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Test Stand Applications for Force and Torque

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In the world of test and measurement, test stands are essential equipment for manufacturers and testing engineers. The test stand provides a host of different testing products in a single “cabinet-like” structure. These systems have been used for a long time to gather data on various functions of products during the product test phase.

Test stands works like a mobile test lab, hosted by a frame and containing one or more force or torque sensor components, software, and data acquisition instrumentation and accessories. Force stands are typically motorized or manual.  Motorized test stands, also known as mechanical or electrical, have the advantages of controlling performance by applying modes such as speed, cycles, and time into the testing procedure. The more advanced testing stands are frequently used for repetitive high-performance testing requirements, validating accuracy and quality. Manual test stands are used for simple testing protocols and frequently used in education programs.

There are a wide variety of testing devices and sensor products that are used as part of the entire test process. As parts roll off the production line, the test stand will sit at the end of the line where the test engineer can immediately load the product into the test rig. Test stands help to streamline the test process by providing all available test functions in a single, mobile application.

Interface is a supplier of choice for precision components of various capacities and dimensions for test stand configurations requiring precision and accuracy in performance. Interface load cells, torque transducers, and instrumentation equipment are commonly used in numerous product test applications by engineers, metrologists, testing professionals and product designers around the world.

Included below are a few examples of specific test applications and the Interface components used in the different style testing stands.

Linear Test Stand

In this example, an Interface customer wanted to add a crush test to their test stand to measure the force it took to deform a piece of material. Interface provided an Model 1210 Load Cell with an internal amplification of 0-10VDC output.

The load cell was installed into the load string of the customer’s load frame, and the scaled analog output from the load cell was connected to the customer’s test stand instrumentation. When the force levels reached the crushing point, the customer’s software was able to read the output of the amplified load cell and record the value.

See the application note for the Linear Test Stand here.

Motor Test Stand

In the quality control lab at a major automotive manufacturing company, a test engineer needed to test, record, and audit the torque produced by a new motor design under start load. Interface supplied the new AxialTQ® Rotary Torque Transducer that connected between the motor and the differential, on the drive shaft, that could measure and record these torque values.

Based on the data collected using the AxialTQ transducer, along with the AxialTQ Output Module, and a laptop, the test engineer was able to make recommendations to optimize the amount of torque created by the new motor design.

See the application note for the Motor Test Stand here.

Verification Test Stand

In this application, a customer needed a test stand application to verify that its load cell was in good, working order. Interface helped to create a solution that used a load cell to verify the customer’s load cell. The solution involved the customer’s supplied verification load frame and an Interface Model 1210 Precision LowProfile® Load Cell connected with a Model SI-USB 2-Channel PC Interface Module.

The customer was able to install their load cell and Model 1210 Precision LowProfile Load cell into the verification load frame. Applied forces were displayed and recorded by Model SI-USB PC Interface Module for review and record keeping on customer’s computer. This allows the customer to have a proven load cell verification test stand at their disposal to ensure its test load cell is always in working order.

See the application note for the Verification Test Stand here.

These are just a few examples of the different types of test stands that Interface can provide off-the-shelf or custom force measurement solution components. If your project involves a mechanical test stand and you are interested in learning more about adding force sensors, please contact our application engineers.

Finding the Center of Gravity

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Even after more than a half-century in the force measurement industry, Interface continues to find new  and innovative use cases for our precision products.

Recently, we were approached by a customer who needed help finding the center of gravity in order to optimize weight distribution and balance for a product in development. Our outstanding team here at Interface put our heads together to develop a unique testing method to help discover this critical data point.

“One of the most rewarding experiences in managing our custom solutions is learning about a new customer challenge and developing a novel solution to address it.” Ken Bishop, Director of Sales and Customer Solutions, Interface, Inc.

For this specific use case, the customer had a cylindrical tank filled with material for which they needed to find the center of gravity. Because we were able to calculate the distance of the tank, we were able to understand the weight distribution and create a test to find the center.

The center of gravity of an object is calculated when the weight of the given object is concentrated into the center of the object. This is determined by measuring the weight seen by each of the four legs.  If the weight is distributed evenly, the material is in the center location.  This center location can also be referred to as the origin.

Utilizing a Model 1280 Programmable Weight Indicator and Controller, which is highly customizable instrumentation for any application, we were able to write a program to achieve our goal. We then placed two Model 1211 Standard Precision LowProfile® Load Cells on each end of the rack where the tank resided, using four load cells in total. Because we knew the distance of the object and had load cells to measure the weight at both ends, we were easily able to calculate and identify the origin point on the tank. In this case, the center of gravity.

