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Force Measurement Solutions Demonstrations at Automotive Testing Expo

Interface experts are returning to Novi, Michigan, to demonstrate new and popular force measurement solutions at the Automotive Testing Expo.  The focus of this year includes our multi-axis sensors, axial torsion and torque transducers, miniature load cells, wireless and testing rig solutions, instrumentation, along with our precision load cell technologies for all types of automotive testing and equipment used in the industry.

New SuperSC for Automotive Industry

One of the demonstrations will be Interface’s new SuperSC S-Type Miniature Load Cell. This new product is an economical general purpose load cell with a compact design that measures tension and compression in one unit. It offers high performance capacities in a form factor 80% smaller and 50% lighter than other models of s-type shear beam load cells.

The SuperSC is an ideal product in end of line validation testing for automotive, individual automotive component testing, and fatigue or life cycle testing. It is versatile for machines, component tests, integration into a manufacturing or assembly line for real-time force monitoring.

Many automotive testing labs rely on an actuator for fatigue or lifetime expectancy testing. Without force measurement, testers can only tell when the product reaches failure. The SuperSC can provide early warnings on component performance and life degradation.

SuperSC comes in 12 capacities ranging from 25 to 1K lbf and 100 N to 5 kN. Six designs for international standards of measurement (metric) and six for imperial standards. They are environmentally sealed with an IP66 rating and offer high stiffness with low detection and is insensitive to off-axis loading.

AxialTQ Demonstration

Another product that will be a focus is the revolutionary AxialTQ™ Wireless Rotary Torque Transducer. Designed for the automotive industry, this transducer is common for advanced torque tests and in the electric vehicle markets. Interface presented a new white paper that provides comparative research related to the AxialTQ product, demonstrating its performance related to other offerings. Read AxialTQ Technical White Paper Details Comparative Testing.

To learn more about AxialTQ, watch this video demonstration.

Automotive Testing Applications

Interface will also be showcasing brake pedal load cells, our robot using multi-axis sensors, digital and portable instrumentation and custom solutions designed specifically for auto test engineers. One of these solutions that we will be sharing is our Electric Vehicle Structural Battery Testing application.

EV Battery Structural Testing

Structural EV battery testing is core to optimization as innovation drives electric vehicle battery design and sustainability. Automotive manufacturers and component testing engineers need to validate structural battery pack design for life expectancy against design targets, as well as crash test compliance and survivability. Working with the EV battery maker, Interface’s recommendation is our 1100 Ultra-Precision LowProfile Load Cells for use in-line with hydraulic or electromechanical actuators within the test stand. Interface’s 6A Series 6-Axis Load Cells are also used to capture reactive forces transmitting through pack structure. Multi-axis measurement brings greater system level insight and improved product success.

Bluetooth® Brake Pedal Animated Application Note

Additional Automotive Solutions and Resources

EV Battery Testing Solutions Utilize Interface Mini Load Cells

Electric Vehicle Battery Monitoring App Note

Torque Measurement for Electric Vehicles

Automotive Head Rest Testing App Note

Fine-Tuning Testing Solutions for Championship Racing Vehicles

Automotive Window Pinch Force Testing

Automotive Head Rest Testing Animated Application Note

Automotive + Vehicle Brochure

 

Electric Vehicle Battery Load Testing Feature and Application

The demand for quality load cell sensors and testing technology solutions in the electric vehicle market is high. This extends into the innovations and testing related to electric vehicle batteries. Design engineers and automotive manufacturers are looking for ways to extend the life of the EV battery, while also seeking ways to maximize overall vehicle performance.

Interface application engineers have been working to provide standard and custom solutions to EV battery manufacturers and testing labs for R&D, prototyping, and performance monitoring. It has sparked recent publications to reach out to Interface to discuss the types of force measurement devices that are being used, along with supportive instrumentation for various tests related to the electric vehicle market.

We’ve captured one of these use cases in the new application note, Electric Vehicle Structural Battery Testing.

The initial requirements for this application were to validate structural battery pack design, both in terms of life expectancy against design targets as well as crash test compliance and survivability.  Interface recommended utilizing 1100 Ultra-Precision LowProfile Load Cells in-line with hydraulic or electromechanical actuators within a structural test stand. The 6-Axis Load Cells were used to capture reactive forces transmitting through pack structure. These multi-axis sensors provide more measurement data and brings greater system level insight and improved product success. Using this configuration, the tests performed using Interface’s force measurement products validated the battery packs strong structural design. Read more here.

