Maintenance of ShearTrac II/ShearTrac III


    There are no scheduled maintenance requirements for any of the ShearTrac-II/ShearTrac-III equipment.  However, we do have some recommendations (as described below) for keeping your equipment in the best possible working condition.  The ShearTrac-II/ShearTrac-III system comprises durable but precision components.  As with any precision laboratory equipment, it should be operated with care and only by a skilled user.  Have every person who will use the system become familiar with the functioning of the equipment through a study of this manual and the software manual, or through training by another skilled user.  Strongly discourage the curious worker who drops by and wants to see by trial and error what the system will do.


    Below are some specific recommendations for each component of the ShearTrac II/ShearTrac-III system.


Frame

  1. ShearTrac-II/ShearTrac-III has been designed for harsh lab environments with a solid platform for the water bath box and shear box assembly.  The shear box is stainless steel and the water bath box is aluminum, anodized for corrosion resistance.  The platform is fastened on top of a sturdy aluminum cabinet.  The upright rods (attached to the cross bar) that come through the platform are stainless steel, and the cabinet is painted with an enamel finish.
  2. Clean the exterior of the cabinet with water and mild dishwashing detergent.  Do not use abrasives or any cleaner that reacts with aluminum, such as those containing ammonia.  Do not use any abrasive scrubbing cloth.
  3. Avoid water dripping into the interior of the cabinet.  Electronics inside the cabinet could be damaged.
  4. Avoid sliding objects which might cause scratches over the cabinet surfaces.
  5. Be careful to prevent objects from getting beneath the cross bar.  They can get crushed or damage the water bath box/shear box assembly when the cross bar is lowered.
  6. Do not remove the ShearTrac-II back panel unless you have been instructed to do so and know exactly what you are doing.
  7. Avoid changing the position of the crossbar unless you are very familiar with the operation of ShearTrac-II/ShearTrac III and know what you are doing.  It is possible to damage an item on the ShearTrac-II/ShearTrac III platform if the crossbar is too low.


Transducers


  1. Treat the force and displacement transducers with care.  They can be irreparably damaged.
  2. Keep moisture away from the transducers.
  3. Never plug the cable from either load cell into anything except the V-Load and H-Load connectors on the back panel.
  4. Never plug the cable from either displacement transducer into anything except the V-LVDT and H-LVDT connectors on the back panel.
  5. Be sure that the load cell and displacement transducer cables are positioned so that they cannot become entangled with anything on the top of the ShearTrac-II unit or accidentally snagged by anything being moved by a worker.


Computer


  1. Keep the computer and monitor screen free of dust.
  2. Clean the exterior of the computer with water and mild dish soap.
  3. Avoid getting liquids inside the computer.
  4. Avoid spilling liquids onto the keyboard.
  5. In dusty environments, cover the keyboard when not in use.