Ken noted that during his tenured career at Interface, this was the first time he and the team had been tasked with finding the center of gravity in relationship to the distance for an object. As Interface’s team thought about how to develop the custom solution, they also considered additional applications in which this information could be beneficial.

The result of this successful test and measurement application, Interface considers the center of gravity analysis as a beneficial test to optimize flight performance of an airplane. This is important when there is that instant that a plane is not flying at max capacity. There may be open seats all around you, but in order to keep weight distribution in balance, the attendants may need to limit which seats are occupied during a flight. If planes were equipped with this type of sensor technology to calculate center of gravity, they could more evenly distribute weight and ensure optimal performance.  This same type of application can apply to any vehicle that moves on land, air or water with people or cargo.

SEE THE APPLICATION NOTE FOR CENTER OF GRAVITY TESTING

In the growing demands for urban mobility, unmanned vehicles and drone technologies, this type of testing application can help with vehicles, aircraft, space vehicles, boats and more with performance and safety.

Force measurement has a limitless number of applications to improve performance, maximize efficiency and even work in real-time to provide smart decisions. At Interface, we are discovering new ways to redevelop our load cell, torque and multi-axis sensor products for customized solutions to meet the growing demands for innovation.

Interface works with a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, metrology and industrial automation by teaming up to create unique use cases and applications that require our custom force measurement solutions. If you have a unique project that requires a custom solution, please visit the custom solutions page on our site at /custom-solutions/ or contact us at 480-948-5555.

Contributor:  Ken Bishop, Sales and Custom Solutions Director at Interface

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Interface Holiday Wish List

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As we turn the corner on another great year at Interface, it comes with grace and gratitude to everyone that played part in our 2019 story. And with that, we wish everyone a very joyous holiday season.

To our customers, we appreciate your loyalty and trust. We know you rely on us to accomplish big things and ensure what you do is safe, reliable, durable and accurate. To our team members, our partners, our representatives, and distributors around the world, our success is your success. You are the faces of Interface and everything you do makes a difference.

Reflecting on the past year, we thought we would share what we know best. That’s what you like best!  We compiled a quick list of the top 10 products we sold this year to give you an idea of what’s hot and trending in force measurement.

Here are the items that were on the wish lists of engineers, testers, and lab technicians around the world by quantity of most frequently purchased.  By the way, this list excludes our calibration services and the unique solutions we design for our OEM customers.

BEST SELLING FORCE MEASUREMENT PRODUCTS OF 2019

  1. Mini Compression Load Button Load Cell – This top-selling Interface LBM load cell is available in capacities from 25 to 50K lbf, is environmentally-sealed and made of stainless steel.
  2. LW General Purpose Load Washer Load Cell – A big seller, the Interface Load Washer is available with a wide selection of OD, ID, heights and in various combinations. It is also made of stainless steel.
  3. SGA AC/DC Powered Signal Conditioner – Our SGA Signal Conditioner is a very popular instrumentation device that provides user-selectable analog output ±10V, ±5V, 0-10V, 0-5V, 0-20mA and 4-20mA as a single channel that powers up to four transducers.
  4. SM S-Type Load Cell – This high-demand S-Type Load Cell is for high-performance tension and compression testing. It utilizes proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages.
  5. 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile® Load Cell – The 1200 LowProfile Load Cell model series outsells all others. It is eccentric load compensated and has low deflection and shunt calibration. It can be used in tension and compression testing.
  6. T4 Standard Precision Shaft Style Rotary Torque Transducer – With more than 50 torque models available, this particular Interface T4 Torque Shaft Style Rotary Transducer has capacities from 0.1 Nm to 1K Nm (0.88 lbf-in to 8.85K lbf-in). It has contactless data transmission with digital electronics with on-shaft design.
  7. MB Mini Beam Load Cell – Our low capacity mini load cell has Interface temperature compensated strain gages with performance to 0.03%, low deflection and low height with 1-inch max.
  8. 1100 Ultra Precision LowProfile® Load Cell – The Interface model 1100, with a range of capacities, is selected among our best low profile load cells. It has very low nonlinearity, hysteresis, eccentric load sensitivity, and temperature sensitivity.
  9. 9320 Battery Powered Portable Load Cell Indicator – A very popular instrument, Interface’s 9320 Indicator is handheld and features two independently scalable ranges, peak and valley monitoring, display hold, mV/V calibration, and a power save feature. Typical battery life exceeds 40 hours of continuous use (450 hours in power-save mode), and is TEDS plug and play compliant.
  10. WTS 1200 Standard Precision LowProfile® Wireless Load Cell – Our most popular wireless load cell, often purchased as part of the entire Wireless Telemetry System (WTS), is compact in size and has capacities from 300 to 100K lbf (1.5 to 450 kN), with performance to 0.0425% and a 2.4 GHZ transceiver.

