Barbour Stockwell has a long history of providing equipment and services for testing the integrity of automotive rotating components. Such components include:
- Flywheels
- Cooling Fans
- Automatic Transmission Rotors
- Clutches
- Turbochargers
- Electric Vehicle Motor and Generator Rotors
Automotive Manufacturing Fatigue Testing Services
While spin testing was originally introduced to support the development of jet engines, BSi has provided test rigs and services for the automotive industry from nearly the beginning. As early as the 1950s, spin testing was employed by major manufacturers to test the components of Internal Combustion Engines, Diesel, and Spark Ignition. A much more recent development has been the provision of test equipment and services to support the development and quality assurance of Electric Vehicle rotors.
BSi provides a variety of tests for the automotive sector.
- Burst Tests: These tests are performed to assure that there is a sufficient margin between the maximum operating speed of a rotor and the speed at which failure occurs. Historically performed on automotive flywheels, in recent years these tests are being performed to support R&D of EV rotors to evaluate new designs and/or new materials.
- Overspeed Tests: Overspeed tests are typically employed as acceptance tests of production parts to assure the quality of turbochargers and EV rotors.
- Growth Measurement Testing: A very important parameter in the performance of an electric motor is the gap between the motor rotor and the stator. Testing is often performed to establish the relationship between rotor RPM and growth. To eliminate the effect of shaft vibration on the measurements during the spin test, two proximity probes are employed 180° opposed and read simultaneously. The change in the sum of the gaps is assuredly the rotor diametral growth without any vibration component. If it is of interest, BSi engineers will also provide profiles of the periphery of a rotor as a function of speed to reveal asymmetric growth and/or determine the behavior of special features.
- Low-Cycle Fatigue Testing (LCF): This test is performed on rotors, especially EV motor rotors, to establish the fatigue life. Rotors are cycled between low and high speeds many thousands of times. Burst detection methods are employed so that the loss of even a small segment of a motor laminate will be detected.
It is worth noting that the above tests can be performed at elevated temperatures to more closely duplicate the conditions of the rotor in service.
Spin Testing Services from Barbour Stockwell, Inc.
At Barbour Stockwell, Inc., our testing capabilities help automotive manufacturers design and engineer high-performance components. We test automotive components under the most extreme conditions to ensure reliable functionality in various environments. To learn more about our testing capabilities for the automotive industry, contact us or request a quote today.