The Gleeble 3500 is a thermo-mechanical simulator that employs direct resistance heating and servo-hydraulic loading to replicate the thermal and deformation conditions encountered during materials processing. The system utilizes direct resistance heating to achieve rates up to 10,000°C/s, and cooling rates of up to are possible 1,000°C/s. Mechanical loading is applied via a servo-hydraulic actuator capable of generating forces up to 100 kN in tension or compression, with displacement rates ranging from 10^-6 to 10^3 mm/s to simulate strain rates from quasi-static to high-speed forming conditions.
The machine incorporates closed-loop feedback control for temperature (via thermocouples welded directly to specimens), load, displacement, and strain rate, enabling precise execution of complex thermal-mechanical cycles that replicate industrial processes such as continuous casting, hot rolling, and controlled cooling. Data acquisition systems record multiple channels of force, displacement, temperature, and time data at sampling rates up to 10 kHz, and specialized grips for tensile and compressive loading configurations.
