Sponsored by: KEB America Inc.
Project Summary
KEB America is a premier manufacturer for custom electromechanical brakes used in surgical robotics and other medical equipment. KEB’s next generation of small form factor designs require an equally small form factor test machine capable of measuring precise torque to fully characterize these new brakes. The team at UST has developed a new automated test device to support this need. Key features for this new tester include simple brake installation, flexible software, and precision torque measurement with a transducer.
Design Goal
The new test system accepts smaller brakes and tests accurately at lower torques. The system first wears in the brakes to remove any surface imperfections. After this, a static test checks how much torque the brake can take before it slips. The system allows the user to enter parameters for how the test is run and what is considered pass or fail in a custom application on the user’s computer, which communicates over a network to the test system and displays the results after the test.
Design Constraints
- Torque: the system shall apply a torque between 0.1 Ncm and 35 Ncm
- Speed: the system shall reach a max speed of 100 RPM
- Usability: The system shall have an operator-friendly device removal and installation interface
- Software: the system shall include a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to configure tests
- Size: The system must be contained within a 17x8x10 inch volume
Figure 1: Completed torque tester system
Figure 2: Example static torque test results
Members of the Project Team
Student Team:
- Sean Sticha- Major: Mechanical Engineering
- Abe Stroschein - Major: Computer Engineering
- Luke Terris - Major: Electrical Engineering
- Cam Vindlund- Major: Mechanical Engineering
Industry Representative: Andrew Sanchez
Faculty Advisor: Farshad Esnaashari
Pictured left to right: Cam Vidlund, Abe Stroschein, Sean Sticha, Luke Terris