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Interface 2021 Video Watch List

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Interface is committed to providing a variety of online support resources to help our customers and those interested in using our products and services. In fact, we host one of the industry’s largest self-help glossaries of test and measurement technical terms, a detailed technical library, along with a robust troubleshooting guide and access to our famous Load Cell Field Guide.

In our conversations with customers, we know that people like to consume information in a variety of formats. That is why in 2021 we produced a number of new videos to extend our digital library of education and training references.

From product use cases to technical user guides, our team of experts have created 19 new videos in 2021.  The new Interface videos cover a diverse set of topics, including product introductions, industry solutions, animated application notes, use cases, installation tips, and explainers for using Interface software.

We also introduced our new ForceLeaders Webinar Series in 2021. We hosted seven expert-led online events that included product overviews, technical tips, installation support, use cases and FAQs for a number of Interface products and services. Each webinar was recorded and archived on our site, as well as posted on our YouTube channel.

Here is a quick and easy guide to the 2021 Watch List for the latest releases from Interface’s video vault:

NEW 2021 FORCELEADERS WEBINARS

INDUSTRY SOLUTIONS 

ANIMATED APPLICATION NOTES AND USE CASES

PRODUCT OVERVIEWS, SET-UP AND TRAINING VIDEOS

So what is on the schedule for 2022? You need to tune-in by subscribing to our YouTube channel, as well as watching for upcoming ForceLeaders Webinars.  We are already working on our first series of online events that we’ll launch in February. Keep watching, we have a lot more we are ready to share.

Top Picks for Your Interface Reading List

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Of all the content we shared online this year, we have a list of favorites we have put together based on your interests.  We certainly would never want to recommend that this is all the reading you do; however, if you are looking for top picks based on your fellow test and measurement enthusiasts, we’ve got the lists.

To start things off, we compiled a reading list of the most popular Interface IQ Blogs this year. If you are a subscriber, you know that we have published more than 80 blogs this year. Contributors from our engineers, product team, solutions experts and Interface team members have provided a lot of material to share.

We also have some new articles that were published in 2021 by industry magazines with quick links to get the full effect.  We don’t want to leave off our coveted white papers.  We have some new additions this year to our white paper library, along with some updates to fan favorites.

Last, and never least, we want to share some engaging new case studies that we published this year to highlight exactly how Interface helps our customers different products and solutions.

Top 10 Interface IQ Blogs of 2021

  1. Understanding Load Cell Temperature Compensation
  2. Load Cell Basics Sensor Specifications
  3. Load Shackles 101
  4. Load Cell Basics Webinar Recap
  5. New Interface Multi-Axis Load Cells
  6. How To Choose the Right Load Cell
  7. Force Measurement Solutions for Bolt And Screw Fastening
  8. Tension Links 101
  9. Load Washers 101
  10. Interface All-In-One Custom Test Systems

2021 Interface Featured Articles

QUALITY MAGAZINE

  • Selecting and Using a Force Measurement Device: Everything you need to know, by Ken Vining, Interface Chief Engineer read
  • Getting the Most Out of Torque Testing: First and foremost, it’s important to understand what a torque transducer is before implementing a test, by Keith Skidmore, Interface Director Custom Solution Sales read

SENSOR TIPS

  • How can force sensing be integrated for Industry 4.0 upgrades? read

WEIGH REVIEW

  • Interface Case Study: Automotive Window Pinch Force Testing read
  • Interface Releases New Website with Added Resources And New Digital Product Catalog read
  • Interface Case Study: Bike Load Testing read

BIKE TODAY NEWS

  • Interface Case Study: Bike Frame Fatigue Cycling read

AUTOMATION INSIDE

  • Interface Case Study: Bluetooth® Brake Pedal read

MARKETS INSIDER

  • Force Measurement Solutions Leader Interface Announces Hiring Push for 2021 to Meet Growing Demands for Products read

