Shock / Impact test benches

Shock and Impact Test Benches

The crash test benches for impact are presented in various forms and impact are presented in various forms and impact are presented in various forms and impact are and impact come in various forms: the horizontal drop pit, the vertical drop tower, as well as the dynamic impactors and static impactors or the pendulum impactors. Each configuration has been designed to meet specific needs, allowing for the testing of a wide range of products of various sizes across many sectors, such as sports equipment manufacturers and construction material testing.

Why Conduct Shock Tests?

In the industry, impact tests can be used:

• in R&D, to assess a product’s resistance during its design phase
• in destructive testing, to verify, (on a batch taken from the production line), the product’s ability to withstand a shock.
• in individual testing, to measure the characteristics of a shock absorption system (damper)

International Standards for Shock and Impact Test Benches

Some impact tests are defined by standards, particularly material resilience tests, performed on standardized specimens.

• ISO 148-1: Charpy resilience tests (impact bending test)
• ISO 14556: Charpy resilience tests (impact bending test) with force/deformation instrumentation
• ASTM D256: Impact resistance of plastics by Izod.

Beyond standard norms, LF Technologies supports its clients in proposing shock test benches that simulate the real conditions of shocks experienced by your products.

Understanding LF Technologies Shock and Impact Test Benches

In the industrial world, shock and impact test benches play a crucial role, especially in the sectors of transportation, automotive, aerospace, materials, and electronics. At LF Technologies, we offer solutions tailored to these specific needs. These devices allow testing various products to assess their resistance to mechanical shocks and impacts, as well as their behavior under these extreme constraints.

What is an Inertial Shock Test ?

An inertial shock corresponds to a collision between 2 pieces, particularly defined by the masses of each piece and their differential speed, which gives the shock energy (in Joules).
In this type of shock, the force reached is merely a consequence of the impact energy applied to the mechanical characteristics of the piece itself.

Technology

Several technologies are possible to perform this type of test:

• Vertical drop (or drop tower) with piece dropping: in this case, the machine positions the test piece at a given height and releases it quickly to let it fall by its own weight onto a receiving tool. In this case, the speed is directly given by the drop height, and the energy depends on the height and mass of the tested object.
• Vertical drop (or drop tower) with hammer dropping: in this case, the piece is fixed on a base (at the bottom), and it is struck by a falling mass equipped with a percussion hammer. The speed is given by the drop height, and the energy depends on the speed and mass of the hammer.
• Horizontal shock bench: the piece is fixed or placed on a fixed tool, and the hammer strikes it horizontally. In this case, the hammer is propelled by a motorized system that gives it its speed. The energy depends on the speed and mass of the hammer.
• Pendulum hammer : the shock is performed horizontally by a hammer, equipped with a mass, connected to a pendular arm. The arm is raised by a motor and released automatically (gravity fall).

Drop-type systems (drop tanks or pendulum hammers) are generally simpler in design than horizontal impact test benches.
Horizontal impact test benches offer greater flexibility and ergonomics. Motorization allows for better speed control, with rapid acceleration ramps (resulting in a more compact machine) and automatic hammer recovery in the event of a rebound. The design of these machines also offers improved ergonomics for the user.

Shock measurement

Regardless of the technology used, it is possible to measure velocity, energy, and impact force (force-displacement curve).
Force measurement is provided by a high-dynamic-range sensor capable of generating a precise force curve, even for very rapid impacts (< 1 ms).
Position and velocity are measured using a high-resolution digital scale (a few microns).
Several energy measurements are possible: potential impact energy, impact energy (force × displacement), recovered elastic energy, etc.

User Interface: Simplicity and Intuitiveness

Our user interfaces are designed to ensure you enjoy ergonomics and ease of use. They can be customized to your specific needs, depending on your specifications.
The machines’ user interface allows for easy configuration of test data. The results, whether they concern the energy consumed during the impacts or the condition of the products after the impacts, are recorded and analyzed in a systematic manner.

Test report

All our interfaces allow the automatic generation of test reports. These reports are customized based on your needs and include the test characteristics, measurement results, shock curves, and even automatic analysis of the shock curve.

Ensuring Optimal Product Life Span

This process for testing simulates the “lifecycle of a product, aiming to ensure its longevity and reliability. By choosing the solutions from LF Technologies, these professionals ensure the quality and the precision of their impact tests, while benefiting from a tool designed to improve the performance and durability of the products being tested.
At LF Technologies, our commitment is to provide a test benches for shock and point impact, ensuring not only compliance with standards international but also a significant improvement in research and the development of products. Our expertise and our diverse range meet the needs of multiple industries, contributing thereby to innovation and safety.