General

Benzwin 2000 Rheometer Test Software acquires test data, presents it in realtime graphical format and produces reports both graphically and in tables.

Reports can include test parameters, operator-selected results, average standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and maximum and minimum test results.

Reports can be graphic in the form of histograms which plot test results including deviation, memory, variation of tolerance, consistency, etc.

Test data can easily be exported to other programs that accept comma delimited files with the click of a button.

Data entry follows standard procedures common to many software programs, making Benzwin 2000 easy to run and learn and operators can easily configure test parameters and can later adjust them to reorganize test results for different needs.

Process control testing is simplified as the operator sets acceptable test limits (gate parameters). If data fails the tests, the failure is indicated in the test report.

Windows based program is believed to be the fastest and most feature-filled program of its kind.

Getting Started

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Setting up the system is simply a matter of connecting the serial cable from the tester to the proper COM port on the rear of the PC. The program uses COM2 as default. With the cable connected and the program running the Communication Indicator should be green.

Running Tests

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Because of the wide variety of test methods and configurations used for running a test, only a basic procedure will be given here. The actual procedure will depend on the application.

1) Set the desired temperature on the upper and lower temperature controllers and allow sufficient time to stabilize. Also set the rotor arc to proper setting.

2) From the Setup menu select Units and enter in the desired units that will be used for displaying the test data. Any test parameters to be entered will also be based on the chosen units. Test results can be viewed at a later time using any desired units.

3) From the Setup menu select Test Options and enter in the appropriate setup.

4) From the Setup menu select Sample and enter in the appropriate sample identification and parameters.

5) From the File menu select New and enter in the desired file name to be used for saving the test data.

6) Check to see that the Run/Standby setting is in the run position.

7) Place the test sample in the dies.

8) To begin the test press the close buttons on the tester simultaneously to close the platens. If the graph window is open you should see the test curve being drawn on the screen in real time. When the test ends all input parameters, the test curve and the test results will be saved to the filename selected previously. At this time the test results will also be available on the screen and can be printed if desired. If needed a comment can be added to the test data file. You can change the way the test curve appears in the Graph Window.

9) You can continue to run more tests using the same configuration and filename by simply loading the next sample and re-closing the plattens. If Multiple Curves has been selected then succesive tests will be displayed on the screen along with prior ones. If Single Curve has been selected then only the current test will be displayed on the screen.

Viewing Previous Tests

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Once tests have been run they can be viewed or printed at any time. To open test files for viewing select Open or Open Multi from the file menu and select the desired test(s). If you have opened multiple files and only a single file is displayed then select the Multiple Curves option. The test curves and results will appear on the screen. The test curves and test results can be displayed using any desired units. You can change the way the test curve appears in the Graph Window. Select the results that you wish to be displayed from the Results menu under setup. If needed you can change or add a comment to the test data file. You can remove individual files from the display by removing them from the Test File Box or remove all using the Clear Button.

New	[Previous] [Main] [Next]

Allows the operator to specify a filename and folder for storing a test or a series of tests. This must be done before any new test data can be saved. When a new file name is typed in a 000 suffix will automatically be added to the filename. During a series of tests the suffix will automatically be incremented. If an existing test file name is selected from the file list, the suffix will automatically be incremented to next available (non existing) increment up to 999. The current testfile will appear in the Test File Box and be enclosed by >> <<.

Open	[Previous] [Main] [Next]

Opens an existing test file and displays the test results and test curve on the screen for reviewing or printing.

Open Multi

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Opens multiple existing test files and displays the test results and test curves on the screen for reviewing or printing. When a series of files are found click on the top file and drag the mouse over all files that you want to view.

Export

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Test Curves: Creates a comma delimited text file of the test curve(s) currently displayed on the screen for importing into spreadsheet programs. All points making up the curve will be exported in an X vs Y format. The file will be saved in the specified location with the specified filename.

Test Results: Creates a comma delimited text file of the test results currently displayed on the screen for importing into spreadsheet programs. The file will be saved in the specified location with the specified filename.

Print

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Prints the test results and/or test curves currently displayed on the screen. If both test curve and results are selected, the graph will be printed first, then on the second and successive sheet the results table will be printed.

The heading for the graph can be changed at this time. Although the company name and address are entered as defaults, any information can be printed there.

When you are ready to print, click on the print key and the information will be sent to the default printer.

Exit	[Previous] [Main] [Next]

Exits the program and allows the option to use the current configuration settings as default settings next time the program is started.

Units

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The desired units for the display of test data and inputting of parameters are selected here.

