Company Background
Strain Gage Measurement Testing | Case Study
Delphi is a leading global supplier of mobile electronics and transportation systems, including automotive radiators and heating/colling systems. Delphi sought ways to optimize its heat exchanger designs by measuring thermal strain under a variety of loading conditions. To enhance its product testing and evaluation capabilities Delphi sought a partner with extensive strain gage measurement testing experience, and found SimuTech Group.
Challenge | Strain Gage Measurement Testing
Traditional pass/fail product testing does not provide the detailed information required to determine design margins and efficiently optimize radiator designs. The critical strain locations on these heat exchangers require very small gages and can be difficult to access.
Solution | Strain Gage Measurement Testing
SimuTech Group developed specialized strain gage mounting techniques for precisely locating very small gages.
As we strive for lighter weight, optimized heat exchanger designs, it becomes more and more important to know the product’s ultimate design limitations. Product validation is usually completed using traditional testing techniques such as pressure cycle, thermal cycle, and vibration testing.
SimuTech Group has provided us with strain instrumentation expertise that coupled with our traditional testing procedures has allowed us to better understand our product design limitations.
– Karl K., Test Engineering Group, Delphi Automotive
Other Common Mechanical Testing Requests:
Turbine Blade Frequency
For new, refurbished, or reverse engineered turbine blades (buckets) to ensure that natural frequencies are within specifications.
Campbell Testing
Measuring the natural frequencies and mode shapes of rotating turbine blade (bucket) rows.
Failure Investigation
Comprehensive analysis of of materials, environment, and operating loads to identify the root cause of a failure.
Generator Vibration
Performing vibration tests on utility scale electric power generators in fossil and nuclear plants.
Ground Vibration Testing
Measure the dynamic response characteristics of an airframe with MIMO signal processing and analysis.
Modal Testing
Deploy an instrumented hammer, EM shaker, or piezoelectric actuator to excite vibration and analyze frequency response functions.
Moment Weighing
Measure and analyze blade weight and the COG location to determine the optimum blade stacking position.
Resonance Assessment Profile
Measures the dynamic response characteristics of a component, system or sensor via modal hammer to excite vibration.
Strain Gage Measurement
Measure static strain from constant loads via pressure/thermal expansion or dynamic strain due to transient events and vibration.
Torsional Vibration
Determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a rotor train as it twists about the axis of rotation. Functional engineering testing.
Vibration Diagnostics
Identify the root cause of noise and vibration problems in machinery via ODS, spectral, order tracking or joint time frequency analysis.
Wind Turbine Testing
Power performance curve measurement, loads testing, blade bending, displacement, and other power performance testing services.