History of SATEC™

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1930s

In the 1930s Baldwin-Southwark Corporation worked withmaterials testing innovators such as A.H. Emery and FrankTatnall to develop and grow their testing machine business.

The Baldwin-Southwark Corporation officially partnered withthese testing specialists to produce the Southwark-Emery line ofmachines. Later, they were joined by Tate and changed thename to Southwark-Tate-Emery.

Late 1800s

In 1831, Matthias Baldwin founded Baldwin Locomotive Worksin Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In the late 1800s, Baldwin Locomotive Works began to designand develop their own high capacity testing machines in orderto test large metal castings produced for their steam locomotivebusiness. Initially these machines were used to determine onlythe ultimate breaking strength. They had a single rangepressure tube indicator to measure and show the applied force.

GThe first Baldwin testing machines were designed totest castings for Baldwin’s locomotives

GBaldwin Locomotive Works was located inEddystone, Pennsylvania

History of SATEC™A Rich History of Materials Testing Equipment

GFrank G. Tatnall with later model SR-4 testing machine

GA.H. Emery’s world-famous "United States testing machine"was installed in 1879. Capacity: 800,000 lbf (tension);1,000,000 lbf (compression).




The principal product of the company was the static hydraulicBTE series (an acronym for the founders’ last names, Baldwin,Tate and Emery). These frames were available in five standardmodels ranging in capacity from 60,000 lbf to 400,000 lbf. Thisline is the predecessor of the modern day 5590-HVL series andDX series.

In addition to the BTE series, the Southwark-Tate-Emery lineincluded static hydraulic compression testers, torsion testersand spring testers. Similar products are still manufacturednearly 100 years later.

Even Thomas Edison used a Southwark testing frame inhis laboratory.

The Southwark-Tate-Emery line used hydraulic fluid to applyand measure testing loads. The load measurement system wasindependent of the load application system and used the uniqueEmery load weighing capsule. The company’s tagline was "Thetrend is definitely to the all-hydraulic machine."

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GThomas Edison’s Southwark press is on display at the Henry Ford Museum

F Emery load weighing capsule

HEmery capsule configuration

GSouthwark-Tate-Emery, BTE series

G90,000 lbf Southwark-Emery (compression only)cement testing machine

History of SATEC™ (continued)



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Due to the material requirements of World War II, manyadvances were made in the testing arena including multiplerange load indicators and dial type strain measuringinstruments. Additionally, instruments were designed to recordstrain using microformer LVDT devices.

At first, mechanical drives were used for load, and later thesame microformer LVDTs were added to pressure tubes andused as a load recording system capable of producing XY plotsof load versus deformation. This was probably the biggestsingle instrumentation advancement in over fifty years.

Perhaps the most amazing accomplishment of theSouthwark-Tate-Emery group was the sheer size of their customframes. Some systems were designed to apply forces up to 12million pounds and stood five stories tall. These unique systemswere literally cast and built on site. In some cases, the buildingswere designed around the frames.


GSpecimen strain is indicated with a dial (left)and recorded with a microformer (right)

G3,000,000 lbf Southwark-Tate-Emery universaltesting machine with tensile specimen loaded

G4,000,000 lbf Southwark-Emery universaltesting machine configured for concretecompression testing

GLoad versus deformation graphs were made possiblewith the addition of XY recorders (right of dial)



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The Sonntag fatigue and IVY mechanical fatigue machines weredeveloped during this decade. The oscillator style machinesreally became the first load control devices. The feedback to thecontrol was position; as position or displacement increased, the‘static force’ controller would adjust the preload to maintainstatic load.

Rotary mechanical fatigue machines were another version ofthis repeated loading manner of testing.

1940s

By the late 1940s strain gauge technology advanced to a pointwhere load cells were added to Baldwin’s electromechanicalscrew driven frames. Vacuum tube amplifiers and signalconditioning systems enabled the use of electronic loadindicating systems. These were the first ‘all electric’ systemswith electrical motor drives, electric load, and strain measuringwith an electrical mechanical dial and/ or recorder.

Machine control to this point was manual. Loading rates weresometimes indicated to the operator by mechanical load pacing,strain pacing or ram speed indicators. The electromechanicalframes enabled changes in speed through clutch selectionswitches and later manually operated variable speed motors.Repeated loading, in addition to ultimate loading, became astandard means of testing in the late 40s.


GElectromechanical drive system

GControl module showingselectable speeds

GSonntag fatigue machine withtension/ compression fixtures

GR.R. Moore rotating beam machine



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While testing machines continued to be a viable product line,load cells and their associated products became the significantbusiness. In fact, a secondary company, Hottinger Baldwin, wasestablished in West Germany to supply the European market.

