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Faces of Interface Featuring Tim Matteson

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The Faces of Interface is an important series for the Interface IQ Blog because it highlights the talented people that keep Interface going strong. In this new ForceLeaders feature we interviewed Tim Matteson, product quality and improvement engineer for our Mini OEM product line, to learn a little bit more about his history and what he’s working on these days.

Interface’s Tim Matteson grew up in the small town of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (and yes, there are many cheese jokes here) between Green Bay and Milwaukee. He was fond of the electrical and mechanical world, having grown up with a father who owned an electronics business and often doing work for him. This interest drove Tim towards mechanical fields and hobbies.

Immediately after school, Tim went to work for a printing company called Action Printing in Wisconsin. His job was to keep the large, fast, and loud presses in working order. Through this work he learned he had a proficiency for troubleshooting and problem-solving. Tim worked his way through the ranks at Action Printing, eventually becoming the assistant plant manager where he managed a crew and ensured production remained efficient.

Eventually, and after a trip to warm and sunny Arizona, Tim and his wife decided it was time for a change of scenery. Tim moved to Arizona shortly after the vacation and started working at another commercial printing company, Signature Offset. He spent 10-years there as the operations manager, and while he enjoyed his time with the company, the decline of the printing industry had Tim looking for a new opportunity.

Tim joined Interface in August 2010 as our second shift manager, which entailed keep an eye on production throughout our facility. After a few years, he moved to become the department supervisor of one of our most popular product lines, Interface Mini Load Cells. He then moved up again, becoming a business unit manager. In this role, he oversaw production for three different product lines, including our popular minis. And now today, Tim runs the Mini OEM product line as the product quality and improvement engineer.

In this role, Tim oversees the production of one of Interface’s fastest-growing business units in OEMs. His job is to ensure that production is running as efficiently as possible and that every product that leaves the floor has the same premium quality that Interface is known for in the industry. Tim says that the thing he enjoys most about working at Interface is the fact that he gets to put his problem-solving and troubleshooting skills to work every day. He’s also dealing with a lot of detailed drawings of Interface products, which brings back fond memories of his drafting days.

In his free time, Tim likes to spend his time outdoors exploring Arizona. One of he and his wife’s favorites spots to hike is the Superstition Mountains. The couple has also hiked the Grand Canyon 10 times now, often camping out at our state’s Wonder of the World. He says that he and his wife probably spend so much time outdoors nowadays because they’ve escaped the winter weather and can enjoy time outside nearly all year long.

Tune in each month as we feature another Interface employee or partner. To view the entire series, visit our ForceLeaders page here.

Interface Mini Load Cells Growing in Product Use and Testing

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One of the biggest manufacturing trends over the past decade is the miniaturization of hardware components. Reducing the size and weight of products and the components, while increasing the power of complex technology systems, is growing in use across all industry segments using force measurement in design and production.

The growing trend to utilize sensor technology in miniaturized products has been especially significant in the medical, consumer products, technology and robotics industries. These industries are looking to fit more force and measurement capabilities into a package that is the same size, or in many cases, considerably smaller than previous generations of like products.

To address this expanding trend, Interface Mini™ Load Cells were designed specifically for light touch, light weight, high accuracy, and robust performance to utilize for OEM products and smaller testing applications in confined spaces. Our miniature load cells provide exceedingly accurate measurements, similar to our full-size load cells and utilize our proprietary alloy strain gages. Capacities are available as low as 0.11 lbf / 0.5 N and as high as 100 kN.

These small-scale load cells are engineered and manufactured to provide extremely accurate output data with the same degree of precision performance as our standard load cells. OEM’s must have this sort of precision force technology because many of the devices being made today are minuscule and more complex in comparison to earlier products and testing application use cases.

In the medical device industry, innovative and often small new products are used in various life-saving applications. Any inaccuracy or miscalculation of force can have devastating effects. Take a look at how our Interface LBS Miniature Compression Load Button Load Cell and 9330 High Speed Data Logging Indicator were used to record the force measurements when designing and testing vascular clamp surgical devices. You can also read about the Vascular Clamp application note here.

