Wire Accelerated Life Cycle Tester

摘要

Fort Wayne Metals is interested in developing a new machine to experimentally test fatigue strength of various metal wiring manufactured by their company. The test rotates a wire while arced so that the peak experiences equal amount of tension and compressive loading until the sample breaks from cyclic loading. The wiring has a wide range of applications from industrial cable used in military helicopters to a more apparent use, medical wiring which includes neurostimulation and cardiac lead wire.The company has specifically requested the design of this system have more functional components integrated unlike their more primitive machines currently in use. This includes, but is not limited to, an integrated bath design to wet test samples in a circulating saline solution with a calibrated way to adjust the arc dimensions of the sample.Electronically, Fort Wayne Metals also requests a functional user interface to program test duration in terms of cycle count that the wire experiences. Likewise, the end design requires a form of break detection if the sample fails before the test duration is completed and an appropriate method of kill switching the motor as well as recording the cycle count at time of failure. Additional specific considerations regarding test conditions and housing have also been specified by the company.This document will discuss all requirements applied to the evolution of designs conducted by IPFW’s senior capstone design team during the fall months of 2012. Particular elaboration regarding design evaluation, cost analysis, and manufacturing plans are also taken into consideration and documented.