The BLH group continued their advancements in universaltesting during the 1950s and introduced the Mark G servomatictester in 1957. This new hydraulic motor-driven designfeatured a single test space for tension and compression testing.

Just as World War II was a force in the 1940s, the manufactureand deployment of jet engine aircraft in the 1950s produced theneed for environmental testing of materials - most significantlyat elevated temperatures. These tests were conducted over longperiods of time so less expensive loading systems were requiredto complete a significant number of tests.

1950s

Real time machine control was advanced in the 1950s withvariable speed drives and servo valve ‘closed-loop’ controlsystems. In closed-loop functions, the loading actuator wascontrolled by feedback from load, strain or position sensors. Setrates or set points and combinations became possible. Baldwinproduced some of the first servohydraulic machines inthe USA.

As a Company, perhaps the most important development wasthe strain gauge and strain gauged load cells. Up to this time,load sensors were either scale balance lever types or fluid cells(Emery load weighing capsules).

Because of the success of their testing machines and straingauge advances, Baldwin assigned these two product lines toBLH, a new company established in 1951. This new company,the Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton Corporation (BLH), was createdthrough the merger of Baldwin and the Lima-HamiltonCorporation, which was originally made up of Lima LocomotiveWorks and the General Machine Corporation of Hamilton.


GBaldwin load cell

GMark G Series featured a combinationservohydraulic/ electromechanical design



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1960s

The controller developments of the prior decade were refinedand advanced in the 1960s. Perhaps more importantly, theconcept of closed-loop dynamic testing became an acceptednorm. Some solid state electronics were made adaptable totemperature controllers and the end of the vacuum tube basedelectrical systems was at hand.

The man-on-the-moon program clearly sent waves through thetesting industry due to new environmental requirements.Vacuum or high pressure chambers were needed to test atunprecedented high temperatures.

The demands of strength-to-weight materials of the mannedspace program produced a whole new materials industry. Untilthe late 50s, the word ‘plastic’ was best defined as somethingcheap and breakable. Nonmetallic, petrochemical basedmaterials came to the forefront to solve many materialproblems of the space age and clearly moved the industrybeyond the typical textile applications.

In 1961, BLH licensed the rights to their Baldwin and Sonntagtesting machines to the Wiedemann Machine Company of Kingof Prussia, Pennsylvania.

In 1952, Arcweld Manufacturing Company, was established inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Arcweld began to manufacture a line of creep and stress testersto meet this market demand. The company later moved toGrove City, Pennsylvania in 1955.

In addition to jet engines, companies such as Westinghouse andGeneral Electric were advancing nuclear power. The need forenvironmental testing was increased to include atmosphere orgaseous conditions and radiation as factors affectingmaterial properties.


GArcweld creep and stress rupture testing machines



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The B, BN, WBN, CG and CS series of electromechanical testerswere also introduced during this timeframe. These systemsranged in capacity from 10,000 lbf to 200,000 lbf.

Arcweld Manufacturing Company was renamed SATECCorporation in 1962 (SATEC then being an acronym for SpaceAge Testing Equipment Company).

In 1964, the Warner & Swasey Company purchased theWiedemann Machine Company.

Also in 1964, the Shenango Furnace Company purchased aminority position in SATEC Corporation.

Finally, a joint venture company, SATEC Systems Inc., wasestablished in 1968 by combining the Baldwin/ Sonntagproducts of Warner & Swasey with the Arcweld products ofSATEC. Warner & Swasey and Shenango Furnace Companyeach held a 50% share.

The Baldwin line of universal testers continued to improve andexpand during the 1960s. The BTE II line evolved from theoriginal BTE machines of the 1930s. This new design featureda welded base and machined crosshead.


GBTE II series

GBaldwin’s model CS featured a single test space



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1970s

‘Solid-State’ and ‘Digital’ became the high tech words of the1970s. The solid-state signal conditioners devised in the 1960swere connected to electromechanical dial indicators. Frequencyand pulse counting chips became economically feasible anddials eventually gave way to ‘digital’ displays. During thisperiod, SATEC introduced its Mark I and Mark IIdigital indicators.

During the 1960s Francis Buckingham of Wiedemann-Baldwindesigned what is believed to be the world’s largest universaltesting machine. With a capacity of 12 million pounds, thismachine was intended to test full scale structural componentsand calibrate load cells. In 1971, this frame was commissionedby the NBS Institute for Basic Standards (now NIST). Thishydraulic universal test frame stands 76 feet above the floor and23 feet below floor level.