Recently we shared our experience in working with companies to provide load cells for testing batteries.  The details of this interview with DesignNews are highlighted in a brief excerpt below. Read the entire article here.

BATTERY LOAD TESTING PRESENTS NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERFACE

By Dan Carney at DesignNews

The Arizona force management specialist is finding new opportunities for its load cells testing batteries.  In addition to measuring the strength of the battery case, it is also important for automakers to measure the pressure of the cells inside the case. In both situations, force management solutions from Interface, Inc. (Scottsdale, Arizona) are beneficial.

“FEA and computerized modeling get the customer most of the way there,” observed Interface vice president of global sales Brian Peters in a phone interview with Design News. “Automotive OEMs are spending more time on various structural development testing,” he said. “They are push-pull, multi-axis similar to what we see with aerospace fuselage testing.”

This is important because, in addition to the torsional loads normally applied to the battery box in the course of normal driving, there is also the need to model for worst-case crash scenarios.

“You have basic (noise, vibration, and harshness) torsional rigidity requirements, but then you have the crash requirements,” Peters noted. “How do you model, test, and have successful test results? When you run the full system into the barrier, sometimes the outcome is hard to model.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Feature Article Highlights Interface Solutions for EV Battery Testing

EV Battery Testing Solutions Utilize Interface Mini Load Cells

Electric Vehicle Battery Monitoring

Interface Helps to Power the Electric Vehicle Market Forward

Test and Measurement for Electric Vehicles

Torque Measurement for Electric Vehicles App Note

The Future of Automotive is Electric

Exploring Interface Capabilities and Differentiators

Interface is the largest producer of load cells defined by a particularly important core differentiator. The Interface difference is precision.

How do we maintain this standard of excellence? Interface is directed by our foundational 4-pillars for success: quality, service, accuracy, and innovation. This applies to anything and everything that we do, including manufacturing premium force measurement products, engineering and design, custom solutions, providing calibration and repair, and in our commitment to service.

Interface has long been known for providing accuracy-based sensor technologies, innovative solutions, engineering excellence and quality products that our customers trust. We have detailed our breadth and depth of capabilities and differentiators for our products that are designed to serve customers across a growing number of industries.

In our online capabilities statement, you can find:

  • Interface differentiators
  • Interface core products and expertise
  • Certifications
  • Industry NAICS and PSC Codes
  • Interface’s Company Snapshot

Our customers around the world are innovators, market leaders, boundary-breaking leaders who are finding ways to do things differently, make things safer, improve products and create new solutions, all through the measurement of force. We provide solutions for test and measurement, as well as OEM. This includes companies in aerospace and defense, automotive and vehicle, medical devices, energy, industrial automation, entertainment and amusement, agriculture, maritime, infrastructure, and equipment manufacturing.

As the world’s trusted leader in force measurement technology, design, and manufacturing, it is important that we guarantee the highest quality performance of load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, wireless telemetry, instrumentation, calibration and more. To do this, it is the Interface people, technology, manufacturing, engineering, and force measurement solutions that make the difference.

Here are just a few of Interface’s key differentiators and capabilities:

  • PROPRIETARY STRAIN GAGES: We make our strain gages and assemble them in the same building that our final sensor testing is performed in-house to ensure the quality and accuracy.
  • THE STANDARD: Interface is the standard for all load cells. Since 1968, our LowProfile® load cells have been used throughout the world because of their accuracy and dependability.
  • CALIBRATION: Our trademarked Gold Standard Calibration System is the industry ‘gold standard’ for test and measurement.
  • SYSTEMS: Interface is the only major load cell company offering a comprehensive system for customers to calibrate their own load cells.
  • CERTIFICATIONS: Every load cell we make is individually calibrated and tested through a series of performance tests before it leaves our facility.
  • STANDARD, ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER AND CUSTOM: We design and build our force measurement solutions, delivering the broadest variety of available options in the industry.
  • TEAM: Our team is an extended network of professionals that design, build, administer, sale to, and support our customers with the best force measurement solutions that fit their exact requirements based on expertise and experience.

You can see all the Interface differentiators in our capabilities statement.

