Direct and Residual Shear Testing Machine Autoshear

The Autoshear is an automatic machine for direct/residual shear testing.

It incorporates a high-resolution stepper motor fitted with a high precision load transfer mechanism. Via the large 6" touch screen color display the user can start, pause, and stop the test, select the data-recording mode, view the readings and the diagrams during the test execution, and carry out the transducers calibration (load cell and two displacement transducers).

The axial transmission of the horizontal force adopts a straight connection through the shear box, shaft, and load cell. This design avoids the load measurement inaccuracies occurring with the widely used "swan neck" basic design. A high-quality techno-polymeric material has been adapted for the carriage of the shear box, offering excellent resistance to corrosion, wear, and tear, and to the chemicals often mixed with the soil specimens. Furthermore, this polymeric carriage is lightweight and easy to clean.

Vertical load is applied directly to the specimen via a loading yoke and a weights holding arm which amplifies 10 times the applied value. Load cell and displacement transducers, weight, and shear box assembly shall be ordered separately (see accessories and related products) Load ring and dial gauge are also suitable for manual recording.

The standard complete configuration is composed by: 

• Autoshear 
• Shear box (see accessories and related products)
• Vertical displacement transducer (see accessories and related products)
• Horizontal displacement transducer (see accessories and related products)
• Load cell (see accessories and related products)
• Set of Weight (see accessories and related products)
• Template for data processing (see accessories)

Main Features

• User interface 6" touch screen color display for numerical and graphical plotting of the readings
• Maximum horizontal force: 5 kN
• Maximum vertical force: 5 kN, using the 10:1 cantilever device
• Three analog channels. one for load cell and two for displacement transducers
• Effective channel resolution: 131,000 points
• Infinitely variable speed from 0.00001 to 15.0000 mm/min
• High stiffness load chain shear box - driving head - load cell
• Compatible with shear boxes up to 100 mm diameter or square
• USB pen drive for unlimited storage capacity and TXT format data output
• Optional PC control via LAN port and dedicated software
• Sturdy shear box techno-polymeric carriage untouchable by corrosion
• Adjustable speed and travel (forward and reverse) for residual shear test
• Number of cycles adjustable from 1 to 50
• Specific and independent data recording for consolidation and failure stages