With thousands of products, we certainly have a diverse and broad selection of products and force measurement solutions. We didn’t include all our custom and OEM solutions or calibration services in our best selling list.

As we head into 2020, we look forward to working together to supporting your latest projects and unique applications, as well as helping to achieve your goals in the new decade!  We appreciate you and thank you for your business!

Happy Holidays from your Interface Team!

 

Compression Force Testing 101

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Compression is a type of force that we apply every day often without thinking and compression is intensely tested in many of the products we use on a daily basis.

Compression force is defined as the energy generated from compressing an object or substance. Compressive force is simply the direction of the force applied to the load cell. The compressive strength of materials and structures is an incredibly important engineering consideration in both designs and build.

Whether you are clicking the keys on your laptop at work or slamming on your brakes to avoid an accident on your morning commute, you are using the compression force. Testing of the compression force is essential in developing a reliable and sturdy product that can withstand the pressure applied to it many times over. Often, safety is at the core of compression testing.

Load cells incorporated into the testing process work by measuring the pushing force of an application on a single axis. The strain gage compresses to measure the load applied. The deformation of the strain gage provides the measurement data. Application tests measure the total compression force the products or structures can handle, as well as the effects of compression over time through stress tests. In both cases, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) need accurate measurements to guarantee their products can withstand compression in the short and long-term.

Interface supplies a variety of compression-focused load cells and accessories for all types of applications, both for test and measurement, as well as for inclusion in originally manufactured products and solutions. These compression load cells are often used in vehicles, industrial automation, aerospace, and defense industries. Applications are wide-ranging, from testing the impact of drones dropping packages to the material strength of bridges during an earthquake. Interface load cells are highly-rated to provide the most accurate data and reliability over time, which is why engineers rely on Interface compression-only load cells.

Here are a few of the compression load cells available from Interface:

1601 Gold Standard® Calibration Compression-Only LowProfile® Load Cells – Interface’s Gold Standard® Load Cells are designed for calibrating other load cells. The 1601 load cell is compression-only and has options available for a second and third bridge and overload protection.

1201 Compression-Only Standard Precision LowProfile® Load Cells – The Interface 1201 LowProfile® load cell provides a “compression-only” force measurement. Its spherical-shaped top surface helps provide minimal off-axis loading. 1201 is our most popular load cell designed for static applications and has a higher output than most competitive load cells.

2101 Dual Range Standard Compression-Only Load Cells – The Interface Model 2101 consists of lower and higher capacity model 1200 type load cells which are stacked with overload protection built into the lower capacity load cell permitting the high resolution to be obtained at both low and high levels of capacity. The Model 1201 is LowProfile® moment compensated.

LBM Compression Load Button Load Cells – The Interface LBM Compression Load Button is constructed from stainless steel and has a small size for all types of sensor apps and testing. This product is available in capacities that range from 25 lbf up to 50K lbf.

There is a variety of other standard compression-only load cells, including modified and custom Interface compression testing options in multiple capacities. For more information on our compression-only products or any of Interface’s industry-leading force measurement solutions, contact our Application Engineers.

Interface Highlights New Products at the 2019 Automotive Testing Expo

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Interface is showcasing three innovative solutions for advanced test and measurement at the 2019 Automotive Testing Expo that highlight the range of capabilities for the long-recognized leader in force measurement solutions.

The products include the AxialTQ™, as well as Interface’s new Bluetooth® Telemetry System (BTS), Wireless Telemetry System (WTS) and the soon-to-be-released ConvexBT™ Load Button technology.

“The Interface innovations on display at the Automotive Testing Expo demonstrate our continued commitment to advancing technologies utilizing our decades of engineering prowess in force measurement,” said Joel Strom, CEO, Interface. “Our customers will enjoy the hands-on experience they can take part in at the expo.”

The new products feature expanding capabilities and emphasize the future in force measurement. Experts and engineers from Interface will demonstrate AxialTQ’s latest abilities, along with various applications for BTS and WTS. Visitors of Interface’s exhibit will also see a sneak preview of soon to be unveiled ConvexBT Load Button technology.

The revolutionary AxialTQ is the first of its kind in precision wireless rotary torque transducers with simultaneous analog and digital output options that enable real-time control and data collection with high accuracy. With stator and output module mounting flexibility, there are infinite configurations available to meet the various vehicle and industrial testing requirements.