We are proud of the Interface brand, our five-decade legacy as a leader in the industry and fact that we are a women-owned manufacturing company. We guarantee our products quality because every employee and partner take pride in our work. It is our dedication to deliver on our promise.

Capabilities-Statement

New Interface Case Study Exams Weighing and Scales

Test and measurement are used in the development and monitoring of manufactured goods across all industries. With a history of producing force measurement solutions for more than five decades, Interface has supplied a myriad of sensor devices for hundreds of thousands of different use cases and applications.

From the scales we use in packaging centers to the enormous weigh check equipment used in transportation, weighing and scale measurement solutions are instrumental in the successful design, engineering, launch, and maintenance of products and components.

Many of the earliest force sensors were designed for the purpose of weighing objects, and they continue to be a large part of test and measurement today. As products evolve and new inventions enter the market, sensors must maintain their durability, quality, and accuracy for large and miniaturized uses. Therefore, you see inventors and innovators turn to Interface today for sensors that are designed for use in robotics, IoT, and factory automation equipment used for weighing.

Historically, the only difference between now and then is that Interface has perfected accuracy in measurement across with an extensive range of force sensors models, configurations, sizes, capacities, and specification requirements that can measure weight at “jumbo” scale, as well precisely measure exceedingly small, minute forces as an embedded sensor.

Determining accurate weight is a key data point manufacturers need throughout a product lifecycle. Whether they need the information for transporting an object, lifting the object, or just creating a specification sheet, accurate data for weight measurements is fundamental for safety and function. This includes weighing single and combined parts in early design, weighing the manufactured equipment during assembly and production, using scales for weighing output with exact measure, as well as obtaining real-time weight in distribution and transport.

To accomplish this, Interface provides a host of load cells and instrumentation devices. Since our first load cells were designed in 1968, we have built millions of these products for engineers and designers that require the highest precision force sensors for accurate and reliable data collection in test and measurement (T&M). Our customers represent a wide swath of industries, products, equipment types, tools, and electronics that depend on us for proving accuracy, consistency, and reliability in performance in T&M.

In our latest case study, we outline four weigh and scale use cases that utilize Interface sensor technologies. Defined weight as a product specification requires extreme accuracy in measurement. Utilizing precision force sensing solutions and instrumentation enables product engineers and manufacturers to collect data and use it as part of the product design.

Accuracy Matters for Scales and Weighing focuses on weighing and scale applications used with heavy machinery, medical devices, operational containers, and distribution solutions. In each of these instances, utilizing weight in the design, build, and supply of these products is fundamental to each use case and the success for the product.

Weighing and Scales Case Study

 

Why Civil Engineers Prefer Interface Products

Infrastructure is one of the most vital industries that utilize Interface force measurement solutions. Our products are chosen for the design, engineering and construction of public works projects including roads, energy structures, bridges, dams, airports, sewage systems, and pipelines.

Civil engineering is a professional discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environments. It’s the oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it was specifically defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering.

Civil engineering is traditionally broken into several sub-disciplines including environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, municipal or urban engineering, water resources engineering, materials engineering, coastal engineering, surveying, and construction engineering.

Civil engineers choose Interface sensors for testing structural components as well as for embedding sensors within buildings, waterways, and railways to ensure sustainable and safe construction, modifications, improvements, repairs and use.

Civil engineers’ relationship with and use of force measurement devices is based on two things: testing designs and monitoring completed projects.

Load cells are used from a test perspective throughout the development of infrastructure projects. For example, load cells test specific materials used in the construction of a building to ensure they can handle the required weights and environmental conditions. In the design of a drawbridge bridge, engineers use load cells to test the hydraulic system to ensure it will provide enough force to lift the bridge from a single time to thousands of times by using stress test rigs.

The use of various sensors and measurement devices in civil engineering and construction sectors has grown significantly in recent years. The sensor data from Interface load cells is utilized in every aspect, from rugged construction equipment for regulatory and safety monitoring to real-time quality monitoring of physical structures. One of the reasons is due to the advances in monitoring and reporting capabilities of sensor data. Accessibility to data has improved the ability to use it for complex calculations as well as analyze enormous amounts of output information in real-time. The benefits are improvements in structural designs and overall engineering as a result.