In our earlier Mini Load Cells 101 blog, we discussed the features and benefits of Mini Load Cells in detail. Today, we are highlighting some of our best-selling and new Mini Load Cell solutions available from Interface.

QS48 TruckSpecial Note: A large variety of our standard miniature load cells are available today through our QS48 e-commerce site for easy online ordering. Click here to order now through our QuickShip program and get your mini’s in as little as 48 hours! If you need something specifically customized, reach out to our expert application engineers who can work with you to design custom miniature load cells that will fit your exact requirements.

INTERFACE MINI™ LOAD CELLS

MB Miniature Beam Load Cell

Model MB is a miniature beam load cell used in medical test machines and a variety of low capacity applications. Performance on this product is +/- 0.03% FS and available capacities are 5 to 250 lbf (22.2 N to 1.11 kN).

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Performance to 0.03%
  • Low height – 1-inch max
  • Eccentric load compensated
  • ±0.0008% /˚F – max temperature effect on output
  • Low deflection

MBP Overload Protected Miniature Beam Load Cell

Model MBP series load cells provide similar performance to Model MB series with the added safeguard of internal overload protection. This patented overload protection is accomplished via hard stops that are EDM machined into the load cell flexure. This provides greater overload protection (2.5-10lbf ±1000% of full-scale capacity, 100 N ±500% of full-scale capacity), giving the user added protection in more severe applications.

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • 10x overload protection
  • Low height – 1in max
  • 0.0008%F temp. effect on output
  • 5′ Integral Cable (custom lengths available upon request)
  • NIST Traceable Calibration Certificate

WMC Sealed Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell

Interface Model WMC Stainless Steel Miniature Load Cell is excellent for industrial applications because of its stainless steel, sealed, environmentally protected construction. This product is available in capacities ranging from 5 to 500 lbf (22 to 2200 N).  Submersible versions of this product are available as well.

Product features:

  • Environmentally sealed tension and compression load cell
  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Tension and compression
  • Small Size
  • Stainless Steel Construction
  • Submersible

SSM and SSM2 Sealed S-Type Load Cells

Model SSM is a moderately priced highly-accurate sealed load cell for test machines and other general purpose applications. This product is available in capacities ranging from 50 to 10K lbf (200 N to 50 kN).

Product Features:

  • Proprietary Interface temperature compensated strain gages
  • Environmentally sealed
  • 0.02% non-repeatability
  • 0.0008%/°F (0.0015%/°C) temp. effect on output
  • 0.025% creep
  • Tension and compression

LBM Compression Load Button Load Cell

Model LBM Compression Load Button is very popular.  It is constructed from stainless steel and has a small size. This product is available capacities range from 25 lbf up to 50K lbf.

Product Features:

  • Temperature compensated
  • Integral load button
  • Small diameter
  • Environmentally sealed
  • Stainless steel

LBS Miniature Load Button Load Cell

Model LBS Miniature Compression Load Button is constructed from stainless steel and has a small size. This product is available capacities range from 5 lbf up to 1K lbf (22.2 N to 4.45 kN).

Product Features:

  • Temperature compensated
  • Integral load button
  • Small diameter
  • From 0.12″ height

LWPF1 Press Force Load Washer Load Cell

Model LWPF1 Press Force Load Cell is one of several load washer load cells available from Interface. It features a large thru-hole and short overall height. This product is available in capacities ranging from 2 kN to 100 kN (450 to 22.5K lbf).

Product Features:

  • Short height
  • Large thru hole
  • For press-force monitoring

BPL Pedal Load Cell

BPL Pedal Load CellThe Model BPL is a very LowProfile® load cell is used for measuring force on brake pedals. Interface Model BPL has the lowest sensitivity to off-center loading available and will outperform any competitive model.

Product Features:

  • Lowest nonlinearity and hysteresis of any brake pedal load cell – < 0.05%
  • Ultra-low height
  • Low sensitivity to off-axis loads
  • Mounts directly to pedal with included strap(s)
  • Interchangeable mounting plates
  • For use with gas, brake or clutch pedal
  • Storage case included

There are more than 30 different Interface Mini Load Cells and sensors available, in addition to our ability to provide modified and custom Mini Load Cells solutions. To find the Interface Mini that works for your needs, or to learn more about our expanding lineup of load cells and torque transducers, please visit /products/.

