Linkam Scientific Instruments TST350 User manual

TST350
Temperature Controlled
Tensile Stress Testing Stage
Linkam Scientific Instruments
USER GUIDE

2
Contents
Before Setting Up Your Equipment……………………………………………………………………………………...3
Important Notice...................................................................................................................4
Warranty..............................................................................................................................4
Technical Support…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….4
Equipment Maintenance........................................................................................................4
Handling Liquid Nitrogen.......................................................................................................4
Feedback..............................................................................................................................4
Safety Precautions................................................................................................................5
Symbol Reference.............................................................................................................5
Introduction..........................................................................................................................6
TST350 Stage Specifications..............................................................................................6
TST350 System.....................................................................................................................6
Stage Anatomy.....................................................................................................................7
Connectors Assembly........................................................................................................7
Lid Assembly....................................................................................................................7
Stage Anatomy……………………………………………………….…………………………………………………....8
Mounting Stage to Microscope with Dovetail Substage.............................................................9
Setting up the Condenser For Koehler Illumination..............................................................9
Connecting the Instruments.................................................................................................10
T95 System Controller Cable Connections.........................................................................10
LNP95 Cooling Pump Connection.....................................................................................11
Remove Transit Screws............................................................................................11
Back Panel Cable Connection....................................................................................11
Setting Up ECP Water Circulator Pump.............................................................................12
Sample preparation.............................................................................................................13
Remove Clamping Jaws............................................................................................13
Prepare Bow-Tie Shape Sample…………………………..………….…………………………………..…13
Cooling Connections............................................................................................................15
Purging Procedure...............................................................................................................16
Set the LNP95 to Manual Mode........................................................................................16
Filling the Liquid Nitrogen Dewar.....................................................................................16
Purging the Stage Method 1............................................................................................17
Purging the Stage Method 2............................................................................................18
Using Linksys32 Software with TST350 Stage…………………….……………………………………………….19
Tensile Control Panel………………………..……………………….……….…………………………………...….19
Tensile Stage Setup Menu….……………………………………………………………………..………………...20
Appendix............................................................................................................................23
Window Assembly...............................................................................................................23
Lid Window Assembly....................................................................................................23
Bottom Window Assembly..............................................................................................23
Replacing Transducer Force Sensor......................................................................................24
TSTE350 With Internal Spring Electrical Contacts Option……………………………………………………..28
Spares and Accessories…………………………………………………………………………………………….……...29
Troubleshooting..................................................................................................................30
Contact Details....................................................................................................................32

3
Before Setting Up Your Equipment
Please register your products by going to www.linkam.co.uk and click on the
product / software registration button.
You will need to register your equipment with us to:
 Activate your warranty and technical support
 Access the online setup videos
 Permanently unlock the Linksys32 software (if purchased)
If you have purchased Linksys32 software, please install the software first. This pro-
cess will guide to register all of your products.
See Linksys32 manual for further installation instructions.

4
Important Notice
Please check that your Linkam equipment has not been damaged during transit. If there is any evidence of
external damage DO NOT SWITCH ON ANY ELECTRICAL ITEMS.
Contact LINKAM SCIENTIFIC or their appointed distributor immediately. Your warranty may be im-
paired if Linkam is not informed of any transport damage within 7 working days of delivery.
NO attempt should be made to repair or modify the equipment in any way, as there are no user replaceable
parts.
No attempt should be made to open the case except by qualified personnel as hazardous voltages are pre-
sent.
In order to use this equipment successfully, please take time to read this manual all the way through before
using it.
Warranty
This equipment has a warranty against defects in material and workmanship for a period of 12 months.
Linkam will either repair or replace products that prove to be defective. For warranty service or repair,
this product must be returned to Linkam or a designated service facility.
The warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from interfacing, unauthorized modification or misuse,
operation outside of the environmental specifications for the product, or improper site preparation or
maintenance.
Technical Support
Any technical questions or queries should be addressed to the Technical Support Department at the ad-
dress shown on the back of this manual.
Equipment Maintenance
Use a small quantity of isopropyl alcohol with a soft cloth and gently wipe the surface. To clean the hot-
stage, use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and cotton swabs. Take great care not to touch the platinum tempera-
ture sensor protruding from the side of the heating element. The sensor is very fragile.
Handling Liquid Nitrogen
To cool samples below room temperature a LNP95 liquid nitrogen pump is required. Please refer to your
health and safety manual for instructions on how to handle liquid nitrogen safely. The Dewar supplied
with the LNP95 has a safety release valve built into the siphon assembly. Always use in a well ventilated
room.
Feedback
Your feedback will be greatly appreciated, please go to www.linkam.co.uk to fill in the Feedback form.