Interface White Papers

2021 Interface Case Studies

  • Serving the Maritime Industry Case Study: Interface has been a longtime leader in the maritime industry. From hydrofoil testing to yacht rigging inspection, and even on the enormous cranes used on shipping docks, we provide solutions for a wide variety of applications in maritime.  Visit the case study to learn more.
  • Interface Solutions Used in Growing Agriculture Innovation Case Study: One of the keys to keeping the agricultural industry at the height of innovation is a host of accurate and reliable measurement equipment designed to help engineers and manufacturers push the limit on the machinery that helps to feed the world.
  • Coil Tubing Load Cells Case Study: Since 1968, Interface has been making world class low profile load cells. Interface has applied that expertise in creating our model 3400 family of coil tubing load cells.

This concludes our top reading picks for 2021. We have many more stories to write, expert tips to share, products to introduce, solutions to explore and so we hope you’ll continue to follow and share with us in the coming year.

Enjoy and as we finish the year with gratitude, we leave you with a holiday greeting that was created for Interface. It inspires us and we hope it leaves you with some peace and happiness as we end 2021. With that, here is our shared message from Jessica S., entitled ‘Joy to the World’.

Quality is Top Reason Customers Choose Interface

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In our latest customer feedback survey, we asked those that rely on Interface why they buy from us. The overwhelming top response was product quality. One of the trademarks of Interface is ensuring that our products meet not only the demand of what is needed in the market for measurement sensors, but that the precision, accuracy, and quality of everything we build is market leading. Best in class.

Our customers drive Interface innovation. We are continuously looking at trends, special requirements and future outlooks to determine what solutions can meet today’s requirements and those in the future. It was noted in the survey that customers depend on Interface for this expertise and experience. That is why it is central in our business strategy and key for Interface’s success to ask, listen and learn from those that rely on our force measurement solutions in their businesses.

A hallmark to our semi-annual survey is the Net Promoter Score (NPS) question that is designed to measure loyalty. We asked again in this latest Spring 2021 survey, “How likely is it that you would recommend Interface to a friend or colleague?” Respondents are then asked to rate their response by selecting 0-10 with 10 being extremely likely and 0 not at all likely. The percentage of those that select 9 or 10 are considered promoters of the Interface brand. Anyone that scores 6 or below is considered by NPS standards to be a detractor. The percentage of promoters minus the percentage of detractors are gives you an NPS score.

We are very excited to announce that Interface’s current Net Promoter Score is +73.

The founders of NPS note that outstanding companies in their class average between a +30 to +50. We are honored by the recognition coming directly from our customers.

“This is a great result! We appreciate the recognition of our team member’s hard work to generate such customer satisfaction and loyalty. Global brands recognized around the world and who are famous NPS power users rarely report scores as high as Interface. We are honored to have such loyal customers, as seen in an outstanding +73 NPS. Remarkably, this came during a period where the customers’ most recent experience likely was influenced by the pandemic strain.” Greg Adams, CEO

We learned from our customers when we asked, “What are the most important reasons why you choose to buy from Interface?”, that product quality matters most, followed next by calibration and repair services, accuracy specifications, experience working with Interface and brand reputation. We also looked at trends in future product demands and the ability to buy online through our QS48 online shopping service.

Our customers were very forthcoming in their preferences for technical support, with phone and email taking top positions. This was followed by using our technical library, video demonstrations and numerous product and technical manuals.

We also gained great insights from our customers when we asked, “How can we improve your overall experience working with Interface?”  All feedback matters to us. It’s what we gain through this transparent and open process that we know where we can look to improve. In fact, we are determined to look at every opportunity presented in the survey to make operational improvements that benefit our customers in all areas from design to shipments.