Sample

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Allows inputting of various test sample parameters and custom identification labels and data. The sample identification box contains 15 input boxes initially labeled Other1 thru Other15. The labels of these boxes can be changed to display test sample information such as product, lot, coumpound, batch, alloy, pour, etc to suit your requirements. To change the label, simply double click on the label you wish to change and when prompted enter in the new label name. Once changed they cannot be changed again in order to maintain consistency when test results are displayed on future tests.

Test Options

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Die Temperature: Enter the actual temperature that the test will be run at.


Arc: Specifies the degree of arc of the rotor. Set to the same value that the cam of the tester is set to.
   

Cure Index - TC(x)%: Enter the desired points for calculating the cure index

Gate Setup

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Allows the operator the ability to define acceptable high and low limits on particular test results. These gates can be input by the operator, perhaps a customer defined acceptable range, or automatically computed based upon a previously defined set of acceptable tests. When successive tests are run, the test report will show which tests are out of range and which gates were not passed.

As an example if a particular test result had a value that was higher than its corresponding limit, the out of tolerance condition would be flagged as Fail: XX+ in the gate column of the result table (XX is a two letter abbreviaton for the test result). Likewise if the test result value was lower than the corresponding limit the condition would be flagged as Fail: XX-. If all test results fell within the acceptable limits, OK will appear in the gate column.

GATES must be selected in results table for this to be displayed.

Gate parameters can be stored in "Gate Files". To create these files, either open a group of test files that fall within the acceptable range and click on CREATE, or enter a high and low value for each parameter selected. Create takes the average of each test parameter, based on the test files selected, and calculates a range of 10 percent. the value at 10 percent is then entered into each parameter. If individual values are not acceptable, the operator can then modify them before storage. When acceptable values have been entered, enter a filename for the gates or select an existing one from the list then click on SAVE to store these values

Load will load the Gate File and corresponding parameters selected from the drop down box.

Results

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Allows the operator to select desired test results to be displayed in the results window and on the printed report.

Click on the box next to each label to select or unselect each. If there is a check in the box next to a label, the corresponding data will be viewed on the results screen. Results from all tests selected will be listed in rows under the column headings selected, if there is no data corresponding to the column, NA will be printed in that row.

When a test is run, all test results on the list are calculated and saved even if they are unselected. Unselected results are simply not displayed.

Tile Vertically

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Displays all open windows with the screen split into equal vertical windows. You can resize the windows by dragging the window edges or corners with the pointer, or move the windows by dragging the title bars, according to standard Windows methods.

Tile Horizontally

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Displays all open windows with the screen split into equal horizontal windows. You can resize the windows by dragging the window edges or corners with the pointer, or move the windows by dragging the title bars, according to standard Windows methods.

Cascade

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Displays all open windows in a stacked format. Use the Cascade command when you want quick access to all open windows, but you want the active windows to take up most of the display area. You can resize the windows by dragging the window edges or corners with the pointer, or move the windows by dragging the title bars, according to standard Windows methods.

Click on any visible part of a window to bring it to the top of the stack.

Main Display Window

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The Main Display Window contains the menus and various display boxes.

Run/Standby

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If the tester will be idle for a period of time it is desireable to keep the platens closed to maintain temperature uniformity. Normally closing the platens will signal the start of a test. To prevent this, place the program into the standby mode by clicking Run/Standby on the main menu. The title bar if the main window will then indicate standby. When ready to resume testing click on Run/Stanby again to exit the standby mode.

Some testers may be equipped with a Run/Standby selector switch on the front panel, which has the same effect except that the standby mode will not be indicated in the title bar.

Communication Indicator

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The communication status indicator is a small box located in the upper left corner of the
Main Window. It indicates the status of serial data communications between the tester and your PC. If communications are OK the indicator light will be green otherwise it will be red to indicate a problem. Before any test can be run the indicator must be green. If you are experiencing a problem check first ensure that the tester is powered up and that the serial cable between the test frame and the PC is properly connected. Also check for any loose or disconnected cables on the rear of the control panels on the tester. If you are still having problems check to see which COM port you are plugging into on your PC. The program defaults to COM2. If you need to change the default com port see Changing The COM Port

Load Cell Box

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Shows the type of load cell that is connected to the system if any.

Test File Box

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Shows a list of test files currently loaded or the pending file if New has been selected in the file menu. The full path and test file name and number are included. The current test file name that will be used if a test is perfomed will be enclosed by >> << ( if New has been selected only). Clicking the arrow brings up the list. To remove a file from the list, click on the desired file and press the delete key. To remove all files from the list click the clear button on the graph window.

Torque Display

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Displays the actual torque on the load cell. Clicking the "0" button next to the display zero's the load.

