Breech and Tube Fatigue Test Facility

This facility has the capabilities of duplicating firing pressures in its breech mechanism and tube test facilities. It applies cyclic hydraulic pressure to pressurize vessels through either quasi-static or dynamic loading up to 120,000 psi. This allows the rapid evaluation of new concepts, materials, and the establishment of safe firing lives for these components in the laboratory rather than the much more expensive test firing previously necessary. These combined facilities provide the Army with a capability not available anywhere in the free world. It has been used to evaluate components from Great Britain, France and Germany. The knowledge gained by Benet's scientists allows them to develop and apply the same principles to the evaluation of components for other weapon systems as well.