PTC® Instruments manufactures Polariscopes, Optical Equipment and Microscopes in Los Angeles. The polariscope is visual check for stess in glass and plastic

Tech Note: When a photo elastic material is subjected to a load and illuminated with polarized light from the measurement instrumentation (called a reflection polariscope), patterns of color appear which are directly proportional to the stresses and strains within the material. The sequence of colors observed as stress increases is: black (zero stress), yellow, red, blue-green, yellow, red, blue-green, yellow, red, etc. The transition lines seen between the red and green bands are known as "fringes." The stresses in the material increase proportionally as the number of fringes increases. Closely spaced fringes means a steeper stress gradient, and uniform color represents a uniformly stressed area. Hence, the overall stress distribution can easily be studied by observing the numerical order and spacing of the fringes.

6" Bench Polariscope

6" Bench Polariscope