Time Display

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Displays actual time during a test.

The Graph Window

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The Graph Window presents a real time representation of actual test data in the form of an XY plot. To change the way the Graph appears see Using The Graph Window

Using The Graph Window

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You can control the function and appearance of the graph using the following buttons and features:

Print Button: Brings up the print window. See File Menu - Print

Clear Button: Clears all displayed test curves and results from the screen. Files listed in the Test File Box will be removed.

Zoom All Button: Redraws the graph area so that all displayed curves fit and fill the entire graph area. Also see the Zoom Window feature.

Zoom In Button: Magnifies the current view factor of 2. Each time the button is clicked the magnification is increased. This button is only functional when the minimum X and Y scale values are set to zero. Also see the Zoom Window feature.

Zoom Out Button: Reduces the current view by a factor of 2. Each time the button is clicked the magnification is reduced. This button is only functional when the minimum X and Y scale values are set to zero. Also see the Zoom Window feature.

Line Color Selector: Allows operator to choose the line color for individual curves when multiple curves are being displayed. Use the up/down arrows to select the line # then double click the L# and select desired color from the chart or select custom color. The colored block above indicates the color setting for the selected line#.

Backgound Color Button: Select the desired background color for the graph area.

Grid Color Button: Select the desired grid color for the graph area.

Label Color Button: Select the desired label color for the graph area.

X Scale Divisions Button: Select the desired number of X scale divisions for the graph area.

Y Scale Divisions Button: Select the desired number of Y scale divisions for the graph area.

Single Curve Button: When selected only the last test file opened or created will be displayed.

Multiple Curve Button: When selected all opened or created test files will be displayed.


Cursor Position Display: Shows the current cursor position of the graph area X vs Y. For simplicity the axis labels and units are not diplayed but the actual position displayed is based on the units selected.


Other Features Of The Graph Window:

Difference Calculator: Calculates the difference between two selected points on a test curve. Move the cursor to the desired first point and right click. Then move the cursor to the second point. Then depress and hold down the right mouse button. The Cursor Position Display will then show the X and Y difference between the two points.

Zoom Window Feature: Allows magnification of a portion or area of a test curve(s) Position the cursor at one corner ot the desired area or "window". Press and hold the left mouse button. Then move the cursor to the other corner of the desired area. While moving the cursor a rectangle will be drawn showing the selected area. Release the button when the desired area is within the rectangle and the graph will be redrawn using the corner points of the rectangle as minimum and maximum values.

Changing minimum and maximum graph labels: The Min/Max values (or range) can be changed by positioning the cursor over the desired label. When the cursor is positioned over a changeable label the cursor will change to an set of arowws which point in the direction of the coresponding axis. Left click on the label and enter the new value when prompted.

The Results Window

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The Results Window presents a list of selected test results, test parameters and sample information in a table format. To change the way the results window appears see Using The Results Window

Using The Results Window

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Test results of selected test files are displayed in a table format. You can select which results are displayed from the Results Menu. If more than two test files are being displayed 5 rows containing statistical information will be added.

To add a comment to a test file double click the row containing the file and enter the comment when prompted. Note: single clicking a row containing a test file will show that files filename and path at the top of the results window. You can add a comment immediately after a test or at a later time by opening that test file.

To see a bar chart or histogram of specific data move the cusor to the column containing the desired data (eg Peak Force), click on the starting row of the data and drag the cursor down until all the desired data is highlighted and release the mouse button. This will bring up the histogram window.

The Histogram Window

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The histogram window presents a graphical representation of trends in data selected from the results window. To change the way the histogram appears see Using The Histogram Window

Using The Histogram Window

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The Histogram graphically shows variations of test results.

If Distribution is selected the histogram will show the number of occurances of test results that falls within specified ranges. In the distribution mode you can use the Steps, XMin and XMax boxes to alter the range of the bottom axis. Use the Draw button to redraw the histogram after changing the values.

If Trend is selected the histogram will display the actual value of individual test results. If Sort is checked the test results will be shown ordered from highest to lowest.



Print Button: Prints the histogram


Bar Button: Selects bar type display


Line Button: Selects Line type display

Changing The COM Port

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The program uses COM2 by default. The default COM port can be changed by adding the desired COM port # to the shortcut used to start the program. Typically the shortcut is in the Window's Start menu under Programs. To access the shortcut, right click the Windows Start button. Left click "Open". Double click "Programs". Find the test program Icon and right click. From the list that appears click "Properties" . Select the shortcut tab at the top. In the target area add a space followed by the desired COM port # to the end of the file name. The program will now default to whatever COM port # that was entered.

As an example "program-name.exe 1" will use COM port 1.