Date of Defense

4-17-2018

Date of Graduation

4-2018

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Muralidhar Ghantasala

Second Advisor

Bade Shrestha

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.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
Andrew Fritchley Presentation.pdf (1422 kB)
Defense Presentation
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