Test and Measurement Capabilities
Shock Wave Engineering has the expertise and specialized test equipment required to perform a wide range of testing. Shock Wave Engineering has the following capabilities:
- Three data acquisition systems which can be configured from 4 to 28 channels depending on the test requirement. The systems can also be networked to provide a distributed data acquisition system or to capture larger channel counts. Shock Wave Engineering has a large and expanding inventory of strain gages, accelerometers, load cells, and displacement transducers used in conjunction with the data acquisition systems.
- The ability to test large structures. Shock Wave Engineering has experience in testing large structures. Use is made of smart modules which amplify signals at their source allowing transmission over long distances. In addition Shock Wave Engineering has acquired a large inventory of dedicated cables which allow rapid installations. This reduces the test duration and cost.
- The ability to test moving vehicles in rough, dirty environments. The system is robust, being able to handle up to 20 g and is therefore suitable for use in rough conditions. The system does not require cooling fans so it can handle dusty environments and is splash resistant. A GPS is linked to the data acquisition system so that position, heading, and velocity of the test object can be recorded and synchronized with the other test data.
- The ability to perform remote monitoring. The data acquisition system can be controlled remotely using the 3G / GPRS network. This allows tests in remote locations to be monitored from a central location. The system can also be controlled using wireless technology. This allows testing where the process cannot be shutdown easily. The entire test can be performed and data downloaded without making a physical link.
- Extensive Strain Gage experience. Shock Wave Engineering has experience in strain measurement on a range of structures and has the capability to monitor up to 28 locations simultaneously. Shock Wave Engineering has experience with semi-conductor strain gages used for very low strains or when a very high signal to noise ratio is required. In addition extensive experience has been gained in measuring stress waves in metal structures. These stress waves propagate at speeds around 5000 m/s requiring ultra high speed signal conditioning and data acquisition. Click here for more information.
- Shock and Blast Wave Testing. Shock Wave Engineering has extensive experience measuring the effect of shock and blast waves on structures. The shock waves are created in a laboratory environment using a shock tube and the blast waves are generated on bomb ranges using explosive charges. Click here for more information.
This figure shows the data acquisition system installed on a vehicle under test. The robustness of the system allows it to be operated in harsh environments. For this test the system was configured to measure 24 channels.
This figure shows strain measurement on 5 train mounted pressure vessels. Four trains were instrumented and strains were measured while the train moved between Secunda, Pretoria, Newcastle, Durban, Richards Bay, and Phalaborwa. The system was monitored remotely using a 3G connection.
Testing of a bottom dumper used in the construction industry. Strain was measured in 29 locations. A range of other parameters were also measured.
Stress measurement on a 65 m high tower.