testing by Indentation. Mechanical Testing by Indentation is a three-day course designed for students, engineers, scientists, and technicians who are interested in learning about the science of indentation. Lectures focus on models used to determine mechanical properties from measurements of load, displacement, time, etc. Many practical exercises supplement the lecture material. Principles of contact mechanics are illustrated with finite element simulations that students set up and run on site. Class size is limited to allow discussion of individual applications.

For more information on the MTS Nano Instruments Analytical Services Laboratory, contact: Anthony Knowles at (865) 481-8451 or anthony.knowles@mts.com.