Interface is also be showcasing its advancements in telemetry systems with both Bluetooth and wireless features. Interface’s BTS and WTS solutions enable torque transducers, load pins, load cells, and multi-axis sensors to transmit output to a device, display, PC or other systems. It wirelessly communicates with different types of receivers such as mobile devices, displays, handheld readers, analog outputs, relay modules and computer interfaces for easy configuration of the application.

The new products, along with interface’s industry-leading LowProfile® Load Cells, Mini Load Cells, instrumentation and calibration systems, are on display at the Automotive Testing Expo 2019.

PRESS RELEASE

 

Our Greatest Resource is Our Team Members

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Labor Day is important to Interface. It is our time to celebrate our most valuable resource, our talented team members. We appreciate every single person that has been part of our 51-year-old history. They are what makes us thrive, each and every day.

Our talent is diverse in skills and experience. It takes a wide range of resources to design and build the best precision force solutions in the market place.

At Interface, we are proud of the work we do and the products we provide our clients. Our force measurement tools and technology are recognized as the Gold Standard™ for accuracy and reliability, because of the hundreds of top-notch engineers, production team members, sales and application engineers, administrators, partners, reps, and distributors, who pour their heart and soul into their work.

On any given day, you can find our experts keenly soldering strain gages, calibrating every load cell, shipping crates of our LowProfile load cells, meeting with clients to design new OEM solutions, engineering new products and supporting our internal and external customers from our headquarter office. It takes a vast group of committed team members to do what we do, and do it well. And that is worth celebrating this Labor Day!

Our employees have been able to achieve success at such a high level because of our focus on the core values we use to define ourselves: ownership, integrity, imagination, and accountability. It’s ingrained in our culture and what we strive to represent throughout the organization.

These values dictate the way our teams interact with clients and one another, and it guides the success of our product development and R&D efforts. There are a shared vision and a common goal which makes collaboration and innovation easier, which helps us to promote a great place to work.

As a premium supplier to the critical infrastructure projects, the aerospace and defense markets, we are also happy to avowal that Interface products are “Made in America.” We take pride in leveraging American labor and contributing our economic success to the U.S. GDP. The National Association of Manufacturing (NAM) presented the following facts on the state of U.S. manufacturing, and Interface is an integral contributor to these milestones:

NAM Facts (Source):

  • Manufacturers contributed $2.38 trillion to the U.S. economy in the fourth quarter of 2018
  • Over the past 28 years, U.S.-manufactured goods exported have quadrupled
  • Manufacturers in the U.S. export nearly half of U.S. manufacturing output
  • Taken alone, manufacturing in the U.S. would be the eighth-largest economy in the world

America’s manufacturing labor force turned America into a powerhouse in the mid-1800s. They started the industrial revolution and became the backbone to American success throughout the next 150 years. It’s critical to our country’s future to celebrate and support manufacturing and labor.

We invite you to check back in every month and read our Faces of Interface blog where we celebrate the individual leaders helping us to achieve our innovation goals. The special series tells the stories and background of some of our most brilliant people. Check out the latest edition here.

Happy Labor Day, and remember to rest and relax. We appreciate all you do Interface Team!

 

 

 

Why Interface Load Cells Stand Out from the Competition

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As you might expect, there’s a lot of care and attention to detail in our product development methods that allow Interface to create the most accurate and reliable force measurement tools on the market. Honed over our 51 plus years in the manufacturing of force measurement products, we have among the most refined and thorough processes in the industry. Today, we are going to reveal one of the unique testing processes in our LowProfile® load cell development which sets us apart from the competition, by a landslide!

It’s no secret, Interface LowProfile load cells are reliable and offer repeatable results. What isn’t widely known is this is because of the product’s overall capability to handle loads with minimum error due to misalignment. In plain English, these load cells are very forgiving to general misalignment when they are installed into the application. Why? Because of a process called moment compensation. This is one of the primary differentiators from other pancake load cells in the marketplace.

Moment compensation is one of the many production tests we run on our LowProfile load cells to guarantee minimal influence from off-axis loads known as “moments.” We compensate for moments by hanging a weight from a fixture and rotating it around the LowProfile load cell. The offset weights go around and take readings at specific locations. The computer records the data and identifies the highest readings and locations. The operator then modifies the geometry of the material from the beam to make the beamless stiff. Once this process is completed, we go around and repeat the process to confirm results until the product passes the specification criteria.