By accessing data remotely through Interface digital instrumentation products, those within the industry can deploy more practical solutions than were historically impossible during some of the original designs. This has transformed approaches to force measurement and load monitoring, providing robust calculations in structural and material engineering. This functionality is why civil engineering sectors rely on Interface for advanced products that deliver accurate, quality and reliable performance.

The following video highlights many products utilized in the infrastructure industry by civil engineers and for the equipment used in construction of their designs.

Force measurement is even used by civil engineers in testing the construction equipment used in a variety of infrastructure projects. One example of this is when Interface supplied a force measurement system to construction engineers to test an aerial lifts capabilities and capacities for safe use.

Aerial Lift Overload Control

A manufacturing company for aerial lifts wanted to test its self-propelled boom lift to ensure it can operate at heavy capacities when in use, and at different angles. They also wanted to prevent any accidents in case of a lifting overload, for the safety of any working individual who uses it. Interface’s solution was to attach the 3A160 3-Axis Force Load Cell to the bottom of the bucket of the boom lift. The 3A160 3-Axis Force Load Cell gave high accuracy results, which can be displayed using the 920i Programmable Weight Indicator and Controller in real time. The manufacturing company tested their aerial boom lifts and determined it was safely operable when maximum capacities had been reached.

Adversely, engineers are also designing force sensors into projects allowing them to monitor the effects of force on certain infrastructure over time. Take for example a project that Interface was involved in that required the monitoring of a bridge.

Bridge Seismic Force Monitoring Solution

A customer wanted to monitor seismic activity that occurred to a bridge by using force sensors, and then continuously monitor bridge forces before, during and after earthquakes. Engineers on the project also preferred a wireless solution so they would not need to run long cables on the bridge. Using Interface’s LP Load Pin custom made to fit their needs, along with Interface Inc. WTS Wireless Telemetry System, continuous force monitoring was able to take place without long cables. The engineers were then able to monitor continuous loads, log information to the cloud and review information, ensuring the bridge would uphold over time and constant seismic activity. Or, allowing engineers to determine when and where repairs are necessary.

Civil engineers represent the minds and hands building critical infrastructure. This is why Interface works closely with those in this profession to ensure our sensors provide the highest quality, accuracy and reliability to keep people safe and moving across our country. To learn more about our work in infrastructure, please visit our Interface Infrastructure Solutions.

Additional Resources

Interface and Infrastructure Markets Form a Perfect Partnership

Infrastructure Industry Relies on Interface Force Measurement

Interface Solutions Designed for Infrastructure Challenges

Infrastructure Projects Rely on Interface

Monitoring the Seismic Force of a Suspension Bridge

Infrastructure-Brochure-1

EV Battery Testing Solutions Utilize Interface Mini Load Cells

Automotive components undergo rigorous testing to meet regulatory standards, guarantee performance, and ensure consumer safety. These components continually require investment in innovation to meet the expressed governmental, consumer and commercial use requirements.

One of the vehicle components that is undergoing intense change is the battery. The market is heavily focused on increasing mileage use and life, which includes the shift from single-use lithium batteries to lithium-ion batteries which are rechargeable.

These customer sentiments are noticeable in the growing global electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) demands for sustainable and longer-lasting battery solutions. Customer satisfaction and commercial applications are closely intertwined with a vehicle’s ability to travel longer distances without refueling or charging. The demands and changes drive robust test and measurement programs to bring new battery models and designs to market.

In 2021, it is estimated the EV battery market exceeded 38% of total battery sales. As technology continues to improve the lifecycle and reducing battery costs, Precedence Research estimates 32% CAGR through 2030. This translated to $46B in the US alone of market share, while Asia Pacific is leading the production of EVs and overall demand for the EV batteries. Based on global adoption of electric vehicles, supported by government initiatives and an intense focus on reduced carbon emissions, the EV battery market is expected to continue expanding around the world.

The testing of batteries is growing in complexity with the increase in number of cells, modern designs, materials, cycles, installation, vehicle models, certifications and charging equipment to name a few. Battery simulation and real battery integration testing are two examples of commonly used T&M programs used to validate battery adaptability and use requirements. In battery testing, accuracy and quality of the measurement devices are vital. The following are the most common battery types today:

  • Lithium-ion Battery
  • Lead-Acid Battery
  • Sodium-ion Battery
  • Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery
  • Others

Due to the market shift to EVs, the lithium-ion battery is the number one battery type today. The domination of the lithium-ion battery exceeded all other battery types in 2021. Manufacturers of EVs prefer partnering with OEMs of newer model Li-ion batteries because they are lighter in weight and have higher energy density. The following details one of many Interface solutions offered to automotive component and battery manufacturers.