5
Safety Precautions
1) Read this guide before using the equipment. Save these instructions for later use.
2) Follow all warnings and instructions which may be placed on the programmer or stage.
3) If for any reason the mains fuse needs to be replaced then it must be replaced by one of the same
type and rating as shown in the equipment ratings.
4) To prevent electric shock, do not remove the cover of the controller or associated electronics.
5) Never use the equipment if a power cable has been damaged. Do not allow any heavy objects to
rest on the power cables. Never lay the power cables on the floor.
6) Do not obstruct any ventilation holes. Do not attempt to insert anything into these openings.
Provide adequate ventilation of at least 75mm all around the equipment.
7) Do not expose the equipment to water. If for any reason it gets wet then unplug it from the mains
and contact Linkam Scientific Technical Support.
8) The equipment is not intended to be used outdoors.
9) Each product is equipped with a 3-wire grounded (earth) mains plug or a free-end 3 wire
mains lead. The plug only fits into a grounded-type outlet. The free-end mains lead should be
connected to a correctly grounded 3-wire mains outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the grounded
(earth) type plug.
Free - end mains leads are colour coded as follows :
Colour Function
Brown Live
Blue Neutral
Green/Yellow Earth (Ground)
10) If any problems occur then unplug the equipment from the mains outlet and contact Linkam Sci-
entific Technical Support.
11) Do not remove the cover from the equipment unless the mains inlet has been removed. Any
servicing should be carried out by qualified service personnel.
Symbol Reference
Caution:
This safety symbol is on the back panel of the equipment and warns:-
The user must not make or remove any connections while the unit is powered on.
To avoid electric shock do not remove the cover. Refer servicing to qualified service personnel.
Caution:
This warning symbol indicates that the surface labelled with this symbol may be hot.

6
Introduction
Thank you for purchasing the TST350 tempera-
ture controlled Tensile Stress Testing System.
Please take the time to read through the manual as
it will help you to make the most out of the equip-
ment.
Visit our website (www.linkam.co.uk) to register
your equipment, this will ensure that we can
update you if there are any firmware updates
available to your System Controller and
Linksys32 software.
TST350 Stage Specifications
Maximum temperature: 350°C
Minimum temperature: -196°C
Maximum heating rate: 30°C/min
Maximum cooling rate: 30°C/min
Objective Lens WD: 7.7mm
Condenser lens WD: 12.5mm
Aperture for heating block: 5.5x1.5mm
Maximum force: 20N or 200N
Force resolution for 20N beam: 0.001N
Force resolution for 200N beam: 0.01N
Jaws travel distance: 80mm
Positional resolution: 0.01mm
Maximum Speed: 1000µm/s
Minimum speed: 1µm/s
Maximum sample width: 7mm
Maximum sample length: 106mm
Minimum sample length: 26mm
Maximum sample thickness: 2mm
TST350 System
The system consists of a TST350 stage, a T95
System Controller, Linksys32 software and op-
tional LNP95 liquid nitrogen cooling pump sys-
tem.
Linksys32-DV (digital video) or Linksys32-AV
(analogue video) video capture software can be
added as an option.
Please install the Linksys32 software first and
activate the licence key. See Linksys32 manual
for more information.
The TST350 stage is mounted onto the micro-
scope by using either specific stage clamps or an
adaptor plate.
TST350 System with LNP95

7
Stage Anatomy
Connectors Assembly
1. TST and TSTMOT Cables
2. T95 Stage Cable
3. Motor Cover
4. Gas Purge Valve
5. Liquid Nitrogen Cooling Connector
6. Stage Body Water Cooling Connector
7. Bypass Stage Body Water Cooling Connector
8. Optional 4 pin Lemo Connector For TSTE350
Lid Assembly
Unscrew the top 4 thumbscrews as shown by the
arrows in the opposite photo to remove the Lid
from the Stage.
1. Stage Lid
2. Lid Insert
3. Viewing Window (22 x 0.17mm glass)
4. Holes for Tube Clip Holder or Window Tool
5. Hole for Lid Thumbscrew
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
4
1
5
3
5
6
6
7
7
8

