Test Platens and Spacers

• Free floating bearing platen seats under test pressure.

Used when testing 6” (152 mm) or 4” (101 mm) diameter concrete cylinders in compression. Platen is manufactured from steel with all components plated for corrosion resistance.

Upper cylinder platen used when testing 6” (152 mm) or 4” (101 mm) diameter concrete cylinders in compression. Its bearing platen is 6 ½” (165 mm) in diameter, through hardened to HRC 55 or greater, plane to .0005” (.02 mm), has scribed concentric circles for specimen centering, and is hard plated for corrosion resistance. The bearing block is closely held in its spherical seat, but is free to tilt in any direction and seat securely under load.

Lower platen is 1" thick and 6.5" in diameter. The platen is hardened to a Rockwell hardness of 55 HRC and is precision ground to maintain planeness within .0005" in any 6.00" direction. The surface is scribed with concentric circles for test specimen centering and electroplated with nickel for wear and rust resistance.

Note: An optional spacer is required for testing 4” (101 mm) diameter cylinders.

• Test both cubes and cylinders

Used for testing 2” (50 mm) cubes and 3” (76 mm) diameter cylinders and cores in compression. Cube test set consists of a spherically seated platen assembly and a lower pedestal used for positioning the cube sample at the correct height for testing.

The bearing block of the upper platen is hardened to 60 HRC and plane to .0005” (.01 mm). The upper bearing block is closely held in its spherical seat, but is free to tilt in any direct and seat securely under load.

The platen is easily installed in the upper crosshead of the load frame and is securely held in place by either the holding stem, socket bolt or draw rod system.

Spacers are required for testing 3” diameter cylinders or cores. Cube pedestal is not used when testing cylinders or cores.

• Used for testing 6” (152 mm) concrete cubes and cylinders in compression

The platens bearing block is 6.5” (152 mm) square, through hardened to HRC 55 or greater, plane to .0005” (.012 mm) in any 6” (152 mm) area, has concentric circles for easier centering of cylinders and is hard nickel plated for wear and corrosion resistance.

Kit includes; spherical seated platen assembly and spacer.

Note: A 6.5” (152 mm) square lower platen is supplied with MA-0113 cube set for use in CM-2500 series machines.

• Easier and safer mounting of Block Platen.

The Carrier Bracket is used for safer removal and mounting of the block platen assembly inside the load frame, and should be considered a must have option when testing masonry units.

The brackets heavy duty arm is mounted on the rear left hand corner of the load frame and pivots on two hinged joints, allowing the complete assembly to rotate smoothly into and out of the load frame. When not in use platen and arm are conveniently stored on rear of machine.

Carrier Bracket option is available on all CM-5000 through CM-1000 series machines.

• Easier loading of 6” cylinders in CM-2500 series machines.

This optional shelf was designed to make loading and positioning of 6” (152 mm) cylinders with pad cap rings both easier and safer in a CM-2500 series machine.

The shelf features a heavy-duty steel design with a plastic laminated top, so cylinders with retainer rings slide smoothly onto the frames lower test platen.

• Safer, easier and faster changing of test platens and spacers.

The draw rod system is used to adjust the inside vertical working height of the load frame, to allow for testing samples of different heights through the use of spacers and test platens. The system is made up of a steel hand wheel with internal ball bearings and a threaded rod that is easily raised or lowered inside the load frame for height adjustment. Spacers slide onto the rod, the rod is threaded into the test platen, and the assembly is then tightened against the crosshead.

Draw rods are included with all prism load frame model machines, and can be purchased as an option for all CM-4000 through CM-1000 machines.

• One fixture tests both 4” and 6” beams.

Used to determine the modulus of rupture for both Center and Third Point beams with depths of either 4” or 6”.

The upper heads load bearing blocks are easily changed for center or third point test configuration for either size beam. Bottom support blocks are set in the lower support channel with a fixed span of 18” for 6” beams, and with a fixed span of 12” for 4” beams, with two height adjusting spacers.

Conversion Kit Includes: One each Ball and Rod Support Base, eight Support Spring Locking Pins, two roll pins for Rod Base and one Top Support Transition Plate with 4” bearing block spacing positions. Note: Conversion Kit fits both MA-0117-A1 and MA-0119-A1 Beam Fixtures purchased between October 2013 and May 2019.

Economical way to convert your Test Mark MA-0117-A1 or MA-0119-A1 Flexural Beam Fixture for testing beams with depths of either 4” or 6”.

Kit Includes: One each Ball and Rod Support Base, eight Support Spring Locking Pins, two roll pins for Rod Base and one Top Support Transition Plate with 4” bearing block spacing positions.

Note: For both MA-0117-A1 and MA-0119-A1 Beam Fixtures purchased between October 2013 and May 2019.

• Models available for testing 12” (305 mm) and 8” (203 mm) wide masonry units.

Both models feature large diameter spherical disk and seat assemblies, and platen bearing surface plane to .001” (.025 mm) in any 6” (152 mm) direction, through hardened to HRC 60 and plated for wear and corrosion resistance. The bearing block is held securely in it seat assembly by a series of heavy duty springs and safety links which allow it to rotate freely and seat under load.

The MA-0107-P is used with units up to 12” (305 mm) wide and meets ASTM C-140 and C-1314 specifications.

The MA-0106 and MA-0106-3 is used with units up to 8” (203 mm) wide, and is supplied with a bottom bearing block.

The MA-0106 and MA-0106-3 do not meet ASTM C-140 and C-1314 specification.

• Used to determine the splitting tensile strength of concrete cylinders.

The cylinder splitting head has a bearing contact area of 12” (304 mm) long by 2” (50 mm) wide, its surface is machined plane to .001” (.025 mm) and has a scribed center line of the face of the bar for easier centering of test samples.

An optional splitter spacer assembly bolts to the top of the fixture, to allow testing of 4" x 8" cylinders (New models only).

Note: A lower bearing plate 12 ½” (317 mm) long by 7” (178 mm) wide is supplied with MA-0120 Splitting Test Set for use in CM-2500 series machines.

Note: MA-0122-A spacer assembly can only be used on Cylinder Splitters purchased after 7-14-2022.

Spacers are used with test platens to adjust the vertical working clearance height inside a machines load frame, for testing samples of various types and sizes to prevent over-extension of the load frames piston.

They are manufactured from steel and machined plane on both ends to maintain a parallel alignment between spacers and test platens. Spacers are painted for corrosion resistance.

Spacers are available in four model types; three model types for mounting against the machines upper crosshead by the holding stem, socket head bolt or draw rod methods, and one model type that sits on the machines lower crosshead used with a bearing platen.