Electric Vehicle Battery Monitoring

The EV battery manufacturer required a system to monitor their lithium-ion batteries. Normally, lithium-ion batteries are measured through voltage and current measurements or (ICV) to analyze and monitor the battery life. In consultation with the design and testing engineers, Interface recommended a solution that required installing the LBM Compression Load Button Load Cell in between two garolite end plates, and measuring the force due to cell swelling or expansion. Instead of monitoring through voltage (ICV), this method is based on measured force (ICF). To monitor the testing, the load cell was paired with the 9330 Battery Powered High Speed Data Logging Indicator. This instrumentation solution provides the ability to display, record and log the force measurement results with supplied software.  To review the results and complete application note, go here.

Interface has long partnered with auto manufacturers and suppliers of various parts and components to provide a large range of automotive industry test and measurement solutions.  This includes sensors and instrumentation solutions for the development, testing and performance monitoring of all types of batteries, with growing interest for lithium-ion battery testing.

Interface will be discussing this and other force measurement solutions at the upcoming Auto Test Expo in Europe. Join us in Stuttgart or contact our application engineers to collaborate on a testing solution that works for your next project.

Additional Automotive Industry Resources

Interface Automotive Force Measurement Solutions

Driving Force in Automotive Applications

Test and Measurement for Electric Vehicles

The Future of Automotive is Electric

AxialTQ Technical White Paper Details Comparative Testing

WTS Brake Pedal Force Testing

Automotive + Vehicle Brochure

Automotive Window Pinch Force Testing App Note

Automotive Head Rest Testing App Note

Advancing Auto Testing with Interface Measurement Solutions

Interface and Infrastructure Markets Form a Perfect Partnership

Infrastructure projects are growing, as investment continues to climb for projects related to rebuilding, renewing and innovating applications in this sector. These global investments come from public and private organizations as demands to address roads, bridges, water supplies, transportation, energy systems, and broadband requirements for the 21st century grow.

Experts who focus on infrastructure acknowledge these are means for civil existence and prosperity. Interface understands that our role in supporting the design, testing, manufacturing, constructing and maintenance required in infrastructure needs a top supplier of force measurement solutions.

Interface force measurement solutions have and are currently used around the world for infrastructure projects including bridges, generators, dams, waterways, transportation structures, construction projects, cranes and lifting apparatus, and heavy machinery.

Interface supplies durable and accurate sensor technologies used in testing equipment, technology, vehicles, tools and machines used in all types of infrastructure subsectors. We also find our products often designed into structures for regulatory and safety monitoring, whether that be to maintain tunnels or support wind generating farms.

Interface details force measurement products we commonly provide to those working and supporting the infrastructure sector in our Infrastructure Solutions Brochure. You can see some of these products in our Infrastructure Solutions video.

Interface load cells, load pins, instrumentation, multi-axis sensors, and torque transducers are top choices for those engaged in infrastructure projects and testing. Sensors are commonly used in measuring the related hardware used for industry products and structures. The types of infrastructure projects that Interface has supplied measurement solutions for includes transportation systems, communication structures, water and electrical facilities, and numerous inventions that are used to build, support, and maintain them, as outlined in Infrastructure Projects Rely on Interface.

Our expert engineers can help design customizable force measurement solutions for all types of applications that require sensors for OEMs and to be used in the actual structure for continuous measuring and monitoring. We have engineered sensor products used for civil engineering designs and infrastructures used in structural monitoring, vibrational monitoring, load bearing testing, tunnels, bridges, and road construction. The range of projects are broad, so we are highlighting a few below that highlight our capabilities when accuracy, quality and reliability matter in design, testing, construction, and assessing current and limitations for safety requirements.

Hydraulic Jacking System Testing

An equipment manufacturer needed to test their hydraulic jacking system’s ability to lift heavy loads and objects, like a bridge during construction. They wanted to monitor the forces being applied to ensure the hydraulic jack is not only safe to use, but works well enough to avoid any potential structural issues. Interface’s 1200 Standard High Capacity Load Cell can be attached in between the hydraulic jack and a heavy load. The load cell measures the forces of the hydraulic jack as it lifts the load cell located in between the jack and the object. With the 9890 Strain Gage, Load Cell, & mV/V Indicator, the customer is also able to see the results in real-time. Read more here.

