MTS Systems Logo Contact Us
  • Industries
    • Automotive
      • Passenger Cars & Light Trucks
      • Driver Assisted & Autonomous Vehicles
      • Electric & New Energy Vehicles
      • Heavy Trucks & Commercial Vehicles
      • Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)
      • Racing & Motorsports
      • Recreational Vehicles
      • Motorcycles
      Automotive

      Automotive

      320 kph

      flat-belt roadway enables precise replication of motorsports cornering maneuvers

      Read the Case Study
    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Textiles
      • Wood
      • Paper Products
      • Universities
      Materials

      Materials

      1500 degree Celsius

      solutions for testing high-temperature alloys, composites, ceramics and polymers

      Read the Article
    • Aerospace
      • Fixed Wing Aircraft
      • Helicopters & Rotary Wing Aircraft
      • UAM (Urban Air Mobility)
      • Delivery Drones
      • Supersonic Aircraft
      • Space Structures
      Aerospace

      Aerospace

      20% increase

      in testing speeds using state-of-the-art cross-coupling compensation technology

      Read the Article
    • Biomedical
      • Orthopedic
      • Medical Devices
      • Dental
      • Hospitals & Universities
      Biomedical

      Biomedical

      1 in 1,000 children

      will need corrective scoliosis surgery

      Read the Case Study
    • Civil Engineering
      • Multi-Hazard Engineering
      • Seismic Engineering
      • Structural Engineering
      Civil Engineering

      Civil Engineering

      1.32 million pound

      force capacity enables the testing of very large specimens all the way to failure

      Read the Case Study
    • Rock Geomechanics
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal Energy
      • Mining
      • Construction
      • Carbon Sequestration
      • Research
      Rock Geomechanics

      Rock & Geomechanics

      3x stronger

      concrete materials make it possible to carry higher loads

      Read the Case Study
    • Energy
      • Wind Energy
      • Oil & Gas
      Energy

      Energy

      56 MNm

      overturning moment capacity enables testing of the largest wind turbine drivetrains

      Read the Article
    • Rail
      • Commuter Trains
      • Freight Trains
      • High-Speed Trains
      Rail

      Rail

      550 kph

      test system enables lab-based studies of high-speed rail operating environments

      Read the Article
  • Applications
    • Materials Applications
    • Test Type
      • Tension
      • Compression
      • Fatigue & Fracture
      • Flexure & Bend
      • Shear, Peel & Tear
      • Torsion
      • Non-Contacting Strain Measurement
      • High Temperature
      • Bi-Axial & Multi-Axial
      • High Rate
      • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test Standard
      • ASTM Test Standards
      • ISO Test Standards
      • EN Test Standards

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Fasteners & Welds
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Wood & Paper Products
      • Additive Manufacturing

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Automotive Applications
      • EV Batteries
      • Full Vehicle
      • Axle & Suspension
      • Steering System
      • Drivetrain
      • Dampers
      • Elastomeric Mounts & Bushings
      • Tires
      • Exhaust System
      • Body Mounted Components
      • Cooling System Components
      • Transportation & Packaging
      • Motorcycle
      • Farm, Construction, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Applications
      • Complete Full-Scale Structures
      • Sub-Assemblies
      • Sub-Systems
      • Flight Control Systems
      • Airframe Components
      • Rotary-Wing Components
      • Gas Turbine Component Fatigue

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Applications
      • Orthopedic
      • Biomechanic
      • Medical Device
      • Biomaterial

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Applications
      • Civil Structures
      • Structural Sub-Assemblies & Components
      • Non-Structural Systems
      • Oil Rig Stay Cables
      • Construction Materials

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Applications
      • Wind Turbine Testing
      • Oil & Gas Pipeline

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock Geomechanics Applications
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal
      • Nuclear Waste Storage

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Applications
      • Rail Car Suspension Components
      • Rail Car Coupler
      • Rail Car Wheels & Rail
      • Rail Car Axles
      • Rail Car Bogies
      • Complete Rail Cars
      • Rail Car Pantographs
      • Railway Track & Road Bed
      • Catenary & Trolley Wire

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Products
    • Automotive Systems
      • Interactive Test Lab
      • Full Vehicle Test Systems
      • Subsystem & Component Test Systems
      • Tire Test Systems
      • Damper Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Modular Components

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials Test Systems
      • Static Materials Test Systems
      • Dynamic Materials Test Systems
      • Extensometers
      • Grips
      • Fixtures & Platens
      • Furnaces, Chambers & Fluid Baths
      • High Temp Subsystems & TMF
      • Load Cells / Force Transducers

