Realtest GmbH, based in Blaubeuren, Germany, is an independent company offering advanced test and measuring technologies. The company conducts experimental fatigue life verification on components, assemblies and structures according to customer specifications.

Mechanical loads acting on a component are measured under real-life conditions and analyzed. This so-called "raw data" comprises, for example, loads, deformations, and accelerations measured over a defined time range.

Experimental durability testing of components and structures is conducted under uniaxial and multiaxial loading. Displacement-controlled shake test rigs, or, in the case of simple component testing, load-controlled test rigs are used for this purpose.

An essential advantage of a laboratory test consists in the capability of drastically reducing testing times. To achieve this, raw data is analyzed and non-damaging loads are removed from the load spectrum. By additionally adapting the test frequency, a synthetic load spectrum is then generated.

On the test rig, servohydraulic linear or rotary actuators introduce these random, dynamic loads into the component, whereby the damage induced is equivalent to that to which the component is exposed under actual operating conditions.

Dr. Armin Tobuschat, owner of Realtest, and his team, develop customized concepts tailored to the customer's specific requirements in the area of experimental durability testing, with the objective of obtaining reliable data characterizing the service life of a component. Long-standing experience combined with highly flexible measuring and testing systems enable Realtest to provide high-performance and cost-efficient solutions.To analyze and process the loads acting on components for use in the laboratory test, Dr. Tobuschat and his team rely on Instron´s RS Labsite software suite with fully integrated LMS (Siemens) Tecware modules.

For constant-amplitude loading or block programs, and for testing with single-channel sequences of peaks and troughs, Realtest uses Instron´s RS BasTest software module. To replicate loading histories measured on the test track, Dr. Tobuschat and his team rely on the RS TWR simulation software. Instron's software modules are ideally suited to conducting a variety of single- and multi-axial service load simulation tests.