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Fitness Equipment Makers Require Extreme Accuracy

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Interface’s specialty is building solutions for the testing and monitoring of parts and total systems that move and create force. One of the industries where this is critical is the fitness industry. Equipment and fitness machines, whether designed for in-home use or in professional athlete training facilities, needs to perform safely and accurately.

Utilizing Interface sensors and instrumentation, the performance of different fitness apparatus is measured in various testing protocols throughout the product’s lifecycle. Rigorous tests are performed during each phase: R&D, design, manufacturing, and after-market use. These tests look at performance data, as well as measure reliability, durability, fatigue, and safety of the equipment. Manufacturers of fitness devices also utilize feedback from sensors to monitor user experiences in real-time. This means they need accurate data for all types of user profiles, strength variability, weights, and experience levels.

The global fitness market also needs a testing solutions partner as the industry is looking at solid growth over the next few years. In fact, Allied Market Research predicts that the fitness market will reach $14.8 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 3.3% year-over-year during this assessment period.

Interface recently captured a series of use cases for how our test and measurement products are used in the fitness industry for testing and in OEM applications. You can read the entire case study here: Interface Measures Fitness Equipment with Extreme Accuracy.

Addressing Challenges in Making Fitness Equipment

In the development of fitness equipment, a lot goes into the manufacturing and engineering process to ensure equipment is safe and reliable for users. Taking a treadmill as an example, the wheels that move the running surfaces must withstand varying speeds and levels of force over extended periods of time. This requires torque and stress testing. Additionally, the sensors on the handrails that send out a pulse to measure the user’s heart rate needs to provide accurate data in health and wellness uses. Manufacturers are looking to install sensors into their equipment that measure various forces and provide fitness data to the user, or data that doctors can use to monitor patients while working out. These makers and product designers for fitness equipment need sensors that can be easily designed into the product or customized to fit into existing products to enable smart functionality and IoT capabilities.

Interface Fitness Equipment Test & Measurement Solutions

Interface provides a variety of measurement solutions used by manufacturers and testing engineers in the fitness equipment sector. This includes our load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors and miniature load cells, along with the popular wireless products and instrumentation. Our products have been used across a wide variety of fitness applications, including elliptical, leg press, rowing machines, bicycles both mobile and stationary, and physical training and therapy equipment. Interface sensor technologies are preferred by product design engineers in this field because of the precision, accuracy, range of options, and quality.

The following application notes examples provide an overview of how Interface serves the fitness industry:

Designing Fitness Equipment and Machines

A fitness machine manufacturer wanted multiple load measurement systems for their different fitness machines such as the elliptical, leg press, rowing machine, and the cable machines used in gyms of all types. The goal of designing sensors into the equipment is to ensure the machines are functioning properly to prevent injuries. The sensors can also be used for trainers who want to conduct strength and endurance tests. Interface provided a combination of products including the WMCFP Overload Protected Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell, SSB Sealed Beam Load Cells, and AT103 Axial Torsion Force and Torque Transducers. Paired with Interface’s proper instrumentation, the forces can be measured, graphed, and displayed during the testing stage. Interface’s products all effectively measured forces needed for those working out or undergoing athletic training regiments. Not only did it ensure the designed machines were working properly, but it also helped those using them to track their endurance performance and consider future design enhancements based on consumer use. Read more about this use case.

 

 

Treadmill Rehabilitation

A medical device maker wanted a force measurement system for their experimental rehabilitation treadmill for patients that have pelvic mobility difficulties. For example, patients who have had strokes tend to have difficulty walking. Their goal was to measure the forces applied on the pelvis when the patient is walking on the treadmill and catch any pelvic deviations. The treadmill had a special harness with two actuators on either side of the patient when in use. Interface suggested installing two WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cells to the actuators, which will measure the forces applied on the pelvis of the patient. Force results would be measured using the SI-USB4 4-Channel USB Interface Module, which could also be graphed and logged on the customer’s computer with supplied VS3 software. Using this solution, the medical company was able to catch different pelvic deviations in their experimental rehabilitation treadmill using Interface’s products. Learn more here.

Bike Power Pedals

A bike manufacturer wanted to evaluate the functionality of their power pedals. They needed a reliable system to measure how much force the cyclist pushes down onto the bike pedals, and they preferred a wireless system that can be paired with their computer to review data results. Interface suggested four Model SML Low Height S-Type Load Cells installed within the bike’s pedals. The four SMLs are paired with two WTS-AM-4 Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, which will transmit the force data from the cyclist to the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station Dongle connected to the customer’s computer. The products Interface provided allowed the bike manufacturer to measure the pedal power applied by the cyclist. Read more here.

