Overflow Support
Six D is also your on-demand test and analysis resource. We supplement in-house staffing needs with expert project assistance. On-site or off-site, we provide the level of service and expertise needed to meet workload demands.
Training
Six D engineers and technicians often work on projects jointly with our customers to provide hands-on training and technology transfer. We understand that some companies prefer to utilize internal resources and so we work with your staff to provide a practical real-world learning experience that simply can’t be found in the classroom.
Project-Based Training
Working in cooperation, Six DOF Testing & Analysis (6D) and the client take on different tasks to validate new or updated product designs. This collaboration is a practical and effective way of ensuring product integrity and reducing costs while providing hands-on training for your staff.
This benefit is appealing to both large and smaller manufacturers:
- Large companies often have difficulty keeping technical talent in place as key engineers are rotated or promoted to management positions as the business expands.
- Smaller companies may have difficulty affording the depth of technical talent needed for increasingly sophisticated products and may be even more challenged as business expands.
Examples
Assisted Testing
Assisted Testing allows tests to be controlled remotely via the Internet. Leveraging on-site staff to set up the equipment and literally serve as the hands of the test engineer saves travel and related costs. Customer technicians are guided through equipment set up/usage and data collection preparation.
- Test equipment supplied by 6D includes a data acquisition system, ruggedized PC, WiFi modem, antenna, and power supply.
- 6D communicates with on-site personnel to adjust testing on the fly for optimum results. Data is remotely collected over the Internet, downloaded, and analyzed.
- Long term duty cycle measurement at the front end of product development can also be done with this Internet-based approach.
Highway Trailer
A specialty trailer manufacturer discovered the marketplace was demanding lighter weight products with more features. A previous approach of going directly from design to manufacturing was becoming risky. Benefitting from 6D’s decades of experience, the customer realized significant labor cost savings while advancing FEA applications and test instrumentation skills.
- Because the manufacturer was new to finite element simulations, 6D provided guidance on modeling along with the types of loads to be employed.
- In addition to optimizing the design, FEA was used to identify strain gage locations for validation testing. The customer provided instrumentation installation labor and 6D provided test equipment and on-site consultation.
- The customer collected field usage data. 6D processed the data to compare to FEA, estimate life, and validate the design.
Genset
A rotating equipment manufacturer’s very capable staff was challenged by the growth of their full product line. A partner with similar technical depth was needed to assist with critical development programs.
- As available, the customer’s FEA simulation was used, or 6D would provide the FEA results, to identify the key requirements for validation testing programs.
- 6D sometimes performed validation tests and at other times processed test data collected by the customer to provide conclusions.
- This collaborative process typically resulted in the customer/6D team jointly producing “Go Forward” recommendations.