      Materials

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Systems
      • Turnkey Control & Data Acquisition
      • Turnkey Hydromechanical Power Distribution
      • Test Article Safety Solutions
      • Series 261 Structural Pressure Test Controller
      • High Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition Systems

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Systems
      • Orthopedic Test Systems
      • Biomechanic Test Systems
      • Medical Device Test Systems
      • Biomaterial Test Systems

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Systems
      • Seismic Simulators & Shake Tables
      • Multi-Axial Subassemblage Structural Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Seismic Isolation Bearing Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • STEX Pro Software

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Static Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Rain Erosion Test System
      • Wind Turbine Bearing & Drivetrain Test Systems
      • Oil & Gas Pipe / Coupling Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock & Geomechanics Systems
      • Rock Mechanics Test Systems
      • Polyaxial Rock Test System

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Systems
      • Air Spring Test System
      • Railway Damper Test System
      • Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) System
      • 4-28 Channel Bogie Frame Test System
      • Bogie Vibration & Characterization System
      • Pantograph Wear & Performance System
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Damper Durability Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test System Components
      • Actuators & Servo-Valves
      • SilentFlo™ Hydraulic Power Units
      • 295 Hydraulic Service Manifolds
      • Stands & Frames
      • Load Bearing Components
      • FlexTest® Controllers
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition
      • SWIFT® Evo Wheel Force Transducers

      Test System Components

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Software & Monitoring
      • RPC® Connect Software
      • TestSuite™ Software
      • AeroPro™ Software
      • STEX™ Pro Software
      • Elastomer Testing Software
      • Damper Testing Software
      • MultiPurpose TestWare® (MPT)
      • First Road Interact Software
      • Multi-Pump Control Manager
      • Equipment Monitoring

      Software & Monitoring

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Services
    • Services
      • Calibrations & Metrology
      • Consulting & Engineering Services
      • Equipment Monitoring
      • Routine Maintenance & Fluid Care
      • Repairs & Remanufacture
      • Relocation Services

      Services & Support

    • Plans
      • Software Support Plans
      • Technical Support Plans
      • Service Plans
      • Extended Warranty

      Services & Support

    • Training

      Training Courses

    • Parts

      Parts

    • Support
      • Technical Support
      • Knowledge Articles
      • Technical Manuals
      • Software Downloads

      myMTS Portal

  • Company
    • Our Company
      • About MTS
      • Global Presence
      • Shows & Events
      • History

      Our Company

    • Careers

      Careers

    • Sustainability

      Sustainability

    • Suppliers
      • Supplier Home
      • Products & Services

      Suppliers

  • Solution Finder
  • Contact Us
  • R&D Test Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • myMTS Portal
  • Global Sites
  • Search
Home > Bio-Diversity

Exponent, Inc.: Bio-Diversity

Exponent
Setting up a biomaterials test on a Bionix Table Top load frame

CUSTOMER CHALLENGE

Formed more than 40 years ago, as a consulting firm specializing in failure analysis, Exponent, Inc. today offers an incredibly wide range of consulting services for nearly every sector of industry, ranging from engineering and health care to construction and energy. What makes Exponent unique is its breadth of experience, which few of its competitors can match. The company draws upon this to provide clients with in-depth scientific research and analysis, or very rapid-response evaluations, with the critical information that both day-to-day and strategic decisions can require.

This differentiation is plainly evident in the company’s Biomedical Engineering Practice, a dedicated team of 13 scientists and engineers with access to colleagues in over 90 disciplines. At its A2LA ISO 17025-accredited lab in downtown Philadelphia, this team investigates medical devices and device-grade biomaterials at every stage of the product life cycle, including research and development, product recall, litigation support and retrieval analysis. Their clients include manufacturers of medical devices, related products and raw materials, as well as law firms, trade associations, universities and the FDA.

“We don’t consider ourselves solely a test lab,” said Dr. Marta Villarraga, one of the practice’s Principals. “We assist our clients in solving complex problems. Because of our breadth and depth of experience, we are capable of providing sophisticated solutions when unique challenges arise during testing. We are well known for figuring out the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’. We deliver accurate results like other labs in this market, but where we differentiate ourselves is in the interpretation of those results.”

This expertise is especially important when pursuing testing in areas that lack standardized protocols. In these instances, which represent more than half of the practice’s work load, the team must develop the right test methodology for a specific device or material and formulate correct loading schemes, which is particularly challenging when it involves loads intended to replicate physiological phenomena.

“We’re testing materials, devices or tissues by both standard procedures as well as in unique real-world environments,” said Ryan Siskey, a Manager within the practice. “To do that effectively, we need equipment we can rely on—equipment that is flexible enough so that we can design test protocols that can be used to span a variety of applications. That’s why we consistently choose MTS.”

