The Desktop Tension Testing Machine is a class project that I took from conception to prototype over the course of a semester. The basic premise is that load versus deflection data can be collected using a simple desktop machine. This is achieved through the use of two data inputs, a linear variable differential transformer and a potentiometer coupled to a balance like mechanism.
The end result was a relatively simple piece of equipment that produced results that compared well with similar data collected using a standard tensile testing machine.