Customer
Our client is a large French industrial group of cosmetic products, with an international reputation and market leader in many countries.
Manufactured product
Straightening iron
A straightening iron is a cosmetic device designed to straighten the hair fibre in order to straighten curly hair.
The appliance tested by this bench is equipped with a cartridge containing water in order to straighten the hair by steam diffusion.
Objective
The customer wishes to check the proper functioning of the felt pad of a straightening iron from their range, by checking the quality and quantity of product (steam) deposit on paper.
Problematic issues
The test bench must make it possible to extrapolate the test results obtained to a real use of the hair straightener (control of the steam deposit).
Solution and result
We have created a test bench able to simulate the operation of a smoothing iron on a rolling test strip.
The simulation bench is composed of a frame which receives numerous elements, including a motor reducer which ensures the winding of a paper strip, according to control information entered in a software and carried out via a control PC.
The speed and application lengths are programmed from the software. A potentiometric sensor guarantees the linear speed, regardless of the winding diameter.
The straightening iron is fixed to a special holder by means of a form fitting and a suitable clamp. This support contains a pneumatic actuator that closes the straightening iron at an adjustable force. A spring-loaded shoe brake brakes the reel of the straightener to prevent the paper from slackening.
A safety cover surrounds the test area to prevent the operator from being burned.
To carry out a test, the operator must install the straightening iron on its stand, place a roll of paper and unroll it, then place the cartridge using the loading clamp provided for this purpose. The test is launched from the software.
The specific software, developed under LabVIEW, includes various functions:
- setting the test parameters: feed speed; length of applications; length of interruptions;
- recording of test parameters as well as weighing values entered from the PC keyboard;
- replay of test results;
- export of results in other formats (spreadsheet, etc.).
IHM
Human-computer interface