Interface load cells, torque transducers, and data acquisition systems are ideal for many fitness applications, especially those designed for IoT connectivity. Interface offers products that measure all types of force across the necessary fitness applications. Additionally, if we don’t have a product that works for your exact challenge, our custom solutions team will work alongside your design and test engineers to create the most effective and efficient solution based on the unique specifications.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Bike Frame Fatigue Testing Application Note

E-Bike Torque Measurement

Why Product Design Engineers Choose Interface

Golf Club Swing Accuracy

Golf Ball Tee

Interface Plays a Role in Testing Bicycles

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Interface sensors are used in a never-ending list of products, from heavy machinery to miniature medical devices. In the spirit of the Olympics, we thought we would share how our force and torque technologies are used in the test and measurement of bicycles, whether used for extreme off-road racing or speeding around the track. Interface has a role in helping to get bikes on the road and performing at optimum speeds.

Road, mountain and e-bikes present a fantastic use case for our products because everything from the force a rider puts on a bike’s suspension, shocks and frame when sitting on it, to the torque of the pedals and tires need to be carefully tested before a bike is ready for action. In the application notes below, we outline different parts and kinds of bikes that utilize measurement testing in design and actual use, along with the specific Interface force sensors used in each case.

Mountain Bike Shock Testing

In this application example, when a manufacturer wanted to test the durability of the forks on the front of their bikes, the rear shocks, front suspension, and ensure that the bikes shocks absorption is working properly for bike riders, we had a solution. Interface suggested installing the 1000 High Capacity Fatigue-Rated LowProfile™ Load Cell in a fatigue frame using the company’s bike forks. The forks undergo a fatigue test for several hours. Test results from the 1000 High Capacity Fatigue-Rated LowProfile™ Load Cell will be sent to the INF-USB3 Universal Serial Bus Single Channel PC Interface Module where the customer can view, log, and graph the results on their PC computer or laptop with provided software. Using this solution, the customer was able to test the bike’s front and rear shocks using Interface’s products. They determined if there were any weak spots in the forks or if it was working properly.

E-Bike Torque Measurement

e) manufacturer needed to test the torque on their electronic bicycles. They also 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. To address this challenge, Interface suggested installing the Model T12 Square Drive Torque Transducer where the pedal assist sensor would normally be. The T12 Square Drive Torque Transducer’s results could then be recorded, graphed, and logged using the SI-USB4 4 Channel USB Interface Module when connected to the customer’s PC. This allows the e-bike manufacturing company to successfully test the torque on their electronic bicycles with Interface’s products and instrumentation.

Bike Power Pedals

For a bike manufacturer testing the functionality of its power pedals, Interface supplied a full wireless system solution to measure how much force the cyclist pushes down onto the bike pedals. The solution included four Model SML Low Height S-Type Load Cells installed within the bike’s pedals. The four SMLs were paired with our Wireless Telemetry System components, two WTS-AM-4 Wireless Strain Bridge Transmitter Modules, which transmit the force data from the cyclist to the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station Dongle connected to the customer’s PC or laptop. Interface also provided the software needed with their wireless products. Using this system, the bike manufacturer was able to measure the pedal power applied by the cyclist. The customer was also able to measure and log the data wirelessly transmitted to their PC computer.

Bike Load Testing

In this example, another mountain bike manufacturing company wanted a system that measures their bike frames load capacities and vibrations on the frame, and to ensure the bike’s high quality and frame load durability during the final step of the product testing process. Interface suggested installing Model SSMF Fatigue Rated S-Type Load Cell, connected to a WTS products, the WTS-AM-1E Wireless Strain Bridge, between the mountain bike’s seat and the bike frame. This measured the vibrations and load forces applied onto the bike frame. The results are then captured by the WTS-AM-1E and transmitted to the customer’s PC using the WTS-BS-6 Wireless Telemetry Dongle Base Station. Using this solution, the mountain bike manufacturing company was able to gather highly accurate data to determine that their bikes met performance standards through this final testing.

Bike Frame Fatigue Testing

Fatigue testing is critical for bike design engineers. Our customer wanted to perform a fatigue test on their bike frames and analyze the strength of their bike frames in order to ensure durability and high-quality standards, turned to Interface for a solution. We suggested installing Model 1000 Fatigue-Rated LowProfile™ Load Cell to the customer’s bike frame fatigue tester. This load cell provides the customer with highly accurate results through the fatigue cycling. These results are collected using the INF-USB3 Universal Serial Bus Single Channel PC Interface Module and displayed on the customer’s PC or Laptop with Interface’s provided software. With this solution, the bike manufacturing company successfully had their bikes undergo fatigue frame testing, receiving highly accurate results with Interface’s load cell and instrumentation.

This deep dive into bicycle testing is just the beginning in demonstrating how many applications of Interface products can be used to improve the quality and reliability of the final design. When you consider bicycles, testing is critical whether it’s being used in the Olympics, for recreation or even transportation. Bicycle safety is fundamental to any design. Testing the performance and durability are essential before any bicycle is approved to be used on the road.

For a preview of all the application we have and can possibly work on, continue following the Interface IQ Blog at http www.interfaceforce.com/blog/. Each month we provide analysis and insight on new and interesting use cases and application examples.