Interface Products Available to Buy Online with QS48 E-Commerce Service

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The new QuickShip48® e-commerce service from Interface provides customers with an easy way to get the industry-leading force measurement products quickly and shipped within two business days.

The new QS48® Now service brings hundreds of Interface’s highest in-demand load cells, mini load cells, torque transducers, multi-axis sensors, indicators, and signal conditioners to customer’s doorsteps within a few days for their important test and measurement projects.

“As the pace of innovation continues to accelerate in the digital age, our customers need reliable and accurate test and measurement tools quickly. Our new online QuickShip48 e-commerce service guarantees fast access to in-demand products to meet our customer’s urgent development schedules and helps them get their innovations tested and to market faster.” Joel Strom, CEO, Interface

QS48 TruckInterface has hundreds of in-stock force measurement products available with the one-stop online shopping experience. The QuickShip48 accelerated e-commerce service offers a wide range of Interface’s readily available products that can be purchased with a credit card and shipped within two business days. All QS48 Now products ship from the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Arizona and are sent with expedited shipping to arrive within three to five days within the U.S.

Popular Interface products in multiple capacities and models are now available for online purchase at new QS48 e-commerce store, including:

For a complete list of QuickShip48 Interface products that are available for online purchase and 48-hour shipment, visit our new QS48 store at https://quickship.interfaceforce.com/.

If you need a quote or a custom solutions request, contact our experienced Application Engineers or connect with our local Representatives and International Distributors for assistance.

 

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!

 

Mini Load Cells 101

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With the miniaturization and compact size of many products and technologies used in today’s market, it is critical that sensors are designed to fit all types of applications both big and small. This is especially true in the medical, aerospace, industrial automation, and automotive industries.

Interface customer’s requirements for miniature load cells has rapidly expanded the diversification of load cell products that are “mini” in capacities as low as 0.11 lbf / 0.5 N and as high as 100 kN. Interface Mini Load Cell solutions include miniature beam load cells, miniature sensors, load buttons, load washers, tension force mini load cells, S-type load cells, and sealed stainless steel load cells.

Interface’s mini load cells are used for customers who are looking for smaller cells, or for those designing for light touch or lightweight products. Our miniature load cells provide exceedingly accurate measurements similar to our full-size load cells, all with proprietary alloy strain gages. Mini’s are available standard and can be modified, as well as completely customized depending on the exact requirements of the client’s project or embedding into original equipment. Decreased size should never equal less accurate measurements. Our customers can expect Interface miniature load cells perform with the exact quality and accuracy as all our larger load cells.

To provide you with more insight, here is a quick overview of some of Interface’s most popular mini load cells and their unique capabilities. You can download the full Interface Mini Load Cell brochure here.

Load Buttons

Interface’s load button cells are designed for customers who require the measurement of forces in a very confined space. They are designed to provide the most accuracy in as little space as possible. The smaller LBM or LBS can fulfill the need for force measurements at a very respectable precision level that is enough for most applications. Diameters range from 1 inch to 3 inches, with heights from 0.39 inch to 1.5 inches. The shaped load button has a spherical radius to help confine misaligned loads to the primary axis of the cell.

S-Beam Cells

This line is designed for customers looking for extremely compact load cells that still offer great accuracy. The SM (Super-Mini) series load cells are a low-cost, yet accurate, cell with a straight-through loading design. The SSM (Sealed Super-Mini) series offers the same benefits as the SM series with a rugged S-Cell with a splash-proof cover. Both series give exceptional results in applications that can be designed to operate the cell in tension. Some caution should be exercised when using these cells if they will be compressed to ensure that the loading does not introduce side loads into the cell.

Bending Beam Cell

With Interface’s bending beam cell, the cell is bolted to support through the two mount holes. The cell is designed to concentrate the forces into the area where the gages are mounted on the top and bottom faces of the beam. Our line of bending beam cells also have a splash-proof sealing cover.

