Entering TestData Into Insight-Live

How to enter physical testing results into your group account at insight-live.com. We will enter data from shrinkage/absorption bars, the drying factor disk and an LOI/water content tester.

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I'm going to enter the data for some shrinkage and absorption test bars, a drying disk and an LOI test into my Insight Live account. In this case, I am characterizing a clay, discovering what it is, and what it might be useful for. The method is the same for doing quality control or clay body development and troubleshooting.
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I gave this a code number of L4496, so all test specimens are stamped with that. Notice that I have uploaded photos showing the silica sand it contains, how it reacts to glazes, its cross section compared to one of our standard terra cottas, and the fired test bars. We did firings from cone 06 all the way up to cone 5.
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Here are the test bars that came out of the dryer. The inset shows the data we can collect at that stage. It includes the length of each bar, the drying factor score, and the wet and dry weight of the LOI specimen.
Let’s look at the test data section at the bottom of the panel in Insight-live. Notice that all the data has been collected.
You can click the title of each section to learn more. For example, I'll click the one for "drying factor". Everything you need to know about making the specimen and interpreting its drying behavior is here.
The white columns are data we collected, the red ones are calculated values. Cone values had to be interpreted for each. Notice the "cone" column - this is how accurate our test firings are - only one overfired slightly.
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I’ll click this "edit button" to see how it is entered.
The tests are on the right. The ones most frequently used are at the top of the list.
The data is on the left - each row of data belongs to a specimen.
The first column is the specimen number - it is stamped on the bars. We usually match it to the cone number, but it doesn’t really matter.
To edit data for a specimen, click on its specimen number.
In the picture, I am measuring bar number 8 - so I’ll click that one. This is where the value of “93.3” was entered.
How do you add a specimen? Choose the test, set the specimen number and click the "Add button".
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Look at the other tests for a moment.
This one is the drying factor disk. For these, there are no calculated values - just enter the information observed (in this case, the drying factor and the amount of soluble salts on the disk).
The sieve analysis test likewise simply contains the weight of material found on each of the test sieves.
For the LDW test specimen I enter the wet weight, dry weight and fired weight. From these Insight-live can calculate the water content of the pugged material and the loss on ignition when fired.
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Your typical workflow will involve entering data for batches of test specimens that have just been made or are coming out of the drier or test kilns.
You will likely be measuring specimens from multiple production runs or test projects. It is not necessary to go back to the recipe panel for each, you can use the "Search field". However, you must enter the complete code number for a match to be found. The implication here is that you have already created recipe records for each material or clay body being tested and assigned them unique code numbers.
So, what is the value in collecting all this data? First, it enables you the characterize a material or a clay body.
But, ceramics tends to be a comparative rather than an absolute science. That is why the second reason is so important: I can search for another clay and compare its data side-by-side with this one.

Links

Tests	Shrinkage/Absorption Test SHAB Shrinkage and absorption test procedure for plastic clay bodies and materials
Glossary	Digitalfire Insight-Live A cloud-hosted ceramics-targetted LIMS (lab info management system) enabling collection, organization and learning from data to develop, adjust and study their recipes, materials and processes.
Glossary	Physical Testing In ceramics, glazes, engobes and bodies have chemistries and physics. To fix, formulate and adjust their relative importances in each situation need to be understood.
Articles	Setting up a Clay Testing Program in Your Company Set up a routine testing pipeline and start generating historical data that will enable your staff to understand your source materials and maintain, adjust and troubleshoot your clay body recipes.

Routine SHAB testing creates valuable historical drying and firing data

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Suddenly, ware is coming out of your production kiln warped or cracked or off color. Unless the answer is obvious, the first action should be to compare its drying and firing test data with past runs. If you are doing that as a routine, then SHAB test bars (and the test result data they bring) will already be available. That data is a characterization of your clay body. The value of this kind of data-gathering becomes evident when a disaster happens (or better yet, is prevented). Clay bodies have plasticity, dry performance, dry strength, fired density, fired shrinkage, fired strength, etc. If you have historical data (accompanied by firing schedules, recipes, etc), you have an invaluable tool. Where does one gather the data? In spreadsheets? No, in a database. An account at Insight-live.com is specifically intended for this.

Compiling test bar shrinkage and weights for Insight-live

This picture has its own page with more detail, click here to see it.

A batch of fired test bars, organized by temperature, have already been weighed (the weight is written on the side of each bar). Now they will be measured and the SHAB test data (shrinkage/absorption) entered into each recipe record (in an account at insight-live.com). From this data Insight-live can calculate fired shrinkage and fired porosity, enabling you to compare the degree of vitrification of different materials and bodies. This is especially good for quality control purposes.

By Tony Hansen
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