8
1
Stage Anatomy
1. Micro Switch
2. Lead Screw
3. Copper/Nickel plated
Heater/Cooling Block
4. Rubber seal for Lid and Stage
5. Transducer Sensor Connector
6. Transducer Force Sensor (200N)
7. Optional Internal Spring Electrical Contacts
for TSTE350
8. Sample Clamping Jaw
9. Transducer Wire Clamp
10. PT100 Platinum Temperature Sensor
11. Aperture (5.5 x 1.5mm)
12. Liquid Nitrogen Cooling Tube
13. Heating Element Wire
2
3
6
7
5
8
9
11
12
13
12
4
10

9
Mounting Stage to Microscope
with Dovetail Substage
The following description is for mounting the
stage on to microscopes which have a circular
dovetail substage assembly (1).
Attach the curved stage clamps (part no. 9548) to
the base of the stage using the supplied hex
screws and the outer most holes in the base plate.
Adjust the two positioning grub screws (2) and
locking thumbscrew (3) so that approximately
5mm of thread is exposed on the inside edge of
the clamp. This will roughly position the stage in
the centre of the dovetail.
Place the stage onto the dovetail, then focus a 5x
objective lens on the rectangular aperture of the
silver block. Using the two positioning grub
screws (2) ensure that the aperture is in the centre
of the field of view and lock the stage in place by
tightening the locking thumbscrew (3).
For other types of microscope substage, refer to
the diagram included with the stage adaptor.
Setting up the Condenser for Koehler
Illumination.
Place a sample on the TST350 and stretch the
sample so it is flat against the surface of the heat-
er. Use a 5X or a 10X lens to focus on the sam-
ple. Now close down the microscope field dia-
phragm and adjust the condenser focus so that the
edges of the diaphragm are in focus. Now use the
condenser positioning screws to centre the con-
denser in your field of view. Open the diaphragm
so that it just fills the field of view.
For more information about Koehler illumination
see the extremely informative ‘Microscopy Pri-
mer’ on the Molecular Expressions website.
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/
index.html
9541 curved clamps set
2
3
Linkam Imaging Station
with dovetail substage
1

10
Connecting the Instruments
T95 System Controller
Cable Connections
For more details on the T95 System Controller
please refer to the T95 System Controller manual.
From the TST350 Stage: connect the Stage Cable
labelled T95 STAGE (1) to the Stage Connection
Socket (2).
From the TST350 Stage: connect the cable la-
belled TST (3) to Slot 4 of the T95; labelled TST
(4).
Connect the cable labelled MOTTST (5) to Slot 1
of the T95; labelled MOTTST (6).
Connect the one end of the supplied crossed-over
RS232 cable to your PC and the other end to the
RS32 Port (7) of the T95.
T95 back panel
1
2
3
4
6
5
7

11
LNP95 Cooling Pump Connection
If your TST350 System is supplied with a LNP95
Liquid Nitrogen Cooling Pump System, setup the
LNP95 as described below.
Remove Transit Screws
Before using the LNP95 remove the 4 transit
screws, marked by small yellow labels (1), from
the base of the LNP95. Transit screws shown by
arrows in the adjacent image. These screws hold
the pumps in place for shipping.
Keep the screws safe by screwing them into the
holes on the back panel as shown by the arrows.
The screws must be replaced back into the transit
holes on the base, when shipping back to Linkam
for service or repair.
Back Panel Cable Connection
Connect the Instrument Bus Cable (2) between
the LNP95 and T95 as shown.
Note: either of the purple coloured Instrument
Bus Sockets on the LNP95 can be used.
LNP95 MUST BE SWITCHED ON BE-
FORE T95 SYSTEM CONTROLLER
1
T95
LNP95
2

12
Setting Up ECP
Water Circulator Pump
If you have purchased the ECP with the system,
read the following to set up the ECP with the
TST350 stage. Refer to the ECP manual for more
details.
When heating the stage above 300°C for a pro-
longed period of time, the metal casing body of
the stage can get quite hot. Connect the tubing
from the ECP as shown in the opposite picture to
cool the stage.
Note: the performance of the stage is not affected
whether the ECP is in use or not.
Inlet Outlet
Bypass
cooling loop

13
Sample Preparation
For accurate results it is most important that the
surface of the heating/cooling block is extremely
clean, since air gaps between the block and the
sample window will result in temperature errors.
Use IPA (isopropanol) and a soft cloth to clean
the top surface of the heater block.
Remove Clamping Jaws:
Using the hex key supplied unscrew the 4x screws
from the Clamping Jaws (1).
Leave the screws in place and carefully lift the
Clamping Jaws away from the Clamping Assem-
bly (2)
Prepare Bow-Tie Shape Sample:
It is recommended that the sample is cut into a
Bow-Tie shape.
Maximum length: 26.00mm
Minimum width: 7.00mm
Maximum thickness: 2.00mm
The narrowest area of sample is placed in middle
of the heating element and is therefore in the field
of view with the microscope. By making the bow
-tie shape the point of failure is predictable and
can be closely monitored.
Note: accurate temperatures can be obtained by
keeping the sample as thin as possible.
1
2

