EoW November 2008

english technology news

Force tester races ahead in motorsport wiring

The MultiTest 1-x is used to perform pull tests at a controlled speed on the electrical harness terminals, to determine that the load at which they fail is above a recognised value. Tests are performed to a guide supplied by Mecmesin conforming to industry standard BS 5G 178: Part 2. and ease-of-use the MultiTest 1-x has been set up with stored programs to test specific wire sizes and give an immediate pass/fail message to the operator. These automated test procedures and calculations reduce test times, leading to considerable costs savings both in man-hours and rework. Nigel Barber, senior engineer at Cyprium said “We have been very satisfied with our purchase of the Mecmesin MultiTest 1-x, it has become an essential part of our quality control system and allows us to calibrate our tooling and ensure our product is as reliable as possible in the severe environment of motorsport.” To facilitate quick testing

Designer and manufacturer of motorsport electrical wiring systems, Cyprium Motorsports has chosen a Mecmesin MultiTest 1-x force testing system to perform quality control assessments on electrical harness terminals. Cyprium designs and pro- duces customised wiring harness systems for sports cars, including Formula 1, Le Mans Prototype, Grand Touring and rally cars. The company required a fast and accurate force testing solution to ensure wires connected to the electrical harness terminals were securely crimped together. Mecmesin worked closely with Cyprium to develop a solution, comprising a MultiTest 1-x console- controlled test system, fitted with a 1,000N loadcell and specialised fixtures for testing crimps.

Mecmesin Ltd – UK Fax : +44 1403 799975

Email : sales@mecmesin.com Website : www.mecmesin.com

The Mecmesin MultiTest 1-x force testing system ▲ ▲

Water–saving DSD

The capstan cooling system was completely redesigned in order to improve the wire cooling. Nozzles spray high- pressure water directly onto the internal surface of the capstans. It uses four times the amount of water, compared to traditional narrow-gap systems, but the water is recycled in a closed system for efficient heat transfer. The capstan motors are cooled in a closed circuit system using glycol solution through a water/ coolant heat exchanger.

TeamMeccanica’s direct synchro drive (DSD) drawing machine ▲ ▲

The electric cabinet is integrated into the structure of the machine with a ‘Plug & Play’ control system. TeamMeccanica SpA – Italy Fax : +39 035 0779 728 Email : sales.office@teammeccanica.it Website : www.teammeccanica.it

a driving system that uses direct coupling of AC motors and drawing capstans without gear-boxes or pulleys. The advantage of this system lies in the reduced maintenance of rotating parts as well as in improved mechanical efficiency and consequent power saving.

The DSD machine represents the latest generation of drawing machines developed by Team Meccanica. DSD is a traditional multi-hole dry drawing machine, straight through type, with tilted blocks and sensing arms (tuner type) for speed synchronisation, but with

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EuroWire – November 2008