Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Honors Theses Lee Honors College 4-17-2018 Design of Force Versus Displacement Test Stand Andrew Fritchley Western Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses Part of the Electro-Mechanical Systems Commons Recommended Citation Fritchley, Andrew, "Design of Force Versus Displacement Test Stand" (2018). Honors Theses. 2945. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/2945 This Honors Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Lee Honors College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Design of Force Versus Displacement Test Stand Andrew Fritchley Drew Arndt Fabian Venegas Group: 04-18-20 Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ghantasala Industrial Mentor: David Phaneuf 11 April 2018 1 Disclaimer This project report was written by students at Western Michigan University to fulfill an engineering curriculum requirement. Western Michigan University makes no representation that the material contained in the report is error-free or complete in all respects. Persons or organizations who choose to use the material do so at their own risk 2 Abstract Performing mechanical design around sensors is a critical skill which all engineering students should be familiar with. Of equal importance is gathering and correctly interpreting electrical data from engineering tests. The aim of this project is to design a force versus displacement test stand for applications related to the measurement of spring force-displacement correlation. The design uses a strain gauge load cell, and a magnetic linear encoder to provide accurate, repeatable force and travel measurements. A mechanical design to mount each sensor was created based initial project constraints. Finite element analysis was performed on all critical components to ensure that the design meets or exceeds requirements. A data acquisition system was designed for these sensors using a LabVIEW interface. This allowed the force and displacement data to be interpreted and synchronized. The design also features a control interface and a quick-change tool base to promote ease of use. Additionally, the controller also saves gathered test data to a spreadsheet for later use. This apparatus is used to measure springs, solenoids, O-rings, and friction in slide fits. This project helps engineers to work more efficiently and analyze sensitive component interactions. 3 Table of Contents Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................................... 1 Abstract ........................................................................................................................................................ 2 Table of Figures........................................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ 6 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Project Background .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Benchmarking ................................................................................................................................... 9 1.3 Project Constraints ......................................................................................................................... 10 1.4 Critical Decisions ............................................................................................................................ 11 1.5 Sensor Selection ............................................................................................................................... 13 1.6 Project Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 14 1.7 Project Timeline .............................................................................................................................. 15 2 Design ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 Initial Concept ................................................................................................................................. 17 2.2 Design of Force Sensor Mount ....................................................................................................... 18 2.3 Design of Displacement Sensor Mount .......................................................................................... 20 2.4 Design of Tool Base ......................................................................................................................... 23 2.5 Finite Element Analysis .................................................................................................................. 26 2.5.1 Frame Tower ............................................................................................................................ 26 2.5.2 Load Cell Unit .......................................................................................................................... 29 2.6 Design of Electrical Hardware ....................................................................................................... 31 2.7 Design of LabVIEW Code .............................................................................................................. 33 2.8 Project Assembly ............................................................................................................................. 39 3 Calibration .............................................................................................................................................. 43 4 Project Expenses .................................................................................................................................... 48 5 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 49 6 References ............................................................................................................................................... 51 7 Appendix ................................................................................................................................................. 52 7.1 Mechanical Drawings ..................................................................................................................... 52 7.2 Finite Element Analysis .................................................................................................................. 62 7.3 Electrical Drawings ......................................................................................................................... 68 7.4 LabVIEW CODE ............................................................................................................................ 71 7.5 ABET Forms.................................................................................................................................... 76 4 Table of Figures Figure 1: Existing Force Test Set Up ............................................................................................................. 8 Figure 2: Existing Frame .............................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 3: Existing Frame with Nomenclature .............................................................................................. 11 Figure 4: Load Cell ....................................................................................................................................... 13 Figure 5: Encoder ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Figure 6: Project Gantt Chart ...................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 7: Existing Frame CAD Model ISO .................................................................................................... 18 Figure 8: Existing Frame CAD Model Zoom View ........................................................................................ 18 Figure 9: Load Cell Explode View ................................................................................................................ 19 Figure 10: Load Cell 2D View....................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 11: Load Cell Section View ............................................................................................................... 20 Figure 12: Load Cell Unit ISO ....................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 13: Encoder Exploded View ............................................................................................................. 22 Figure