PRE-DESIGN AND MODELLING OF A QUALITY CONTROL DEVICE TO TEST TILES MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to develop an original device to provide an improved quality control testing technology for a 3- or 4-four point-flexure tests, the impact resistance and tensile strength of the heel. To achieve this aim, we firstly reported about the devices for quality mechanical characteristics control testing for the broad nomenclature of sizes for tiles, used in West Africa. A conceptual approach based on Newton's 3rd law (the well-known "principle of action and reaction") and structures calculation with use of finite elements method. This method was adopted to modeling, analyse and evaluation the new device, that complies with the recommendations and requirements of the normative documents in Benin. With this device we made various tests to monitor (research) the mechanical characteristics of tiles. After that we compared the results from numerical simulations by finite elements to the real test for the validation of the device. The results showed a suitable concordance between the two approaches.