Aerial Lift Overload Control

A manufacturing company for aerial lifts wanted to test its self-propelled boom lift to ensure it can operate at heavy capacities when in use, and at different angles. They also wanted to prevent any accidents in case of a lifting overload, for the safety of any working individual who uses it. Interface’s solution was to attach the 3A160 3-Axis Force Load Cell to the bottom of the bucket of the boom lift. The multi-axis sensor provides high accuracy results, which were displayed using the 920i Programmable Weight Indicator and Controller in real time. The manufacturing company tested their aerial boom lifts and determined it was safely operable when maximum capacities has been reached in use. Read more here.

Truck Weighbridge Monitoring

A transportation company needed to record the weight or loads being carried by their vehicles. They would like a wireless weighing bridge that is able to transmit, log, and display the results in real time. Interface suggests installing multiple WTS 1200 LowProfile™ Load Cells under a weighbridge. When a truck drives over it, the load cells will transmit the force results wirelessly to the WTS-BS-4 Industrial Base Station connected to the customer’s PC with provided Log100 software. The WTS-LD2 Wireless Large LED Display can also display the weight inside for the driver to see in real time. The customer was able to measure, log, and graph the different loads their trucks carried wirelessly onto the weighbridge with success, providing for safe passage across transportation ways. Read more here.

Hydropower Turbine Generator Monitoring

A customer wanted to monitor and detect any turbine generator faults in their hydroelectric power plant located on a river. Interface’s solution was to use the T2 Ultra Precision Shaft Style Rotary Torque Transducer and attach it to the turbine generator with Interface’s Shaft Style Torque Transducer Couplings. When water from the river pushes through the penstock to the outflow, it moves the turbine blades, creating electricity through the generator shaft. Torsion measurements can be graphed and logged with the 9850 Torque Transducer and Load Cell Indicator catching any unusual fluctuations and vibrations. Using this solution, the customer was able to monitor, graph, and log the torque measurement results of the turbine generator. Read more here.

Bridge Seismic Force Monitoring

A customer wanted to monitor seismic activity that occurs to a bridge by using force sensors and then continuously monitoring bridge forces before, during and after earthquakes occur. The customer also preferred a wireless solution so they would not need to run long cables on the bridge. Using Interface’s LP Load Pin custom made to fit their needs along Interface’s WTS Wireless Telemetry System for continuous force monitoring the designed solution was able to take place without long cables. The solution allowed the customer to monitor continuous loads, log information to the cloud and review information. Read more here.

Interface’s work with all facets of the infrastructure industry spans far and wide. Interface is a supplier of choice and key partner for providing reliable sensors and instrumentation solutions used in testing and monitoring of both the infrastructure and the equipment used to upgrade and refine it.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Infrastructure Industry Relies on Interface Force Measurement

Infrastructure Projects Rely on Interface

Interface Solutions Designed for Infrastructure Challenges

Monitoring the Seismic Force of a Suspension Bridge

 

 

 

Interface Automotive Force Measurement Solutions

Interface introduced our load cells to the auto and vehicle industry more than five decades ago. Quality and precision sensor technologies are essential to manufacturing and production for vehicles.

Interface force measurement devices are used for critical testing in both commercial and industrial vehicle design and production to ensure safety and reliability in the automotive industry.

As the industry has evolved and transformed, so has the products we supply to our customers in this market. Our range of solutions continues to expand in functionality and capabilities as complexities of testing throughout the entire journey, from component design and prototyping to rigorous safety testing of every piece of equipment progresses.

By creating highly responsive, critically accurate, and safer load cell and torque sensors, we are seeing our products used in all types of test and measurement applications, including:

  • Engine dynamometers
  • Lug nut assembly
  • Airbag connector testing
  • EV battery testing
  • ICE and EV motor torque testing
  • Equipment fatigue testing
  • Motor test stands
  • Brake and clutch pedal force
  • Engine head bolt tightening
  • Vehicle crash test walls
  • Race car suspension testing
  • Transmission gear box and gear mesh
  • Autonomous vehicle tests

Research and development facilities with precision application requirements favor our 1200 Series LowProfile™ Load Cells with their special moment compensated design. These are used in auto manufacturer assembly lines in a variety of production monitoring and verification applications. Our exceedingly accurate LowProfile™ Load Cells have even been used in NASCAR and IndyCar garages for testing individual springs and entire vehicle suspensions.

