Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

Tender description

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for supply of the following equipment to enhance the capability in advanced materials characterisation. Tenders may be submitted for the provision of all (6 lots) of the equipment outlined below, or for parts thereof. Each tenderer may propose more than one option in response to this invite. An in-situ mechanical testing system is required for the evaluation of performance of advanced engineering alloys. The system needs to combine ease of use with functionality and be able to offer load/displacement results with high resolution. Specifications: 1) Loading capability: the maximum load should be of 100 mN or above; the typical load noise background must be less than 4 uN; 2) Displacement: the maximum displacement should be of 35 um or above; the displacement resolution of 2 nm or better; 3) It is highly desirable to have the high temperature mechanical testing capability at 400 oC or above. Suppliers are requested to state the heating/cooling rates, the accuracy of the temperature control, the stability of the temperature and the resolution (both load and displacement) at these temperatures; details of grips or indenter tips included for high temperature tests; Ideally the grips and the indenter need to be actively heated; the number of special grips or tips included should be stated; 4) Dynamic mechanical testing capability is highly desirable. Details such as the information of the frequency, load/displacement, duration suitable for the dynamic tests should be included. 5) Supplier to state what grip, indenter tips and standard samples are included and the options of any extra grips, indenter tips and standard samples; 6) It is desirable to have the sample stage tilting/rotation capability. When such a stage is included the suppliers are requested to include the technical details of the stage and the tilting/rotation resolution and limits. 7) Control system: supplier to specify the software and the hardware and the drivers for any devices. It is highly desirable that a license of the software for off-line analysis be included; 8) Any options that suppliers can offer within the budget to complement and augment our current small-scale mechanical testing capability are highly desirable.