Double Bending Beam Cell

The double bending beam cell from Interface is a useful variation on the traditional bending beam. In general, this configuration is much more user-friendly because of its short vertical dimension and compact design. It is especially useful for applications where the cells could easily be damaged by tension/compression overload. The variation is achieved by forming two bending beams into one cell. This allows the loading fixtures to be attached at the threaded holes on the centerline, between the beams, which makes the sensitive axis pass through the cell on a single line of action.

Interface mini load cells can be ordered in different sizes, with a wide range of capacities. Many of the minis can be used in off-the-shelf applications. We are also happy to work with customers to custom design load cells to fit their exact needs for size, weight, and accuracy.

For more information on Interface’s Mini Load Cells, visit our web product page or review our product brochure below for detailed specifications on every product.

Mini Load Cell Brochure_6-Page

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

 

 

50 Years and Still Innovating Force Measurement Solutions

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Interface is well known for premium accuracy and reliability when it comes to force measurement solutions. The product lines that Low Profile VP Brian Shaw and Mark Weathers, VP, Mini and 1923 Wireless Business Products manage range from Interface’s oldest products to brand-new ones in the pipeline.

In this new InterfaceIQ post, we highlight the different ways we are instilling innovation in both our older products and our newest designs, including optimizing efficiencies and significantly reducing production time.

Mini Load Cells

Interface was founded on the LowProfile® load cell product, what some companies refer to as pancake load cells. The next major product line to come along in our history is collectively referred to as load cell ‘minis,’ which tend to be smaller and cover a wide variety of geometries and packages. The fundamentals of our quality products haven’t changed; however, the speed at which we are able to get these products to market has improved significantly.

WMCP Overload Protected Stainless Steel Mini Load Cell

Interface minis are used for light-touch, lightweight, or limited space applications. Our miniature load cells provide exceedingly accurate measurements, similar to our full-size load cells, with proprietary alloy strain gages, full temperature compensation, and some environmentally hardened applications. Capacities are available as low as 0.11 pounds of force / 0.5 newtons and as high as 100 kilonewtons.

Most of our off-the-shelf mini load cells can be used in a wide variety of applications. Our engineers can also work with customers to design custom load cells to fit a specific need.  For example, our custom mini load cells are commonly used in the medical industry for applications like blood separation products.

Optimizing Production Significantly Cuts Lead Times

The most significant development in Interface’s mini load cell product line is the optimized production methods we have continually introduced. Inventory positioning and communication streamlining have helped to cut lead times in mini load cell production from seven to three days in our pilot product tests.

We take time to make innovation a priority in everything we do, from optimizing production methods to introducing new ways to help our clients succeed. This diversity is the reward Brian Shaw and I receive as co-managers of a department with our oldest and newest solutions.” Mark Weathers, VP of Mini and 1923 Wireless Business Products at Interface

Last week’s blog outlined efforts by leaders at Interface to improve efficiency by breaking down departmental barriers. The improvements we introduced have restructured various departments in the supply chain to allow our employees to have more direct communication with one another.

For instance, planners now sit directly on the production floor. This gives them direct access to the assembly line where they can schedule their own orders and accelerate time to market. In the past, the chain of communication was bogged down by departmental barriers that would slow down the time it takes to get a customer order into production.

1923 Wireless Series Load Cells

On the other end of the innovation spectrum is Interface’s 1923 Wireless Series Load Cell, a brand-new product in development at Interface. The original 1923 Series of load cells is one of Interface’s highest volume products. Its design and consistency have made it a popular off-the-shelf solution for many years.

The 1923 Series was originally designed for the oil and gas industry to avoid pump jacks going too fast and interrupting the capillary flow of oil. The load cell sits on the pump jack and monitors the force at which the jack pumps, providing real-time data to avoid over-pumping.

One of the challenges that sparked the development of our 1923 Wireless Series is the fact that the original 1923 Series requires a cable leading to the bridge device to relay the data to the user. In the hazardous environments where the load cell is used, the cables are subject to damage and can be inconvenient or dangerous. Our 1923 Wireless Series innovation removes the need for the cable and provides the same accurate, real-time data readings with little to no fuss.

Interface has thrived for more than 50 years because we have built a foundation for which we manufacture premium force measurement products. This enables us to look ahead and create solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.

