Application Note: Custom Lifecycle Test Rig for Clamping Tools
A hand tool manufacturer located in the Northeast United States wanted to conduct life cycle testing on their clamping tools alongside those of a competitor for marketing purposes. The Cross Precision Measurement testing team built a custom pneumatic test rig to cycle the customer’s tools through typical movements. The rig also included load cells which measured the force required to articulate the tool.
Using the custom test rig each tool was cycled 10,000 times while monitoring performance and force. They found that the force required to articulate their tools did decrease over time, but generally didn’t require recalibration to work properly through the full run of 10,000 cycles. In the few instances where their tools did not perform as expected the customer was able to use the test data to go back and work on design changes in order to improve the quality of their product. They were also able to collect data on the performance of their competitor’s product which gave them valuable information both for future product development and marketing.
Overall, the customer was satisfied with the test process. They did find a few issues during testing and were able to take the data provided by Cross to make some design changes and improve their product. The process helped them to raise the quality of their product and gave them an edge in their pursuit of a military contract.
If you are interested in learning more about life cycle testing and custom test design contact us today. We have a team of highly experienced test engineers who can help you design the right test for your product.
