Interfaceforce as a reliable partner in the transport industry
Interface serves a variety of industries that design and manufacture people and object movers. The transportation sector consists of companies that help move people or goods as well as support infrastructure. Whether cars or airplanes, trains or helicopters, spacecraft or watercraft, Interface offers solutions for testing and measuring force, weight, torque, buoyancy and more. Safety, quality and reliability of the entire transport industry are important aspects of design, construction and performance. Human safety is the most important requirement for any transport vehicle or structure. This means rigorous testing is required to confirm the design of every part and system on a vehicle. Force measuring sensors can be used to check a wide variety of factors on any type of invention that moves or transports a person or thing. From the torque of an electric vehicle motor to the weight distribution of an aircraft, these types of tests help refine the designs of components, ships and vehicles and confirm safety and reliability.
All interface product categories play a role in testing all of these transport units. Many of our sensor technologies are also ideal for performance monitoring and integration into product designs, whether for ongoing measurement of ship loads with load pins, load shackles and tension links or using our torque transducers for engine testing on e-bikes, automobiles, trucks, buses and other transportation vehicles. If it moves, it needs to be measured. Our force and torque solutions are ideal for every segment of this market sector. Let's take a quick tour of some use cases that demonstrate the various products we offer that help people and objects move safely by road, rail, air and even space.
Wind tunnel tests
A large aerospace company was developing a new aircraft and needed to test its scale model for aerodynamics in a wind tunnel by measuring the loads created by lift and drag. Interface offered a model 6A6 154-axis load cell mounted in the floor of the wind tunnel and connected to the scale model via a stem. A model BX8-AS was then connected to the sensor to collect data. The wind tunnel blew air over the scaled model, creating lift and drag, which was measured and compared to the theoretical aircraft models. Software in the PC converted raw data signals into actual force and torque values on the stick. With this solution, the company was able to analyze the data collected and make the necessary adjustments in its design to improve the aerodynamics of its theoretical aircraft models. Continue reading.
Weighing the garbage truck on board
A waste disposal company wanted to test the loading capacity of its garbage bins to know when maximum capacity was reached. Interface's solution was to customize and install 4 SSB Sealed Beam load cells under the bin body on both sides. As trash continues to build up in the box body, more force will be applied to the SSB Sealed Beam load cells. When the maximum load capacity is reached, the results can be checked and displayed in real time when connected to the battery-powered bi-directional weight indicator 482. This system allowed the customer to test the maximum load capacity of the garbage bin attached to the truck so that he would know when to empty the truck's garbage at the transfer station. Continue reading.
Tightening the engine head screws
An industrial automation company built an automated assembly machine for an automobile factory. They had to tighten all the cap screws of an engine on their assembly line to a specific torque value. Precise and consistent tightening of the head bolts on the engine block is critical to the operation of the engine. Multiple Model T33 interface torque transducers were installed in their new machine to check torque and angle and ensure the cap screw was properly tightened. The T33's square drive allowed the customer to attach their tool directly to the end of the torque sensor, streamlining the installation. When the machine is shut down and the motor head screws are tightened, the torque and angle profile are sent to the customer's machine control. Based on feedback from the machine controller, the automation passes the motor to the next step in the assembly line or fails and allows the motor to be further evaluated. This allowed the customer to ensure that the head bolts were installed correctly according to the manufacturer's specifications to produce an engine that met the automotive plant's performance and reliability expectations. Continue reading.
Bicycle stress tests
A mountain bike manufacturer wanted a system that measured the load capacities and vibrations of their bike frame on the frame. In this final step of the product testing process, they also want to ensure the high quality and durability of the bike. The interface proposed to install an SSMF type load cell with S type fatigue rating, connected to the WTS-AM-1E wireless strain bridge, between the saddle of the mountain bike and the bicycle frame. This measures the vibrations and load forces exerted on the bicycle frame. When the seat is under heavy load, the SSMF Fatigue Rated S-Type load cell measures the vibrations and loading forces applied to the bike to display all stress points over a series of cycles. The results are captured by the WTS-AM-1E and transmitted to the customer's PC using the WTS-BS-6 wireless telemetry dongle base station. This solution helped the mountain bike manufacturer collect highly accurate data to determine whether its bikes met performance standards in this final test cycle. Continue reading.
These are just a brief example of the work we do in transportation. Interface systems have been involved in projects involving boats, racing cars, construction vehicles and even rocket ships. Manufacturers turn to Interface because of our track record for accuracy, and the transportation industry relies on this data to keep their customers safe.