Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
(OP)
Hello,
If this is the wrong forum for this question please correct me.
I need to conduct some drop tests on a device about 1ft. sq. and weighing about 5lbs. I'll be testing impact forces but I only need to go between about 10Gs and 200Gs. The equipment just needs to tell me what the G reading is at impact given drops from different heights. I can easily make the necessary jig with a ramp and roller guide bars.
My question is for a solution to find inexpensive (used is fine) equipment to do this. The least expensive I've found online is about $1200 (new) for an accelerometer connected to a PC with an associated program, which is about twice as much as I can afford right now. I've had no luck finding used alternatives.
Any suggestions are very appreciated. I'm willing to make one out of parts you may recommend as long as the results from the readings are reasonably accurate, consistent and the reading display, whether mechanical or electronic, "holds" the reading until it's re-set. Thank you.
If this is the wrong forum for this question please correct me.
I need to conduct some drop tests on a device about 1ft. sq. and weighing about 5lbs. I'll be testing impact forces but I only need to go between about 10Gs and 200Gs. The equipment just needs to tell me what the G reading is at impact given drops from different heights. I can easily make the necessary jig with a ramp and roller guide bars.
My question is for a solution to find inexpensive (used is fine) equipment to do this. The least expensive I've found online is about $1200 (new) for an accelerometer connected to a PC with an associated program, which is about twice as much as I can afford right now. I've had no luck finding used alternatives.
Any suggestions are very appreciated. I'm willing to make one out of parts you may recommend as long as the results from the readings are reasonably accurate, consistent and the reading display, whether mechanical or electronic, "holds" the reading until it's re-set. Thank you.
Bret
Miami,FL USA





RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
what if you measured the peak force instead ? that would be much easier, a quick registering scale, and maybe a video camera (loaned from some parent!) to record it ??
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
TTFN
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RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
Bret
Miami,FL USA
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
We use to use them as one shot deal.
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RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
A load cell under the target plate: F=ma
High-speed video: Differentiate a couple times.
Off-the-wall idea: One of those "radar" baseballs. (I doubt that it's up to 200G)
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
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RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
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RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
Regarding the baseball idea, I think I've seen those on TV. I'm pretty sure they're designed to measure the speed of the ball, not the measure of G's with a glove or bat.
Regarding the iPhone, I'm pretty sure the accelerometer in them (I don't own one) is for motion sensing, just to keep the screen oriented horizontally for the user.
Regarding the 3-Axis accelerometer, those are more than what I need as I just need to measure impact in one direction. Plus they're expensive.
The range I need of less than 200 G's is tough to find. 1K, 5K, 10K accelerometers are available. DigiKey has a good selection too but I'd have to do all the electronic connections to those, which I don't know how to do. I also looked into G force instruments for airplanes but they only go up to about 10 G's max.
If you have more ideas, please let me know. Otherwise I'll get back with feedback from the links. I'm also going to contact UL and Consumer Reports but I'm sure the ones they use are very high end.
Bret
Miami,FL USA
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
And how do you think it does that?
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
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RE: Need help on Drop Testing & Equipment
If the accelerometer in the baseball is for providing a reading of it's speed, that won't help me for my need, I need a G force reading at impact. Yes, it has an accelerometer, probably similar to ones that can be put into cars to measure it's 0-60 time or cornering G's but those aren't the readings or the range I need. There are different ones for different purposes all having to do with reading motion of some kind. For example the 3 axis ones are used a lot for measuring machine vibration because the vibrations can come from different directions. The less vibration, the less friction and the longer the machine will last. The iPod one detects tilt position, others can be placed into artillery shells and measure huge G numbers. All measure motion but for different applications.
Bret
Miami,FL USA