Contributor:  Mark Weathers, VP, Mini and 1923 Wireless Business Products, Interface

 

 

 

Faces of Interface Featuring Mark Weathers

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From working at a Fortune 100 company to owning his own machine shop and everything in between, Mark Weathers, VP of Mini and 1923 Wireless Business Products at Interface, has seen it all in manufacturing. His career experiences have provided him with the tools to excel as a leader.

Weathers graduated from Georgia Tech with a mechanical engineering degree and started his career at General Electric (GE) in the appliances side of the business. During his time at GE, he quickly realized his passion for manufacturing. He knew he preferred getting hands-on with the products, so he joined GE’s manufacturing management program where he developed skills managing a production floor.

After 10 years at GE, Weathers joined Aligned Signal, now Honeywell Aerospace, for nine years before owning his own machine shop, Excalibur Precision Machining. Excalibur served the aerospace industry, and it’s during this time that Weathers gained experience running a business, in addition to critical skills in business development. These skills, along with his management training experience at GE and MBA from ASU later in his career, serves him well in his leadership position at Interface.

Mark sold his business, Excalibur, and continued working with the company under its new management before joining Interface as a quality manager in 2015. At this time, CEO Joel Strom had just joined the company to improve processes and bolster innovation. Over the next four years, he has worked with Strom and other Interface leaders to help break departmental barriers on the production floor and speed up the time-to-market for mini load cells as well as specialized and custom products.

By combining the entire supply chain and improving Interface’s interdepartmental communication, the Interface Executive Team expects the company to run far more efficiently and customer satisfaction to improve dramatically with all the focus on continuous improvement. In Weather’s department, lead times for some of Interface’s higher volume products have already been cut in half, or greater.

Weathers attributes his success at Interface to the collaborative environment that Strom created and his own management style. He prefers to lead by setting an example of a positive attitude and the “do what it takes” mindset he wants to see from his staff. This includes taking time to have daily meetings with everyone on the production floor to understand their challenges, and jumping in his truck to deliver materials to other offices and more to ensure we are doing whatever it takes.  No matter what, Mark knows he will do anything he can to remove obstacles that cause negativity and finger-pointing and instead focus on results and positive outcomes.

“I liken my management style to Olympic curling, an odd analogy, I know and what I mean by this is I see myself as the two guys out in front of the curling stone, madly sweeping away barriers to the success of our department.” – Mark Weathers, VP Mini and 1923 Wireless Business Products at Interface

Weathers was raised in a military family, and also co-owns a jujitsu facility where he trained in the art for a few years. Those experiences have helped him bond with all types of people, regardless of their background, and recognize that everyone has something to contribute. Along with mountain biking and spending time with his family, Weathers finds pleasure in being extremely hands-on with the renovation of his house. He’s well known around Interface for having spent the last seven years single-handedly working on his home. He finds the same passion as a renovator as he does as a manufacturer, but with less stress!.

 

 

Better Data and Performance with Interface Multi-Axis Sensors

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The increasing consumer demand for smarter and more sophisticated products is transforming design practices. Data-driven design is now at the forefront of product development and has become the catalyst to the explosion of sensor technology. Engineers require an increasing number of sensors to measure every aspect of their product. In response to this market need, we have developed a family of Interface Multi-Axis Sensors.

The Interface Multi-Axis Sensors measure a multitude of forces and moments simultaneously with a single load cell sensor. These sensors can precisely measure the applied force from one direction with little or no cross-talk from the force or moment. Interface’s  3-axis, 6-axis, and axial torsion load cells provide excellent performance and accuracy in force and torque measurement.

“Our multi-axis sensors measure forces simultaneously in three mutually perpendicular axes, with the 6-axis load cells also measuring torque around those axes.” Ken Bishop, Custom Solutions Director, Interface

The key advantages of Interface’s Multi-Axis Sensors are three-fold:

  1. The ease in which Interface Multi-Axis Load Cells can be set up and put in use provides a user-friendly experience. The software takes very complicated mathematics and presents it in a simple and understandable format. As an example, check out this quick video to see how easy it is to set up the 6-Axis to BX8-HD44.
  2. Interface products are known for accuracy and performance. The Interface Multi-Axis family of products provides the most accurate and comprehensive data readings on the market.
  3. Longevity is a common problem with most multi-axis Sensor products because of the various angles of stress the load cells endure. Interface products are built to last. The combination of robust design and strong materials ensure that Interface Multi-Axis Sensors remain in proper working order for longer than any similar device on the market.

