Interface – Driven to Perform

September 26, 2013

To succeed in automotive racing, a commitment is required…a commitment to always ask for more and to never settle for less. Continual improvement is necessary to stay ahead of your competition and win. This drive to be the best is part of Interface’s DNA, from our product and service offering to the dedication of our employees.

Accurate force measurement is a vital requirement of the automotive industry and in the competition arena, performance demands are pushed even higher. Interface takes great pride in being a leading solutions provider in these applications. Whether it’s for NASCAR, IndyCar, or even the amateur level, engineers rely on Interface.

Figure 1. The SCCA Solo National Championships celebrates its 41st running in 2013; Nissan 350Z driven by Interface engineer Brian Peters

An Interface engineer recently accomplished a 4th National Championship in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Solo racing. The annual National Championships draws over 1000 drivers from across North America to compete over two days, where wins are decided by mere thousandths of a second. Performance and precision are critical.

Figure 2. Interface's TXY load cell for tire uniformity testing, provides force measurement in the X and Y axis simultaneously.

It is no surprise then, that in building a national championship winning car, many technical decisions relied on accurate force and torque measurements, provided by accurate and reliable Interface load cells and torque transducer measurements. In racing, control is everything and a good race car is only as good as its tires and shocks. In fact, several leading tire manufacturers (including key SCCA sponsors) rely on the Interface TXY multi-axis shear load cell for precise test data on tire uniformity with minimal cross talk across its strain gage bridges.

The Nissan’s Koni 2812 series double adjustable shocks had their independent rebound and compression valving expertly dialed-in by ProParts USA on their Roehrig shock dynamometer. Roehrig, an industry benchmark for shock absorber development, has exclusively turned to Interface’s moment compensated LowProfile™ load cell as the heart of their systems.

Figure 3. Koni adjustable shock absorber and specifically rated coilover spring.

Figure 4. Calibration test rig to validate shock absorber specifications using Interface’s LowProfile™ load cell for accuracy and repeatability force measurements.

Interface LowProfile™ load cell sensors are used in strut/shock/ spring testing machines.

Different manufacturers use these machines to ensure their products are meeting their targeted performance levels. This car saw more than a dozen different spring rate configurations during development, so when springs are being changed- out in small rate increments, it’s good to know that an 850 lbf spring is really what it’s supposed to be.

Used to measure how much torque is getting to a vehicle’s driven wheels, chassis dynamometers are very popular tools for effective engine tuning. Maximizing power is another massive piece to building a competitive car and it is yet another example of Interface measurement leading the industry.

Figure 5. Used to measure the braking force / torque, load cells are integral parts to chassis dynamometers. Nissan 350Z’s engine control unit being tuned for 100 octane gasoline.

Figure 6. SSM environmentally sealed "S" type load cell for excellent force measurement accuracy and reliability.

There are many varieties of chassis dynamometers, each using different methods to load the vehicle and measure the torque(force x arm length); And the most popular dynamometer systems rely on highly-accurate load cells to provide the force measurement values in these systems. The SSM or the SM S-Type load cells have been a favorite force measurement solution in these applications – rugged, reliable, and accurate.

For product tests that require dynamic or rotary torque and RPM measurements during an active testing application, the HRDT is a favorable direct torque measurement solution. The High Resolution Digital Telemetry (HRDT) in-line rotary torque transducer provides a bearing-less, compact wireless design that affords the test engineer suitable data collection for engine analysis, as well as brake HP calculations.

Interface’s presence in the automotive test field is extensive. While this has only been a short look at a few automotive applications, it doesn’t factor-in the hundreds of OEM R&D engineers that use our load cells, torque transducers, instruments, and calibration systems on a daily basis to build and evaluate their products. All Interface products are US manufactured to help system test engineers get the most accuracy, repeatability, and reliability from their performance systems.

Interface: the trusted world leader in force measurement for 50 years.

About Interface
[borders/inc-300x250.htm]Interface has been the trusted world leader in force measurement for half a century. We lead by designing, manufacturing, and guaranteeing the highest performance and most accurate products available. Our engineers help provide force measurement solutions to our customers in all industries — from grams to millions of pounds – and hundreds of configurations.

We are the preeminent supplier to companies such as Boeing, Airbus, NASA, Ford, GM, Johnson & Johnson, NIST and thousands of measurement labs throughout the world. Our load cells are complimented by highly accurate torque transducers, machine calibration systems, digital indicators, software, and force measurement system components - which we manufacture and sell throughout the world. Our in-house calibration labs support a variety test standards: ASTM E74, ISO-376, MIL-STD, EN10002-3, ISO-17025, and others.

Contact:

Interface Inc.
Web: www.interfaceforce.com
Phone: +1-480-948-5555

Posted October, 2013

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Kirt Blattenberger,

BSEE - KB3UON

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