LimsPulse
Construction materials testing

Los Angeles Abrasion Machine

A rotating steel drum in which coarse aggregate is tumbled with steel balls for a fixed number of revolutions. The percentage worn down to fines (the LA abrasion value) measures resistance to abrasion and impact.

  • Construction materials testing
  • Road and highway construction
  • Railways
  • Quarries
  • Academic labs
Photo of a Los Angeles Abrasion Machine
Photo: Tanvir Anjum Adib, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped), via Wikimedia Commons
CALIBRATION

LA abrasion machine calibration procedures

Drum speed and abrasive charge check

Times the drum to confirm it turns at 30–33 rpm, checks the revolution counter, and weighs each steel sphere and the total charge for each grading.

Open procedure
QUALIFICATION

Instrument qualification (DQ · IQ · OQ · PQ)

  1. 01

    DQ — Design qualification

    Specifies a machine to IS 2386 Part 4 / ASTM C131 (drum size, shelf, speed, counter, charge) with noise control.

  2. 02

    IQ — Installation qualification

    Checks foundation bolting, electrical safety, interlocks and records dimensions of drum and shelf.

  3. 03

    OQ — Operational qualification

    Verifies drum speed, revolution counter accuracy, sphere masses and dimensions.

  4. 04

    PQ — Performance qualification

    Tests a reference aggregate periodically and trends the abrasion value.

In LimsPulse · Calibration Management

Keep every LA abrasion machine in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.

See how