Interface Multi-Axis Load Cells are ideally suited to many industrial and scientific applications, such as www.interfaceforce.com/solutions/aerospace, robotics, automotive, and medical research (orthopedics and biomechanical). In fact, their unique capabilities are helping the medical industry optimize prosthetic design via multi-axis testing. The automotive industry is using Interface’s multi-axis products in wind tunnels, and the military is using them to test the center of gravity in aerospace applications.

Interface is helping provide crucial data to global product engineers across all industries, which has never been available before. Our Multi-Axis Sensors have become a key component to optimizing designs in complex, multi-faceted products. With the data available today through Interface’s unique test and measurement products, engineers have the freedom to be more innovative in product design and development and meet the demands of consumers.

Read about our latest BX8 8-Channel Data Acquisition System and Amplifier and 6-Axis 6A Series 6-Axis Force and Torque Load Cell

An Interface customer ran into challenges when testing a new car seat by attempting to measure the force with a standard load cell rated at 550 pounds. After applying only 150 pounds of force, the load cells would break. While helping to troubleshoot the issue, Interface realized that the unique contour of the car seat was applying twist pressure that surpassed the standard load cells moment rating. Interface provided the customer with a 6-Axis Load Cell and they were able to measure the force on multiple-axis to optimize the car seat design. This is an example of a unique product development environment in which Interface Multi-Axis Sensors thrive.

By Ken Bishop, Custom Solutions Director, Interface

 

Taking Flight with Interface

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When the aerospace industry needs a force measurement solution provider, they’ve turned to Interface for the past 50 years. There is no room for error when it comes to the hardware that keeps airplanes and helicopters safely airborne, and therefore Interface products are the easy choice for Fortune 500 and innovators in www.interfaceforce.com/solutions/aerospace from around the world.

Interface specializes in ground testing for aerospace vehicles. Our products are used in flight simulations, aircraft production, and structural, static and fatigue testing on fuselages and wings. We are the leader in moment and temperature compensation, and a unique differentiator of our load cells is their ability to accurately measure or isolate side loads.

The Interface force measurement standard, modified and custom products that we supply to the aerospace industry typically include:

  • LowProfile™ Load Cells
  • Mini Load Cells
  • Multi-Axis Sensors
  • Calibration Frames

The durability, reliability, performance, and accuracy of Interface load cells are what leads the market.  Unlike others, Interface’s load cells do not lose their accuracy over time. In fact, we just received a calibration order that included some of the very first load cells ever made by Interface. Simply said, our load cells are still on the production floor after 40 years of use.

“Our load cells actually demonstrate improvements in performance the longer our customers have them.” – Ashish Desai, Director, Engineering and Technology, Interface

Our precision is the key to our success for aerospace, as well as all our industry solutions. To engineer high-precision load cells, we first start with the flexure. The flexure must be symmetrical, and a great deal of machining art goes into our symmetry process. We have strict control of the process, which also includes making our own strain gages. By maintaining tight control over all processes, Interface can better match the materials that go into the load cells, leading to higher performance.

Each Interface load cell is designed and manufactured at Interface corporate headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.  This single location benefit gives customers the added convenience of not needing to accommodate their designs to account for inaccuracies resulting from generic strain gages that are not made in the same place by the best in force measurement engineering and manufacturing.

Interface load cell features are important to the aerospace industry because not only does the longevity of our load cells save our customers money, our precision guarantees that measurements are accurate. One tiny inaccuracy in the measurement of airplane wing’s force capacity can cause critical failures and have devastating effects.

Interface also has all the necessary certifications for working with the aerospace industry including ISO17025, NCSL Z540 and ASTM E74. These standards of excellence demonstrate our ability to serve our customers to the highest degree, on the ground and for taking flight.

Contributor: Ashish Desai, Director, Engineering and Technology, Interface