Testing and Measurement

It is an exciting time to receive a prototype or first production parts of a design that you have developed from a mere thought to real parts to form a product. That excitement is often short lived as something is bound to go wrong that first build. Not to worry this is all part of the process! As design engineers our job is only half done when the virtual design is complete. Once parts are built it is time to debug, evaluate dimensions and fits and analyze assemblies, and well, make it work.

The first place we go for this phase of the project is the engineering lab. There we have the tools to evaluate a part that doesn’t fit or a product that might assemble but doesn’t meet design specifications.

As product engineering consulting professionals much of the world we deal with is small. From small components to thousandths of an inch sometime you just need a little engineering consulting help. To create a successful product it is critical to verify that vendors and manufacturing partners are meeting or exceeding the engineering specifications.

Our engineering test lab includes several microscopes, an Optical Comparator, and a Keyence laser displacement sensor which make the world more accessible. We also utilize equipment in our engineering consulting service like force gages to test and confirm material properties, as well as, product performance criteria such as the pullout force of a plastic insert.

The lab is critical in all phases of product development for our engineering consulting business.

During competitive analysis of products, teardown and qualification of metrics such as force required opening a latch or speed and torque of a motor, all are captured using the engineering measurement devices to create benchmarks for the later design consulting phases.

During the breadboard and prototype consulting phases we head back into the lab to confirm our engineering assumptions and check that the predicted engineering analysis matches reality.

During design refinement and engineering development, the lab equipment is crucial to test concepts and determine their validity. Perhaps several parts do not assemble; using micrometers, gauge pins and blocks components are verified against their specifications and modified appropriately. If a defect of design flaw is identified it is not enough to simply fix it and move on. A methodical approach is required to isolate variables and determine root causes. The only effective way to identify the problem and perform the proper fix is through careful evaluation of the system for incorrect parts, incorrect material properties or unexpected design flaws. That’s why we utilize the right tools in our test lab. We sweat the details throughout the process to ensure the right fit and function from our clients’ products.

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