Moment compensation is performed on every individual Interface LowProfile load cell and most other Interface load cell models to ensure repeatability and accuracy. This is a big deal in the force measurement industry because most load cell manufacturers don’t test and compensate or have a specification for eccentric load sensitivity like we do.

Interface takes these extra steps because we understand that as product development becomes more complex, the margin for error gets smaller and smaller. Moment compensation also helps to maximize the operating life and minimize performance errors. With Interface LowProfile load cells, customers know that every step in our design and development process is conducted to ensure the premium quality which exceeds their needs and quality expectations.

Contributor: Carlos Salamanca, Interface Engineering

Are you a person that likes to learn visually? There’s an Interface video for that! Check out Interface’s Brian Peters explaining the process here:

For more information on Interface’s lineup up of our precision LowProfile load cells, please visit /product-category/load-cells/ or call to contact an Application Engineer at 480-948-5555.  You can also read about our entire line of load cells here.

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Faces of Interface Featuring Albert Luna

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Albert Luna was a born engineer. From a young age, he was always interested in how things worked. One of his favorite childhood hobbies was to take things apart to see what was inside them. He took apart appliances, TVs, radios and more and always looked forward to going to his cousin’s house to play with his drafting tools that furthered his mechanical inquisitiveness. Because of his childhood experiences, his parents encouraged him to pursue a formal career in advanced engineering.

Albert took his parents’ advice and enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles, where he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. With his professional credentials in-hand, he launched his career as a design engineer. Throughout his profession, he’s worked with a variety of organizations, including Snap-on, where he was paid to play with tools and became an expert at designing solutions with strain gages. While Albert’s skills are abundant, his desire to learn didn’t stop there. He’s currently studying for his professional engineering (PE) exam.

Although Albert gained a lot of experience in his discipline, one thing he hadn’t gotten a chance to do in his previous positions was to design with sensors. Prior to joining Interface, Albert was just always handed a sensor and asked to build a tool around it. When he saw the opportunity to expand his skill set and work extensively with sensors, he eagerly applied to Interface and became a design engineer for the company that is the leader in force measurement solutions. Albert currently works on Interface’s Gold Standard® LowProfile® load cell product line.

“The thing I enjoy most about working at Interface is how hands-on my job is and how I get to use tools, work with equipment and help with troubleshooting. I work on a product from the design stage all the way through calibration.” Albert Luna, Design Engineer, Interface

Not only is Albert an expert design engineer, but he also goes above and beyond for Interface’s customers in any way he can. His work philosophy is to make sure that all customers are satisfied and that everything they want in their application has been incorporated. With Albert, nothing is ever compromised.

Albert is also known in Interface for his wall of fame.  His office is papered with credentials and awards from Toastmasters International in recognition of his passions and commitment to always be learning.  It is one of the many things that make a valued member of the Interface family.

Albert’s love of working with his hands translates into his personal life as well. When he’s not at Interface, he loves to fix things around his house and spend time on his car. In fact, he even earned a two-year degree in auto mechanics.

Although he loves hands-on building projects, cycling is another one of Albert’s passions, and 70-mile bike rides are among his many accomplishments in his favorite hobby.

 

 

IoT Solution That Monitors Rigging and Lifting in Real-Time Showcased at OTC50

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Interface, the world’s trusted leader in technology, design, and manufacturing of force measurement solutions is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) by exhibiting at the global event.

In coordination with the event theme, The Next 50 Years of Offshore Developments, Interface will be highlighting their latest innovations that are advancing force measurement solutions specifically for the oil and gas industry. We will be gathering input from participants in our next-generation of downhole load cell and strain gage technology.

During OTC 2019, Interface is showcasing its proprietary wireless telemetry system (WTS) that measures force capacity in heavy machinery used by oil and gas support service. This innovation connects to software on a PC to handle enormous amounts of weight, preventing damage to both humans and equipment.

“Interface’s solution is part of the most exclusive line of integrated wireless products on the market.” Ken Bishop, Director, Sales Engineering

Interface will also be discussing its line of ATEX approved products for use in extremely harsh environments, including its most popular product, the Interface LowProfile® load cell.  The company’s products are customizable to meet any customer specification.

Interface force measurement solutions are used in every facet of energy production from research and exploration to monitoring equipment. You can read more about Interface innovation in dry load cell technology here.  This advancement in force measurement provides unparalleled accuracy in a ruggedized package that will stand up to the harsh environments of a deep oil well. These design iterations increase product lifespans, with cost savings and consistency of using a single force measurement solution.

Attendees of OTC 2019 can find Interface team members at booth #7551, Hall C at NRG Park in Houston, May 6-8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and May 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST.