Expansion of the basic experimental infrastructure of the pmd at TU Darmstadt

2021/05/03

On April 13th, the experimental infrastructure at the Institute of Product Development and Machine Elements (pmd) at Technical University of Darmstadt was expanded with the delivery of a temperature test chamber. Now temperature tests in the range of -40 °C to +180 °C can be carried out. The temperature test chamber is part of the research project “Product development with sensor integrating machine elements – Managing uncertainty associated to in-situ acquired sensor data in mechatronic systems” (project number 431606807) on loan from the German Research Foundation (DFG).

The temperature test chamber after delivery to the Gerhard-Pahl-Centre (on the left, Mr. Maximilian Hausmann, M.Sc., project manager; on the right, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Kirchner, head of pmd)
The temperature test chamber after delivery to the Gerhard-Pahl-Centre (on the left, Mr. Maximilian Hausmann, M.Sc., project manager; on the right, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Kirchner, head of pmd)

Within the framework of the mentioned project, the identification and quantification of disturbance influences on conventional and structurally integrated power and signal paths is being researched in the context of sensor integration in technical systems. With this knowledge, the influence of uncertainty on the acquisition of condition data in the context of the digitalisation of mechanical engineering, e.g. by the use of Sensing Machine Elements (SME), can be mastered. Furthermore, design rules as well as development models and methods for the integration of SME as well as structurally integrated energy and signal paths are to be developed.

The MK 720 temperature test chamber from BINDER GmbH has a reinforced frame to accommodate test assemblies weighing up to 250 kg. It is possible to place individual test objects in the test chamber as well as to mount test assemblies, e.g. entire transmissions within the allowed loads. For this purpose, the side walls are equipped with a number of different sized lead-throughs to allow both mechanical and electrical connections into the test chamber from the outside.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the DFG and BINDER GmbH for providing the temperature test chamber and for the excellent procurement process over the past few months.