Project Overview

Case:
A DoD contractor that supplies high-power gear reducers and actuators for military vehicles needed a new test system for final pre-shipment testing of two existing products. Their legacy test system was nearly 20 years old and relied on obsolete components and a proprietary control platform. As a result, long-term maintenance posed a serious risk. Because these products require up to 30 years of support, the customer needed a sustainable solution. In addition, they wanted the new test system to connect to their internal network so test data could be recorded automatically.

Solution:
Tri-Power Design designed and instrumented a new test system that closely matched the footprint of the existing tester. However, the updated system uses modern mechanical, electrical, and computer components. In doing so, the new design also eliminated known and suspected failure modes present in the legacy system.

Design Challenges:
First, the team addressed inaccurate backlash measurements caused by a remotely mounted rotary encoder. The drive extension introduced its own backlash, which distorted readings. To resolve this, Tri-Power Design mounted encoders directly to the units under test (UUTs), eliminating the error.

Next, the team identified insufficient compliance in the high-torque drive extension that coupled the UUT to the legacy tester. By redesigning the drive extension, engineers introduced controlled compliance and resolved the issue. Finally, the old system suffered from inaccurate UUT mounting due to incorrect interpretation of hole patterns, tolerances, and datum references. To correct this, Tri-Power Design applied proper GD&T practices to precisely locate the UUT relative to the test fixture platen.

Call 973.227.8214 or email us today to learn more about the Drive Unit Test Rig.