Preview Interface products used in the automotive and vehicle markets in this new solutions video.

Here are two highlights of automotive application notes.  You can find more about automotive and vehicle solutions here.

Tire Testing

A top tire manufacturer needed a solution that would provide data analysis for stress testing.  The research would provide advancements to their product by defining the tire’s dynamic control capabilities. In review with our application engineers, they detailed they need to measure both the torque and lateral force in their testing.

Interface recommended the new AT105 Contactless Force Torque Transducer. With the torque and lateral force testing requirements, they determined that the best option to review the results by display as well as with graphing is to connect the transducers to the 4-Channel USB Interface Module SI-USB4.  You can see the entire solution and results in the Tire Testing App Note.

MDPS Testing

A manufacturer wanted to test the power steering for their vehicles. They want to test the linkage tension and compression between the rack and pinion. On a test frame, Interface’s 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile™ Load Cell was installed at the end of the rack and pinion actuator. As the wheel is turned, the load cell tests the push and pull forces. Force measurements can be displayed in real time using the highly accurate 9870 High-Speed High Performance TEDS Ready Indicator. The 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile Load Cell successfully measured the tension and compression between the rack and pinion of the customer’s MDPS system. You can see the entire solution and results in the MDPS testing App Note.

Additional Resources:

Driving Force in Automotive Applications

Advancing Auto Testing with Interface Measurement Solutions

Automotive Window Pinch Force Testing

Test and Measurement for Electric Vehicles

 

Fine-Tuning Testing Solutions for Championship Racing Vehicles

As every championship race car team looks to find its competitive advantage, measured in seconds, Interface continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring accurate force measurement solutions are used to test the limits of every component used in motorsports.

The automotive industry has long depended on the quality and accuracy of Interface load cells, torque transducers, instrumentation, and multi-axis sensors.  Did you know it is also used in the competitive arena of auto racing?  Performance demands are constantly being pushed for all types of racing machines, whether it’s for NASCAR, IndyCar, or even the amateur level racing. What is known in the racing community is that engineers and manufacturers of equipment and parts used in these high-performance vehicles rely on Interface for precision testing solutions.

In our new case study, Building a Championship Race Car, we detail some of the specific sensor technologies used in the racing arena for high performance testing. We highlight how Interface’s TXY 2-Axis Load Cell is used in testing tires. Leading tire manufacturers, including SCCA sponsors, utilize these sensors to get precise test data on tire uniformity. The TXY has minimal cross talk across its strain gage bridges, ideal for this type of testing.

We also detail how our top load cell, the LowProfile, is frequently used in testing shocks, springs, and struts.  With any racing vehicle, control is fundamental, and the equipment used to maintain that control must be proven to meet the exceptionalism and requirements of racing professionals and their teams.

In this technical article, learn how the popular AxialTQ Torque Transducer, a bearing-less, compact wireless design, affords the test engineer suitable data collection for engine analysis, as well as brake HP calculations for active performance testing.

A competitive spirit runs deep within our Interface team, it’s what we do. We like to ensure our products are top class and help our customers win!  We also have first-hand experience in how our products are used in the racing arena. That experience affirms the positive performance effects of force measurement in auto racing.

Did you know that Interface’s Vice President of Sales, Brian Peters, has accomplished eight National Championships in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) solo racing, and also competes in the One Lap of America cross-country, weeklong multi-competition racing event?

The annual SCCA National Championships draws more than 1,000 drivers from across North America to compete over two days. Wins are decided by mere thousandths of a second. Knowing how our products are used in high-performance racing environments, only fuels us more.

Performance and precision are critical and Interface force measurement solutions help to fine-tune critical racing vehicles, parts, and apparatus used to test different components in motorsports. We also like to say, it’s a competitive advantage. Read our case study to learn more.

Additional Resources

Powered by Interface Race Update from Brian Peters

Race Car Suspension Testing

Driving Force in Automotive Applications

Automotive and Vehicle