Plastics & Rubber World - May/June 2019 - 6

news

RUBBER

TARRC opens new MRB Rubber
Engineering Laboratory
Brickendonbury, Hertfordshire - The Tun Abdul Razak
Research Centre has held the
opening of its new MRB Rubber Engineering Laboratory.
TARRC is the UK R&D centre
of the Malaysian Rubber Board
(MRB), which has been carrying
out research into rubber and
its applications for more than
80 years.
The opening further served
as the launch of a new, largescale test bed designed to validate such engineering components as laminated rubber/
metal seismic and structural
bearings.
Speaking about the new
testing hardware, Hamid Ahmadi, deputy director of research at TARRC, said: "The
machine addresses two requirements. One is to offer
testing for manufacturers of
seismic bearings who want to
achieve the CE standard required for EU sales. These tests
have to be completed in an impartial laboratory.
"Secondly, as a research facility, we want to know in which
direction the technology is
heading. The more people use
the products, the more difficult
the questions become. This will
help us answer those questions," he explained.
The new rig was developed
by TARRC and Servotest, a company which carries out motion
testing and validation across a
series of industries, including
construction and motorsport.

Sankara N. Nair, MRB chairman (centre), and TARRC
representatives open the MRB Rubber Engineering Laboratory
The new installation can deliver up to 1,000 tonnes of compression load and 100 tonnes
of shear on components up to
1,000mm in diameter.
The machinery is based on
a large hydraulic ram which
moves back and forth to set
the level of component deflection. A further four actuators apply tilting or translational motion to the top of
the bearing to measure rotational stiffness.
The new machine at TARRC
can further test seismic isolation units, also designed to
maintain structural integrity
during an earthquake event.
Where bearings are generally
installed as part of the build,
isolation units can be added to
buildings post-construction.

Hydraulic ram can deliver up to
1,000 tonnes of load pressure

WWW.PRW.COM | may/june 2019

What are now used as seismic bearings were originally
developed to support bridge
decking sections. Updated versions of the same are now used
in building foundations to stabilise the structure during an
earthquake.
Asked why the research
centre is based on the UK,
Ahmadi said: "In 1955, we
were asked to design a part
which could cope with the
expansion and contraction of
bridge decking. That was the
first bearing of its kind in the
world."
He continued: "Those parts
went on to be used in a bridge
opened in 1957. After 40 years,
those parts were taken out
and tested and they were still
able to meet original testing

Four actuators deliver
twist and shear on the test components

Multiaxial testing for new
tyre products
parameters. So to answer why
we are in the UK, it's because
this is where it all started."
In addition to the large test
rig, the MRB Rubber Engineering Laboratory will offer access
to a range of related equipment, including hardware to
test dynamic and multiaxial
performance of smaller products, including tyres.
TARRC will use the largescale test bed for in-house
testing and research, while
also offering the hardware for
product development projects
led by commercial groups and
academic centres.

Structural bearings
of the type originally
developed in 1955

http://WWW.PRW.COM

Plastics & Rubber World - May/June 2019

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