MTS SOLUTION

To achieve the reliability and flexibility they require, Exponent’s Biomedical Engineering Practice deploys four MTS mechanical testing systems, each for different purposes. These include a Bionix® Spine Wear Simulator and three Bionix servohydraulic load frames — one axial configuration and two axial/torsional configurations. All of these systems are driven by FlexTest® digital controls and MTS TestSuite™ Multipurpose Elite Testing Software.

Together, this array of fully integrated solutions provides the range of capabilities the group needs to serve a diverse mix of clients. The axial load frame is used for biomaterials testing, including polyethylene, bone cements and PEEK materials, as well as soft and calcified tissues, cadaveric specimens and syringes. The axial/torsional load frame allows more extensive cadaveric testing for the spine and hip. The spine wear simulator is used to test both cervical and lumbar replacement discs, nucleus replacement devices (nonfusion dynamic implants), interbody cages and cadaveric specimens.

“The versatility of the sample chambers and flexibility of the testing software of the spine wear simulator lets us be very creative with testing a variety of devices,” said Dr. Villarraga. “The programming is easy to follow and user-friendly, which is a big plus. These tests support an equally wide range of needs for Exponent’s clients. The data sets are used to enhance product design verification and validation, regulatory submission, litigation support and the development of novel test techniques that eventually become standardized methods.”

CUSTOMER BENEFITS

Because Exponent thrives by serving as wide a range of customer needs as possible, the overall versatility of MTS hardware and software is critical to solving clients’ challenges. In addition, the Biomedical Engineering Practice has found that using MTS test solutions can foster stronger relationships.

“Our clients know the reputation of the MTS brand very well, and some of them even use MTS solutions themselves,” said Mr. Siskey. “If clients are familiar with our test equipment, it’s easier for them to develop protocols they know will be implemented in a certain way. By the same token, when we develop novel protocols that our clients will use in their own labs, we are speaking the same language.”

In fact, the practice has purchased and validated MTS equipment for clients, configured the fixtures for specific test protocols, and then installed the solution at the client’s facility. This is not uncommon for instances where clients lack the time or expertise required to develop a new protocol.

The flexibility and usability of MTS software also plays into the practice’s role as a consulting lab that offers numerous testing applications.

“It is critical for operators to become very proficient with the software in a reasonable amount of time,” Mr. Siskey said. “MTS TestSuite software makes this task very simple and intuitive, and it can be used to design and execute a wide range of tests, from standard ISO and ASTM specifications to newer protocols. When you get into new applications and you’re coming up with new data acquisition algorithms, the final test procedure can involve 50 or 60 steps. With MTS software, we know it will run smoothly.”

The nature of the relationship between Exponent and MTS requires a special level of collaboration, one that includes the integration and configuration of the load frames, controllers and software, as well as the test applications themselves.

“Working with MTS has always been a very pleasant experience,” said Dr. Villarraga. “I’ve found the staff to be very knowledgeable. Since we have stayed with a single platform, it has made our transitions smoother as our lab has grown. The reliability of the equipment is great. And when issues arise at the last minute, they find answers quickly. We’re fortunate that MTS is very responsive to our needs.”

MTS:  Exponent Bio-Diversity

Dr. Marta Villarraga and Ryan Siskey with their lab’s Bionix Spine Wear Simulator

Download Case Study
Also of Interest:
  • Static Materials Test Systems >
  • Wind Turbine Test Applications >
  • Materials Tensile Test Applications >
Stay Connected
  • INDUSTRIES
  • Automotive
  • Materials
  • Aerospace
  • Biomedical
  • Civil Engineering
  • Rock Geomechanics
  • Energy
  • Rail
  • SALES & SUPPORT
  • Sales Offices
  • Services
  • Training
  • Parts
  • Customer Portal
  • SUPPLIERS
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Products & Services
  • Expectations
  • Workmanship Standards
  • Packaging & Labeling
  • Routing Guide
  • COMPANY
  • About
  • News
  • Careers
  • Shows & Events
  • Culture
  • Sustainability
  • History
  • Employment Verification
  • SOLUTIONS
  • Applications
  • Test Standards
  • Products
  • RESOURCES
  • Learning Center
  • Solution Finder
  • Quality
  • Product Safety
  • Patents
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT: 952-937-4000
  • Online Request
  • Request A Quote
  • Sales Offices
  • BUSINESSES
  • MTS Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • R&D Test Systems
  • MTS SANS China
    • © MTS Systems. All Rights Reserved
    • 952.937.4000
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Modern Slavery Act
    • Cookie Preferences
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept