Test and Measurement

Interface’s robust line of load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, and instrumentation are used on every continent for T&M. We are the top supplier to calibration and testing labs. We see our products used today for continuous improvement programs, advancements in smart manufacturing and new product designs. If it must be measured, Interface has a solution. Interface’s force measurement products are being used to gather data from machines, components, equipment, consumer products, and other applications by metrologists, engineers and testing experts.

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test measurement applications

Test and Measurement Overview

Nearly every industry utilizes product or material testing. It’s integral to invention, innovation, advancement, safety and consumption. Test and measurement is no small industry, with applications ranging from medical to rockets. Force and torque measurement are used in structural, material, static, friction, fatigue testing and more. Interface solutions are made for T&M.

Interface Accelerates Growth in the T&M Industry

Interface continues to experience significant growth in demand and fulfillment of our precision measurement products and services. Our focus remains steadfast to serve customers with innovative solutions, facilitated by requests for specialized engineering and production requirements. Every ask is met with full consideration, and when you decide that we have what you need, we work expeditiously to meet the delivery schedules aligned to your requirements. We call it teamwork at Interface and to our customers, it’s a partnership.

As the overall T&M industry grows, the demand from engineers and manufacturers across all industries for proven and “tested” solutions for their test and measurement equipment expands. Our sensor technologies are used every day for optimizing products with realtime, accurate measurement. So as you grow, we grow to meet your needs and be the best in accurate, quality, durable and reliable T&M solutions.

Those that are in the test and measurement field help to guarantee product safety, reliability and longevity. Therefore, the tools they use are critical to the confirmation of their work. That’s why Interface builds products that reliably and consistently gather high-quality, accurate data for any application. For more information on our T&M offerings, or to discover more T&M product applications, please contact us today.

Consumer Product E-Bike Torque Measurement

An E-Bike manufacturer needed to test the torque on their electronic bicycles. They needed a torque sensing system that measures how much force the bike rider is pedaling onto the pedals, because this determines how much electric power the bike’s motor generates. Interface’s T12 Square Drive Torque Transducer is installed and replaced the outdated pedal sensor. The T12 is attached to the SI-USB4 4 Channel USB Interface Module. In a controlled environment, a cyclist pedals on the E-Bike and the T12 Square Drive Torque Transducer collects the measurements. The data is sent to the SI-USB4 4 Channel USB Interface Module where the torque measurements are recorded, graphed, and logged when connected to the customer’s PC or laptop.

OUR TEST AND MEASUREMENT APPLICATIONS INCLUDE:

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Machine Builders

Interface’s solutions are known for quality and accuracy, which are at the forefront of all decisions by those designing, manufacturing, and assembling machinery or industrial equipment.

Why do machine builders choose Interface precision load cells, torque transducers, instrumentation, data acquisition devices, and accessories? The quality and accuracy of these test and measurement devices are valuable when designing, developing, and selling tools, machines, and systems that optimize processes and enhance production.

An engineer who builds machines requires the highest quality sensor and instrumentation for developing, assembling, and integrating components for stand-alone and multi-station automated machine tools and systems. These automated machine-tool systems are used in all manufacturing sectors, including assembly, processing, and fabricating systems.

Machine builders use Interface sensor technologies to weigh raw materials, components, and finished products to ensure they meet the required specifications. Force measurement devices are important in measuring a machine’s or process’s force to control product quality and prevent accidents. Machine builders frequently use load cells to monitor loads over time to detect and prevent potential machine problems.

Why Machine Builders Use Interface Solutions

Improve safety: Force measurement devices are important in measuring a machine’s or process’s force to control product quality and prevent accidents. Load cells monitor the weight and distribution of loads and ensure that machines operate correctly.
Increased productivity: Force measurement sensors can help improve machines’ efficiency by optimizing the force applied during different operations. Force measurement sensors can help reduce machine downtime and enhance the quality of products with accurate data, helping to make intelligent decisions.
Reduced waste and operating costs: Measurement devices can help to reduce costs by preventing machine failures and improving the quality of products.
Quality improvement: Machine builders use Interface sensor technologies to weigh raw materials, components, and finished products to ensure they meet the required specifications. By measuring the force of their machines and processes, machine builders can ensure that their products meet the required specifications.
Maintaining machines: Machine builders frequently use load cells to monitor loads over time to detect and prevent potential machine problems.

Types of Machines Using Interface Products

CNC machines: Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines are automated machines that cut, drill, mill, and turn metal parts.
Injection molding machines: These machines melt plastic pellets and inject them into a mold to create a variety of plastic parts.
Presses: Most presses form metal parts by applying force, which is one of the primary reasons they rely heavily on Interface force measurement products. They are used in various applications, including stamping, forging, and cutting.
Lathes: The lathe turns metal parts, which includes machining shafts, bearings, and gears.
Milling machines: To cut and mill metal parts, machine builders will use milling for machining flat surfaces, slots, and pockets.
Grinders: Interface products are used in grinders to accurately measure the forces used to remove material and create a smooth surface finish.
Industrial Robots: Robots are used to perform various tasks in the manufacturing process, including welding, painting, and assembly. From R&D to installation, robotics requires thorough testing and measurement. Machine builders work with engineers to develop and design robots.

Our experience and product diversity have led machine builders and engineers to choose Interface force measurement sensors throughout their careers. Interface has served machine builders for more than 55 years, and it’s a relationship and role we know very well.

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Material Testing

Material Testing

Material testing subjects matters to various mechanical, physical, chemical, and thermal tests to assess their property characteristics and behavior under specific conditions. This includes various forms of force to determine values of fatigue, strength, and failure.

The primary goals of material testing are to determine the material’s suitability for a particular application, ensure quality control, and understand its performance characteristics during various use cases. It is also critical testing for adherence to compliance and regulatory standards.

Force measurement plays a huge part during material testing of materials used for various parts, products, structures, and consumer goods. Interface products are commonly found in test machines and equipment used for material testing. Material testing engineers utilize our force sensor technologies, including LowProfile and miniature load cells, DAQ systems, and instrumentation to measure and record the durability, fatigue, safety, and quality of the materials.

Interface’s force sensors are most often used in the material testing category of mechanical testing, including:

These types of material tests are used across industries, including medical, infrastructure, aerospace, automotive, industrial automation, manufacturing, consumer goods and in the machines used to assemble products.

Material testing starts early in the research and development phases of product development and continues through packaging. Load cells are used for testing a wide variety of materials across different industries. Materials commonly tested used force measurement solutions:

Metals: Steel, aluminum, and other metallic materials are frequently tested using load cells to determine their tensile and compression strength, yield, fatigue, and other mechanical properties.

Plastics: Load cells are used to test the mechanical properties of polymers and plastics for all types of use cases including tensile strength, bending range and elasticity. As new products are used for 3D printing, this is growing in test use cases.

Construction Materials: Interface precision sensors are used in the material testing of concrete, cement, and construction materials to evaluate their compressive strength, shear strength, and load-bearing capacity.

Textiles and Fabrics: Manufacturers utilize sensors to understand the tensile strength, resistance, and elasticity of textiles.

Biomaterials: Bio researchers use data from load cells to study the mechanical properties of these materials utilized in medical devices, implants, and other health related products.

The versatility of Interface load cells and the accuracy for measurement are why material engineers choose our products for material tests.

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Stress Testing

Stress testing requires high-quality, accurate measurement devices. It is a type of test done across various industries that evaluates the structure of an object or equipment, often until failure. Stress testing determines an object’s ultimate strength, thus identifying any weaknesses or flaws in its design.

Stress testing with Interface’s load cells is integral to the various products and components’ research, design, and manufacturing processes. It helps ensure that materials, equipment, and final products can withstand the stresses they will be subjected to in regular use.

Interface fatigue-rated load cells are commonly found in testing machines and stands used in stress testing. These precision load cells are engineered to withstand up to 100 million fully reversed load cells and have up to 300% overload ratings in tension and compression modes.

Types of Stress Testing Using Interface Sensors

Stress tests examine performance data and measure the tested object’s reliability, durability, and ultimate strength. Four specifications must be addressed for the stress test application before choosing a load cell: mechanical dimensions and mounting, electrical output and excitation, environmental temperature and moisture, plus performance accuracy and thermals. Choosing load cells with verifiable calibration history reinforces the reliability of the stress test results.

Popular Interface Load Cells Used in Stress Testing

1000 Fatigue-Rated LowProfile® Load Cell

1000 High Capacity Fatigue-Rated LowProfile® Load Cell

1208 Flange Standard Precision LowProfile® Load Cell

Model SML Low Height S-Type Load Cells

WMCFP Overload Protected Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell

SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells

AT103 Axial Torsion Force and Torque Transducers

The specific type of load cell used in stress testing depends on the test requirements, such as the force range, direction of loading, and desired accuracy.

Fatigue Testing

Fatigue testing is valuable for engineers to confirm their product designs and structures are safe and reliable. By understanding the fatigue behavior of materials, engineers can design components resistant to fatigue failure.

Strain gage load cells are vital for accurate fatigue testing. These devices measure the forces and stresses exerted on a test specimen during cyclic loading. The fatigue life of a specimen is the number of cycles it takes to fail. This data can be used to create stress-life or strain-life curves, which are used to predict the fatigue life of components under different loading conditions.

In a fatigue testing setup, fatigue-rated load cells and data logging instrumentation are used for testing materials, parts, or assemblies for weakness, and often ultimately to destruction. Load cells are typically attached to the specimen, or the test machine, and the cyclic loading is applied according to the test protocol.

INTERFACE FATIGUE-RATED LOAD CELLS:

1000 Fatigue-Rated LowProfile® Load Cell

1000 High Capacity Fatigue-Rated LowProfile® Load Cell

1500 Low Capacity LowProfile® Load Cell

1208 Flange Standard Precision LowProfile® Load Cell

Interface fatigue-rated load cells are vital for test and measurement projects in various industries, from aerospace and automotive to civil engineering and manufacturing. Manufacturers of test machines, aircraft, spacecraft, automotive components, consumer products, heavy machinery, bridges, energy production equipment, and industrial systems use our fatigue-rated load cells.

The fatigue rating of a load cell is a distinct specification, guaranteeing it has a service life of up to 100 million fully reversed load cycles at full rated capacity. They are typically integrated into testing machines or equipment.

The load cells continuously record the applied forces or stresses, allowing engineers and researchers to monitor how the material responds to repeated loading. By analyzing the data from load cells, researchers can determine factors such as the material’s endurance limit, fatigue life, and stress-strain behavior. This information is invaluable for optimizing material selection, design, and manufacturing processes to enhance product performance and reliability while identifying fatigue and potential failure risks.

Interface has specialized in fatigue-rated load cells and their applications since our founding in 1968. The stringent discipline necessary to consistently produce actual fatigue-rated load cells is why Interface is known for this specialized load cell design and construction.

The LowProfile® configuration of our fatigue-rated load cell provides up to 100 million duty cycles. The gaged sensors in every load cell are individually inspected, tested, and certified to meet our rigid performance standards.

Structural Testing

Structural testing provides valuable data for design optimization, compliance with standards, and preventing failures, ultimately leading to safer and more efficient products and structures.

Interface force measurement solutions are used in various forms of structural testing. The core purpose of structural testing using force measurement is to ensure the safety, reliability, and quality of structures, components, and materials.

Our sensor technologies and instruments are used in infrastructure projects worldwide. Civil and mechanical engineers use force measurement devices to evaluate the structural integrity of materials and equipment. The aerospace, automotive, maritime, and energy markets depend on load cells and instrumentation for structural testing applications.

Our load cells and instrumentation come in various forms and configurations, including compression load cells, tension load cells, shear load cells, and multi-axis load cells.

Each load cell type is chosen based on the specific requirements of the test, such as the nature of the force, the expected magnitude, and the mounting and installation constraints. These sensors are specialized devices that measure the forces and loads exerted on structures, materials, or components during various testing procedures.

Types Of Structural Testing

Load cells help evaluate the structural integrity of aircraft components, wings, and fuselages under various loads and conditions. These devices also measure the impact forces and deformation in vehicle crash tests to evaluate safety features and structural integrity. Load cells assess the structural integrity of wind turbine towers under various wind conditions.

Force sensors are vital to structural testing, offering engineers and researchers the means to gather critical data for assessing the integrity and performance of a wide range of structures. Interface’s load cells provide accurate, real-time measurements of forces and loads, allowing for informed decision-making in design, construction, and maintenance, ultimately contributing to safer and more reliable structures in our built environment.

Strain Testing

Strain testing using high-precision Interface load cells and instrumentation provides valuable insights for material science. Load cells provide instrumental data for material selection, design optimization, and ensuring product safety and performance across various industries.

