3 Day Open Conference

Development of a common test rig for qualification and acceptance testing of a rotary gear actuator
Wednesday 19th November 2008
11.00 - 11.20
Auditorium 2

V I Engineering was contracted by Curtiss Wright Control Systems to design and build a test rig for both qualification and acceptance testing of a Rotary Geared Actuator (RGA). The test rig needed to integrate a high performance hydraulic system with custom linkages and a motion control system. The entire system also needed to be packaged within a small footprint appropriate for a production environment. The RGA was designed to drive an aircraft door hinge assembly. This application presented unique loading characteristics. A close collaboration with Curtiss Wright engineering staff was needed to define and ensure proper rig kinematics during the prototype phase of the RGA development project. One of the main purposes for the test rig was to aid Curtiss Wright in the qualification of the new actuator design. To perform design qualification, the test rig was required to apply more complex load profiles and static fatigue loads. Qualification functionality allowed the RGA to be run through worst case loading as well as multiple lifetimes of wear and fatigue to validate the new actuator design. The test rig's second purpose was to perform acceptance testing. The functionality required for this focused on automation and a user friendly interface. Once installed the RGA cycled through a suite of acceptance tests with minimal user interaction. Upon completion the test rig automatically generates an acceptance test data sheet.

About the Speaker(s):

Wyatt Meek
Director, Business Development & Marketing
V I Engineering, USA

Wyatt Meek is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at V I Engineering. Wyatt joined V I Engineering in 2001 and has served as a consultant, sales engineer, and product manager. Wyatt has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.