Equipment

As part of the Research Operations of the Waring Center for Public Archaeology, we house several types of equipment that we use regularly on in-house research projects that are also available for visiting researchers to use. This includes equipment for materials testing, microscopy, and digitization.

Materials Testing:

Mark-10 ESM303 Motorized Test Stand 

The Mark-10 ESM303 is a single column motorized test stand capable of tension and compression measurements up to 1500N (300 lbF). The test stand is equipped with a Mark-10 Series 5 M5-300 force gauge. This gauge has a force load capacity up to 1500N (300 lbF). It has a sampling rate of 7,000 Hz, is capable of obtaining up to 50 measurements per second, and has an accuracy of 1% of full scale (1.33 N). While we typically keep the Mark-10 set up with an adjustable 3-point bend fixture, we also have bottle grips and vise grips available.

Heavy Duty Gardner Impact Tester

The Cole Parmer Heavy Duty Gardner Impact Tester is capable of impact tests up to a maximum of 160 in-lb. This tester is used to test for resistance to impact damage to materials and meets ASTM D 2794 and ASTM D 4226.

Other equipment and materials available

Hot plates, brass disks for thermal conductivity testing, thermocouples, and beakers are available for use. We also stock multiple clay and stone types for replicative experiments.

Microscopy:

Olympus SZ6145

The Olympus SZ6145TR is a trinocular tube model stereo microscope equipped with a Greenough optical system and a magnification range of 6.7–45x. It is mounted on a boom stand and is equipped with a 66mm ring light for enhanced viewing. It is also equipped with an LC30 3.2MP CMOS color camera. Gooseneck illuminators are also available for microscopy use.

Digitization:

Einscan ProHD

The Waring Center currently utilizes the Einscan Pro HD for the majority of digitization projects. The Einscan is a flexible structured light scanner that can be used on both small and large objects with an accuracy of up to 40 microns (in a fixed scan mode). The current digitization system in place also allows for the capture of color data (texture) and accurate object coverage aided by an automated turntable.

FormLabs 3

The Waring Center provides two main additive manufacturing technologies—FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) through a LulzBo Mini and SLA (Stereolithography) with a Formlabs Form 3+. FDM is a widely used and known method utilizing durable plastic filaments, while SLA allows for a higher-fidelity resin model better suited for preserving finer details and smoother surfaces. However, SLA is also prone to brittleness and chipping in some applications, and in these cases durable specialty resins can be made available.

The latter is a cartridge-based resin printing system that includes isopropyl alcohol and UV curing stations and is capable of producing accurate models with an XY and Z (layer height) resolution of up to 25 microns. The Form 3+ system also allows for build volume of 14.5 × 14.5 × 19.3 cm, accommodating larger objects. Additional post-processing tasks, such as sanding, filling, and painting, is available through the Waring Center as well.