By measuring strain under controlled loading conditions, engineers can determine:

Yield strength: This is the point at which the material permanently deforms.
Ultimate tensile strength: This is the maximum stress a material can withstand before breaking.
Elastic limit: This is the stress level beyond which the material will not return to its original shape after unloading.
Fatigue resistance: This refers to how well the material can handle repeated loading and unloading cycles.

The use of strain testing helps to anticipate how materials behave in real-world applications. By understanding yield strength and other key metrics, engineers can design products to withstand real-world stresses and prevent potential failures.

Types of Strain Testing Applications

Strain testing verifies the ability of materials in critical applications to handle intended loads, minimizing safety risks. These vital tests also help reduce development and production costs. Strain testing helps select optimal materials and designs, minimizing waste and preventing costly product failures.

Strain testing determines the materials with the perfect strength, flexibility, and fatigue resistance balance, leading to optimized component and product designs.

Calibration Labs

Load cells are vital components in test and measurement across industries, from manufacturing and construction to medical devices and aerospace. Their precise measurement of force is essential for ensuring product quality, safety, and fair trade.

Calibration labs, as the ultimate arbiters of measurement accuracy, play a crucial role in ensuring equipment performs as intended. To guarantee precision performance, the answer lies at the heart of their operations: high-accuracy, reliable calibration equipment.

Calibration systems are crucial tools used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of load cells. The stakes are high in the world of calibration. With the growing use of sensor technologies, there is a significant and growing global market for calibration services to maintain test and measurement equipment.

Interface, with its extensive experience in performing millions of calibrations, understands the criticality of proper calibration and traceability. We know that the proper equipment is paramount to maintaining the good performance of your force measurement devices. It is why Interface has designed and engineered devices, from the frame to the instrumentation and every measurement sensor in between, equipment to support the testing lab’s calibration efforts.

Interface Load Cell Calibration Equipment is available in design configurations for a wide range of rigid and portable systems. We offer strain gage load cells and complete calibration systems for nearly any force measurement application, including custom designs.

INTERFACE CALIBRATION EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS

1600 Gold Standard® Calibration Universal LowProfile® Load Cell Series
1601 Gold Standard® Calibration Compression-Only LowProfile ® Load Cell Series
1606 Gold Standard® Low Capacity Calibration Universal Load Cell Series
1800 Platinum Standard® Calibration Universal LowProfile ® Load Cell Series
2200 Calibration Column Load Cell Series
CX Transfer Standard Simulator
Interface Gold Standard® Calibration System
IFVF Capacity Force Verification Frame
GS-SYS03 Gold Standard® Portable Load Cell Calibration System
Interface GS-SYS04 Gold Standard® ASTM E4 Machine Calibration

If you are looking to upgrade your lab with high-accuracy equipment, our GS-SYS Gold Standard® Calibration System consists of a four-post rigid load frame, proprietary load feedback loop, signal conditioning hardware, and fully automated calibration software for the highest accuracy and lowest uncertainty available. Portable versions of the GS-SYS system are also available for labs that need to move equipment or have flexibility in location use.

Why Use Interface Calibration Grade Equipment and Systems?

Integrity of Equipment: Calibration verifies that your testing equipment is providing readings that are consistent with national standards. This eliminates doubt and ensures data integrity, crucial for maintaining lab credibility.
Reliability: Consistent and accurate measurements lead to reliable results. This allows labs to confidently stand behind their findings, fostering trust with clients and regulatory bodies.
Protect Investments: Uncalibrated equipment can lead to inaccurate test results, potentially causing product defects, safety hazards, and wasted resources. Calibration minimizes these risks, saving time and money in the long run.
Quality: Customers rely on testing labs to provide accurate data. A robust calibration system demonstrates your commitment to quality and strengthens customer confidence in your services.
Accreditation: Many accreditation bodies, like ISO/IEC 17025, require labs to have documented calibration procedures and regular equipment checks. A good calibration system helps labs meet these requirements and maintain their accreditation status.

Equipping your lab with dependable, high-precision calibration tools is an investment in trust. It empowers you to deliver the accurate measurements your clients rely on, safeguarding quality, safety, and innovation across countless industries.

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Vacuum Testing

Measurement solutions for use in vacuum chambers are essential for many industries. They are commonly used in industries like aerospace, manufacturing, material science, and other fields that require a vacuum environment. They enable precise testing and validation in controlled, contaminant-free, and perfectly sealed environments. By simulating the unique conditions of a vacuum, researchers and engineers can gather critical data to improve product design, ensure quality control, and push the boundaries of scientific understanding.