“Our team performance demonstrates the winning position we are all committed to at Interface. Customer experience is central to what we do and it’s our focus to continuously exceed expectations. As great as this score is today, the better news is that we have the opportunity to improve further and define our future as the market leader by delivering the best for our customers.” Greg Adams, CEO

Our last question in the survey, we asked, “How satisfied are you with Interface and your customer experience?” and we learned that 98% of our customers are satisfied and 83% are very or exceedingly satisfied. We appreciate all those that provided their candid responses in our Spring Customer Satisfaction and NPS Survey. Our work continues to make sure what we do goes above and beyond and delivers on our promise to exceed expectations.

 

Faces of Interface Featuring Elliot Speidell

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In today’s Faces of Interface post, we are featuring Interface National Sales Director Elliot Speidell. Amongst all the wonderful stories and backgrounds, we hear about from our amazing team, Elliot’s may be one of the most unique and interesting.  You see, Elliot didn’t start his career in or go to school for engineering like many of the Faces of Interface subjects we’ve highlighted in the past.

In fact, Elliot studied music education at Northern Arizona University. Music was Elliot’s first passion and he thought that he would go on to pursue a career in it. Although, as he explains it, he was a kid just trying to figure it out and wasn’t sure what to do. But he loved music, so he went for it.

His first job out of school was teaching music in elementary school, followed by teaching both middle and high school students. And while he did enjoy it for a time, he and his wife were expecting a daughter and he thought that it was time for a change.

Now, music isn’t Elliot’s only passion. He also loves to work with cars. He can often be found tinkering and improving cars that he eventually races in Sports Car Club of America Solo (SCCA) events. SCCA Solo is different from what you see on TV with NASCAR and Indy Car Racing. It involves precision driving through a designated course marked with cones. If you’ve kept up with the Faces of Interface series, you would know that SCCA Autocross is also a major hobby for our Global Sales Vice President, Brian Peters.

Going back to Elliot and his desire to move into a new field, both Brian and Elliot became friends during SCCA competition, and Elliot had mentioned to Brian that he was looking for something new. Knowing Elliot well, Brian thought that he would make a great application engineer. Thus, the unique story of how Elliot moved from music to a career in technology and engineering by joining the team at Interface.

As an Application Engineer at Interface, Elliot provided frontline support to customers across the east coast, later moving to serve the west coast. He worked across industries providing force measurement solutions to customers for a wide variety of applications. After a few years, he moved on to the newly introduced technical services department where he served as the technical services manager. In this role, Elliot and his team helped manage the recalibration of customer’s products as well provided technical support to customers for load cells, torque transducers, and related instrumentation. He was also instrumental in selling these services to customers and growing the technical services business.

Elliot was promoted to regional sales director starting on the west coast and eventually taking over support for the region that is along the US east coast, as well as a few regions in the south including Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. The  role is more strategic in nature in that he’s out working directly with customers providing Interface force solutions, while also working directly with Interface’s teams of outside sales reps in those regions.

Today, he is the national sales director for Interface. He is responsible for all the regional sales directors and application engineers covering the United States.  He works directly with our sales network and supports key accounts. His promotion is based on years of experience and dedication to helping customers find the right solutions for all their test and measurement needs.

The thing that Elliot loves most about working at Interface is the diversity of applications he gets to work on. One day he could be helping provide a solution for measuring the tension on a guitar string and another day he’s helping a customer that’s working on a test stand for a rocket engine. Every day is unique and the technology he gets to see, and help solve challenges for, is always getting cooler!

When he’s not solving customer challenges, Elliot can be found with his wife of 14 years and their daughter, riding his mountain bike, or in the garage slowly working on LS swapping his car’s engine for SCCA autocross. Pre-pandemic, he also still indulged his love of music by playing trumpet in a Soul and Funk band at various Phoenix area venues.

We hope you enjoyed learning about Elliot as much as we enjoyed sharing this feature. Stay tuned for more Faces of Interface in 2021, and from everyone here at Interface, we wish you a very happy New Year!