During the 1960s, the SI and BLI impact lines were marketedfor Charpy and Izod testing. Bell Telephone Laboratoriesoriginally designed the BLI series and licensed themanufacturing rights to SATEC. The SI series was introducedseveral years later for higher capacity metals testing.

In 1966, a compact version of the BTE II was designed. Thisnew line became the HV series.


GSI (left) and BLI (right) series of impact testers

GHV series of hydraulic universal testers

GControl console with Mark IIdigital indicator



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Digital technology not only made digital displays possible butalso paved the way for computer applications. Clearly, thebiggest advance in testing machine control for SATEC Systemswas the development of a computer-based machine control anddata collection/ reduction unit. The Microprocessor AssistedTesting System (MATS) was marketed in 1977 and was SATECSystem’s first software based system for tensile testingapplications - believed to be the first such direct digital controlsystem for static testing commercially offered in the USA.

In 1973, Carl Schenck, A.G. of West Germany became aminority shareholder in exchange for a license to SATEC forthe manufacture and sale of their dynamic materialstesting products.

In 1973, two new versions of the HV series were offered. TheHVP model included a pressure transducer while the HVLmodel featured a load cell.


G12 million lbf UTM at NBS Institute forBasic Standards (now NIST).

GHVP model (left) and HVL model (right)

GThe MATS I controller made possiblecomputer controlled testing



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In 1985, SATEC Systems purchased back the outstanding stockowned by Carl Schenck.

In 1987, SATEC Systems Inc. was purchased by a private ownerto become SATEC Materials Testing Equipment. SATECcontinued to run under private ownership until 1998 andexperienced significant growth during this period.

1990s

The 1990s brought advancements in single purpose test framesand software.

Originating from the Baldwin CTL series, the new RD series ofcompression testers was launched in 1990. This design featured

1980s

With the continued development of computer hardware andexpanding markets for computer-based systems, the cost forhigh performance computers was greatly reduced. Applicationsof personal computers (PCs) and interfacing with them droveproduct developments during the 1980s. Higher testing speedswere made possible by using computers to gather and evaluatetest data and determine machine control functions ‘on the fly’.Complex test sequences, dependent upon test data criteria, weremade possible without human intervention during a test.

This concept was further enhanced in 1985 with theintroduction of the Computer Aided Testing System (CATS).This control system was the first direct digital controller placedinto the market for closed-loop dynamic testing.


GOperators could set test control speeds andcalculation criteria with software programs

GCATS controller for closed-loop fatigue testing

GSingle purpose lines: TVL series (left), RD series (center)and QC series (right)



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2000 and Today

In 2000, the SATEC division added the 55MT series for lowcapacity torsion testing to its product line.

In 2001, the SATEC division adopted the SF line of spring testersformerly manufactured by Wolpert™.

an ultra stiff frame for testing high strength concrete. The TVLseries was launched in 1990 as well. This new tension-onlydesign was introduced as a cost effective solution for highcapacity fastener testing. The low cost QC compression serieswas developed one year later in 1991.

In 1996, Partner™ Software hit the market as the firstMicrosoft® Windows® based application for materials testing.

Instron® Corporation purchased SATEC Systems Inc. in August of 1998.

In April 1999, the SATEC division purchased the pipe andpressure testing line of Tech Team Inc.


GModel 55MT1 configured for wire testing

GSF series of spring testing line: SF 500 andSF 101 (front), SF 1288 and SF 1230 (back)

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This series traces its origins back nearly seventy years to theBaldwin BTE line of the 1930s. In addition to the SATEC series,Instron continues to manufacture many other productsoriginating from the Baldwin and Arcweld history.

In 2003, the SATEC division was renamed the IndustrialProducts Group. Located in Grove City, Pennsylvania (nearPittsburgh) this division continues to market and manufactureSATEC’s traditional static hydraulic testing equipment alongwith high capacity electromechanical UTMs, torsion testers,impact testers, R.R. Moore Machines, spring testers, pipe andpressure equipment, Sonntag fatigue machines and more!

Also in 2003, the Industrial Products Group introduced the newSATEC Series of single footprint hydraulic UTMs. Available inLX and DX models, these machines feature compact packaging,a modern appearance, high performance electronics andleading edge software.

Today, SATEC remains the brand name for Instron’shydraulically powered universal testing machines.


G300LX (left) and 300DX (right)

History of SATEC™

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