Load instrumentation for vehicle testing.

Mantracourt Electronics  has helped its Australian distributor to develop an exciting vehicle testing project.  This particular project is typical of how engineers at Mantracourt, in partnership with their customers, can provide working solutions to a wide variety of weighing and measurements applications.

The project was collaboration between Mantracourt and Applied Measurement Australia who were approached by the Australian Automotive Research Centre (AARC) to help renovate and update a Tilt Table that was used to test vehicle stability by tilting to an angle of 45º.

Mantracourt’s T24 Wireless Telemetry system was chosen for modernising the out-dated measurement system.  Initially it was the ease of set up and operation that attracted Applied Measurement to T24 but a wireless system was also more suitable for the application environment, bearing in mind that the operators have to perform tests outside in all weather conditions.

T24 is a wireless telemetry system for multiple data acquisition in real time. The range comprises a versatile set of products, based around proprietary acquisition devices that can be mixed and matched to provide high quality remote readings for critical applications. The low power, battery equipped, radio units can allow data collection over many years without externally supplied power and so are considerably more cost-effective than hardwired systems.

As the vehicles under test were on the tilt table, data from the load cells, which were connected to a T24-ACMi-VA (voltage acquisition module) and situated on the weigh pads under each wheel, was sent back wirelessly to a laptop equipped with a T24-BSue (USB receiver base station) and Mantracourt’s logging and mapping software. 

Applied Measurement also attached inclinometers on the tilt bridge.  Each inclinometer, which is integrated with a T24-ACMi-VA, measures the returned voltage which is proportional to the angle of the beam. Each beam was calibrated using a laboratory tilt table to + 45 degrees.  This information was also displayed during testing. 

All data from the test was logged every second during testing to allow for analysis and compilation of a report to be given to the end customer. 

Throughout the project technical support was available from Applied Measurement Australia and from the British based Mantracourt office.  In addition a Mantracourt engineer was also available onsite to assist with initial setup and calibration.

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