Engaging Interface Calibration and Repair Services Expertise

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A high-quality load cell is a critical piece of technology for the design and testing of products throughout various, highly regulated industries including medical, aerospace and defense, automotive, and industrial automation. To get the most out of a load cell, just like anything else, you need to understand how to care for and maintain it. A poorly maintained load cell can lead to inaccurate data and poor performance.

Interface Calibration and Repair Services provide a valuable function for our customers in recalibration and technical support for the thousands of products manufactured by the leader in force measurement.  When cared for properly, a load cell should to be calibrated once a year or at least every two years under regular use. There are also certain circumstances where a load cell is damaged in use and needs immediate repair. Interface can handle calibration and repair of any load cell on the market, whether we build it or not.

A key differentiator for Interface is the fact that our calibration lab is ISO 17025 and A2LA accredited. These accreditations are typically for major calibration labs, not in a manufacturer’s facilities like ours. Our deep expertise in the development of load cells allows us to provide the highest quality calibration and repair services on the market because we know the product inside and out.

Interface’s Industry Leading Calibration and Repair Process

The Interface calibration team consists of 10 individuals dedicated to an optimized calibration and repair process that gets our customer’s load cells in and out as quickly as possible. The process begins with the front-end team, who manages the customer’s request, goes through the RMA process, and troubleshoots any additional concerns with the customer.

Once we review the product in-house at our Arizona headquarters, the load cell goes through a thorough inspection process to identify any necessary repairs and to ensure the load cell is in working condition for calibration. This includes an electrical test to evaluate if the load cell is in proper condition to calibrate. It’s also important to note that if the load cell can’t be repaired, there is no charge to the customer, and we work to find a replacement unit. The customer also approves any repairs that are necessary before work begins.

The final step in the process is the actual calibration. Our calibration team has many years of experience and know load cells inside and out. We also work with the most advanced equipment, including our proprietary Gold Standard® and Platinum Standard® systems. These devices ensure that the load cells are calibrated to the most accurate capability possible before returning to the customer. More information about Interface Calibration Systems can be found in our Calibration Systems 101 blog here.

Our commitment to building quality calibration systems is evident by the customers who also use them to do calibration in-house. In fact, in nearly every major manufacturing testing lab, you will find an Interface Gold Standard Calibration System and Gold or Platinum Standard Load Cells. This is because our customers are working on some of the most advanced hardware in their respective industries and fields. Engineers and testing labs trust Interface for accuracy, performance and quality.

Interface customers not only need to ensure their measurements are as accurate as possible to avoid product failure, they also need to prove the accuracy of their testing equipment for those products to pass inspection and make it to the market. We provide both our expert calibration services in our calibration lab, or through high-quality, high-reliability systems available that we build for our customers.

Interface Calibration and Repair Services

  • 50+ Years of Calibration Experience
  • Calibration of All Manufacturers Load Cells
  • 100,000+ Calibrations Performed Annually
  • Custom Calibrations
  • IPerform Service Software for RMA, Tracking and Permanent Archive of Test Data
  • NMI Certified Gold and Platinum Standard Reference Load Cells
  • Interface Gold Standard Calibration Software Used for Data Collection and Analysis
  • Full-Service Machine Shop for Mechanical Requirements

Force Capabilities:

  • NIST/NMI Traceable Calibration
  • 2 gf – 1 Million lbf Calibration Capability
  • (9) Hydraulic & (5) Deadweight Test Stands to Support Your Calibration Requirements

Torque Capabilities:

  • 0.022 – 100K in-lbf Capacities
  • NIST Traceable to 2.2K in-lbf
  • NMI Traceable 2.2K – 100K in-lbf

Interface calibration and repair services are designed with the customer in mind. Our process is fast, reliable and will ensure premium accuracy for our customer’s most complex and high-quality data-dependent design and test projects. Our team of experts work with every customer to ensure personalized world-class service.  It starts with engagement, how can we help?

For more information on Interface calibration and repair services, please visit /calibration-repair/.

Click here to schedule a service today.

Contributor:  Chris Brandenburg, Technical Services Manager at Interface