14
Place the sample between the screw holes on the
Clamping Assembly and make sure the narrow
part of the sample is over the aperture (if using
transmitted light observation).
Screw the Jaw Clamps back into position but
before tightening the screws, make sure that the
sample is pulled through the Jaws so that it lies
straight, flat against the heater block and in the
correct position.
The optional Heat Shield (1) can be used. The
Heat Shield works like an ‘oven’ and is used to
provide temperature stability for the sample.
Place the Heat Shield over the sample and screw
it in place with the 2x screws (2).
2
1

15
Cooling Connections
These connections need only be made if the
experiments are to be carried out below room
temperature using the LNP95 System.
The Dewar siphon (1) is the thick white foam
tubing and is attached to the liquid nitrogen Dew-
ar. The thin black capillary tube inside the white
foam tube must be inserted into the liquid nitro-
gen cooling connectors on the stage.
The white tubing slides on to the outside of the
connector. Twist the siphon whilst sliding it on
and push until it comes to a stop. It does not need
to go all the way to the base of the connector.
The thicker silicon tube from the LNP95 cooling
pump ends in a white PTFE connector (2), this is
pushed over the end of the other stainless steel
connector as seen in the image.
The short tube branching from the side of this
white connector is the Gas Purging Tube (3).
There is a valve opening Insert connector (4)
inserted into the end of this tube. During the
purging procedure, insert this connector into the
Gas Purge Valve (5) on the side of the stage to
open it.
The Gas Purge Valve (5) is opened when the Gas
Insert (6) is pushed firmly into the connector, a
“click” is heard when the two parts are connected
properly. To remove the Gas Insert, push the
outer sleeve of Gas Purge Valve toward the stage
and the Gas Insert (6) should drop out.
There is a second Gas Purge Valve on the oppo-
site side of the stage to allow the gas to leave the
stage. A Gas Insert must also be inserted into this
Gas Purge Valve (7) when purging.
The smaller tube from the outlet on the LNP95
should be placed in position on the top of the lid
using the Tube Clip Holder (8). This tube blows
warm recycled nitrogen gas across the lid window
to prevent condensation on the viewing window
surface.
2
1
4
3
7
56
8

16
Purging Procedure
Set the LNP95 to Manual Mode
Before starting a cooling experiment, you will
need to purge air from the stage chamber with dry
nitrogen. This will remove the water in the air
which would otherwise condense and freeze on
the sample disrupting your image quality.
Before you can start purging, the LNP95 must be
set to manual mode. Please refer to Linksys32
software manual for more detail.
Runs Linksys32 software and connect T95 to the
PC. In the main menu, click the LNP manual
button (1) to set the LNP95 to manual mode.
Filling Liquid Nitrogen Dewar
Please follow your health and safety manual for
directions on how to handle liquid nitrogen and
ensure that you have the correct safety equipment
including gloves and safety goggles.
Fill the Dewar approximately 2/3 full and replace
the lid with siphon attached.
DO NOT FASTEN THE CATCHES.
Wait for the nitrogen to stop bubbling before
fastening the catches.
Take care when placing lid on a table to always
have the black capillary pointing upwards. It is
easily damaged which will impair N2 flow
1

17
Purging the Stage Method 1
There are two methods for purging the stage. Method 1 uses recycled nitrogen gas produced by the
LNP95 from the 2L Dewar.
1. Make sure the stage lid is in place.
2. Switch on the temperature programmer and set the limit to 40°C. Press the START button and
wait until the temperature limit is reached. Press HOLD to hold the temperature at 40°C.
3. Switch on the LNP95 cooling system and set it to manual mode, (see page 16) and set the speed to
maximum of 100.
4. Check that the Gas Inserts are locked into place
5. Using a finger on the left hand, block the hole in the white plastic pump connector found on the
perpendicular side to the purging tube. Still working with the left hand, pinch the narrow window
tube to block it. This action will divert all of the nitrogen gas to the Purging Tube and through the
Stage Chamber.
6. With the nitrogen gas flowing through the Sample Chamber, use a finger on the right hand to
block the gas outlet for a few seconds to allow pressure build, then release the gas . Do this for a
few minutes to purge the stage.
7. The purging procedure allows mixing of nitrogen gas with the residual air inside the Sample
Chamber. By pressurising the chamber with nitrogen gas and releasing it, the air inside the
Chamber is being diluted with the nitrogen gas.
8. Remove the two Gas Inserts and unblock the pump connector and window tube.
9. Change the LNP95 to AUTOMATIC mode so that the T95 automatically controls pump speed
during your cooling experiment
10. Go to www.linkam.co.uk and register your equipment to see videos of how to purge and more.
Block hole in
Connector with finger
Pinch window tube
with left hand
Purging
tube
Block and release outlet
valve with finger

