The Educational Digital Image Correlation (DIC) System is a portable, integrated optical measurement platform designed for university teaching and practical laboratory demonstrations.
Developed for undergraduate education in mechanics, materials science, civil engineering, water resources and geology, the system allows students to observe and measure material deformation, displacement and strain under different loading conditions.
Using camera-based imaging and DIC technology, students can visualise how materials and structures respond to applied forces, helping connect theoretical engineering concepts with practical experimental results.
The all-in-one system provides a convenient solution for university laboratories, teaching facilities and engineering education programs.
Key Features of the Educational DIC System
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Portable and integrated design: An all-in-one measurement platform suitable for teaching laboratories and educational demonstrations.
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Visual learning: Allows students to observe and visualise material deformation and mechanical behaviour during testing.
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Practical experimentation: Supports the study of displacement, strain and material response under different loading conditions.
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Teaching resources: Includes supporting educational materials to assist with laboratory demonstrations and learning activities.
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Real-time image recording: Supports image capture and saving during experiments.
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Test equipment communication: Provides communication functionality with compatible testing equipment.
Educational DIC System Specifications
| Specification | RVM-EDU |
|---|---|
| Model / SKU | RVM-EDU |
| Image resolution and frame rate | 4096 × 3000 pixels @ 30.5 fps |
| Measurement range | 200 × 150 mm / 100 × 75 mm |
| Displacement accuracy – in-plane | 5 μm |
| Displacement accuracy – off-plane | 10 μm |
| Strain accuracy | ≤5 με |
| Strain measurement range | 0.005%–2000% |
| Real-time image saving | Yes |
| Test equipment communication | Yes |
Applications in Engineering Education and Materials Testing
Digital Image Correlation provides a non-contact optical approach to measuring material and structural deformation. It can be used in teaching and research to demonstrate how materials behave under different mechanical and environmental conditions.
1. Mechanics of Materials – Optical Measurement
Introduce students to the mechanical behaviour of materials and structures through visual measurement and analysis.
Educational applications include:
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Observing material deformation under applied loads.
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Demonstrating structural response to impact and vibration.
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Understanding material behaviour during fracture and failure.
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Exploring displacement and strain measurement principles.
High-speed cameras can also be used alongside DIC systems to capture dynamic events that occur too quickly for conventional image recording.
2. Conventional Mechanical Properties Testing
DIC technology can be used alongside conventional mechanical testing equipment to observe deformation and strain distribution during material testing.
Typical applications include:
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Tensile testing
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Compression testing
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Bending and flexural testing
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Material deformation analysis
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Strain distribution measurement
This provides students with a visual understanding of how materials respond to different forces and loading conditions.
3. Vibration and Modal Shape Measurement
Digital Image Correlation can be used to observe and measure structural movement during vibration testing.
Applications include:
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Structural vibration analysis
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Displacement measurement
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Modal shape visualisation
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Structural response under dynamic loading
These measurements help demonstrate how structures move and respond to different vibration conditions.
4. High-Temperature Material Strain and Displacement Measurement
Specialised high-temperature DIC systems can be used to investigate material deformation under elevated temperature conditions.
Applications include:
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Strain and displacement measurement during heating.
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Material behaviour under thermal loading.
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Deformation under combined thermal and mechanical conditions.
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Research into temperature-related material changes.
5. Micro-DIC Measurement
Micro-DIC systems are designed for applications requiring the observation of small-scale material deformation.
Applications include:
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Microscopic material deformation analysis.
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Local strain measurement.
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Small-scale tensile and compression testing.
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Bending and deformation analysis of small specimens.
DIC Measurement Solutions for University Laboratories
The Educational DIC System provides universities and teaching laboratories with an optical measurement platform for demonstrating the principles of material deformation, displacement and strain analysis.
Whether you are equipping an undergraduate engineering laboratory, developing practical materials science experiments or expanding your teaching capabilities, Hylec Controls can assist with selecting suitable DIC measurement equipment.
Contact Hylec Controls to discuss your educational DIC requirements or request a quotation.