Standard Load Cells vs. Vacuum Load Cells

Standard load cells normally fail to meet the inflexible requirements of vacuum sealed environments. Vacuum environments require the expertise of a precision load cell manufacturer- like Interface. Standard load cells can release trapped gases, compromising the internal pressure within a vacuum sealed environment. This can lead to inaccurate measurements or even potential damage to equipment. Certain materials may also degrade under vacuum conditions, impacting accuracy and longevity.

Types of Testing Using Vacuum Load Cells

Force Measurement: Quantifying forces in various applications, such as actuation forces in robotic arms, the tensile strength of materials, or the force required to separate components.
Weight Measurement: Determining the mass of objects in a vacuum is crucial for applications like spacecraft balance, thin film deposition, or pharmaceutical production.
Torque Measurement: Measuring rotational forces in mechanisms like motors, gyroscopes, or vacuum pumps.
Structural Testing: Assessing the integrity of structures under vacuum and simulated loads, vital for aerospace components, vacuum chambers themselves, and industrial equipment.
Materials Testing: Analyzing material behavior in a vacuum and extreme temperatures to evaluate suitability for specific applications.

Vacuum Testing Applications Across Industries

Spacecraft Component Testing
Structural Testing
Thrust Testing
Microgravity Testing
Simulations
Material Testing
Testing Medical Implants and Prosthetics
Surgical Instruments Research and Testing
Automotive Components Testing
Packaging Process Optimization
Product Quality Control Equipment

Vacuum load cells are engineered to overcome numerous challenges. They utilize low-outgassing materials, are hermetically sealed or vented for pressure equalization, and can withstand extreme temperatures common in vacuum chambers.

Integrating vacuum load cells into testing applications can help various industries achieve higher accuracy, reliability, and innovation levels in product development and scientific exploration.

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Environmental Testing

Environmental testing assesses a product’s resilience to various external factors, such as temperature, humidity, vibration, shock, and other conditions it might encounter during its lifecycle.

Environmental testing is crucial across diverse industries to validate product performance and safety and ensure it meets regulatory requirements and industry standards. This rigorous process helps improve product design and reliability, mitigating the risk of failure and costly recalls. Ultimately, environmental testing makes certain products perform consistently in various conditions.

This type of testing ensures that products are durable, safe, and reliable in real-world environments, especially for industries such as aerospace, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive, defense, consumer goods, and manufacturing.

Environmental Testing Applications Using Interface Force Sensors:

Vibration and Shock Testing: In tests that simulate vibrations and shocks, load cells or force sensors can measure the stresses or forces for parts and components.
Fatigue Testing: This type of testing involves repeated force cycles to determine how materials or components hold up over time. Our fatigue-rated load cells are ideal for high-cycle tests.
Stress and Strain Analysis: Load cells accurately measure the forces and stresses acting on a product during environmental testing. Measuring the exact forces exerted on a component enables engineers to assess how it responds under extreme environmental conditions, like high temperatures or humidity. This data helps determine structural integrity.
Calibration and Quality Control: Force sensors validate that test equipment is accurately applying the specified forces, ensuring the reliability of environmental testing results.
Environmental Chamber Testing: Load cells measure the weight of products subjected to temperature and humidity extremes in environmental chambers, ensuring they can withstand these conditions without failure.
Water Resistance Testing: Load cells can measure the weight changes of products during water immersion tests, helping to determine their water resistance capabilities.
Material Stress Testing: Load cells can assess how materials react to environmental factors by measuring deformation or strain under controlled conditions, providing data on their mechanical properties.

Accurate measurements provide valuable insights for product design improvements, allowing engineers to identify weaknesses and optimize performance.

Interface measurement solutions help safeguard products to meet safety standards and regulations by providing data on their structural integrity in challenging environments.

Interface prioritizes the quality and safety of all our products, including our hazardous location sensors used in extreme and harsh environmental testing. We provide specifications for every load cell manufactured and certification codes that show the temperatures and zones in which our products safely operate.

At Interface, we contribute to environmental testing by supplying sensor technologies engineered to withstand changing, extreme, hazardous, and dangerous environments. This includes Interface certified force measurement products by IECEx and ATEX.

Load cells and force measurement solutions are essential for conducting reliable environmental tests, ensuring product safety, and optimizing design.

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