18
Purging the Stage Method 2
This method uses an inert gas from a gas cylinder
to purge the stage at temperatures above ambient
when the LNP95 is not required.
1. Make sure the Stage Lid is in place and the
Stage Door is closed.
2. From a gas cylinder connect the Gas Insert
with a tubing 3mm inner diameter and 6mm
outer diameter to the Gas Purge Valve (1).
3. Connect a Gas Insert to the opposite side Gas
Purge Valve (2).
4. Use the gas regulator to set a gas flow rate of
1.5L/min.
5. With the gas flowing through the Sample
Chamber, block the gas outlet for a few sec-
onds and releasing the gas outlet valve with a
finger. Do this for a few minutes to purge the
stage.
Reduce the gas flow rate to 20cc/min to continu-
ously purge the stage or remove the two Gas
Inserts to keep the chamber under closed inert
atmosphere.
Note: Helium gas is not recommended for contin-
uous purging. This gas has a very high thermal
conductivity and will cool the heating block too
much during an experiment and may cause the
temperature to fluctuate.
Block and release
outlet valve with
finger
To gas
cylinder
1
2

19
Using Linksys32 Software with TST350 Stage
Please refer to Linksys32 manual to connect the T95 System Controller to a PC and to control the tempera-
ture of the TST350. The following chapter will provide extra information to control the tensile function of
the TST350 using Linksys32 software.
Tensile Control Panel
When connected with Linkssy32 software there is an additional Tensile Control Panel in the main menu of
Linksys32.
1. Close Jaws
2. Open Jaws
3. Pause opening or closing of Jaws
4. Stop Jaws movement
5. Return to home position (Jaws closed)
6. Select Free Continuous Movement, press again to select Step Movement (step size defined in setup)
7. Cycles the jaws Open and Close by the defined distance in the Step setup window
8. Toggle between displaying Force and Distance or Stress and Strain
9. Select Constant Force Mode (type valued for the force in Newton (N), speed will vary to ensure a
constant force is applied to the sample.
10. Zero the Force Reading. Force value can be zeroed at star t of experiment, even if sample has
been pretension
11. Zero the Distance Reading. Sets distance to zer o at any point along the tr avel of the jaws.
12. Joystick, gr ab this button with the mouse and drag left or right like to open or close the Jaws for
easier control of the jaws than the Open and Close buttons.
13. Value Display Xmm (distance), FN (force) or Stress (), Strain (/Nmm2)
13. Status: Stopped, Paused or Opening jaws
14. Velocity of J aws speed, type in a value for the J aws speed. Not applicable when Constant Force
Mode is selected.
15. Constant Force N, type in a value for constant force when Constant Force Mode (9) is selected
(red light beside the Constant Force N text window will be lit).
12345678910 11
12
13
14
15 16

20
Tensile Stage Setup Menu
Right click the mouse on the tool bar to access the
Setup Menu.
Axis movement: type a distance in µm in the
text box for the Step movement of the jaws.
When the Open Jaws button is clicked, the Jaws
will move the specified distance and stop. You
can also set the Close jaw speed for when the
Jaws return to the home position
Stress - sample size: if the Stress/Strain dis-
play has been selected by clicking the Toggle
Stress/Strain button, then sample width and
thickness must be entered in the appropriate box-
es.
Note: the TST350 is primarily designed for you to
see your sample under tensile stress. The TST350
can only measure three values; temperature, dis-
tance and force. The values display in the Tensile
Control Panel for the Stress/Strain are a mathe-
matical values calculated based on the force
measured and the sample size entered. It is not a
true reading, since the sample size will deform
and will not be constant as the Jaws are opened.
Constant Force: Proportional, Integral, Deriva-
tive (PID) are values for Constant Force.
These values should only be changed after discus-
sion with Linkam Scientific as they have been
found to give a reasonable PID control feedback
for force based on a number of samples.