306: Automated 3D Displacement Test Fixture

We worked with Danfoss on a project that automated the testing of a sensor ring they made. Danfoss tested their sensor rings using a fixture that moved a shaft on the x and z axes by manually twisting a knob. The sensor ring was secured on top of the fixture’s shaft and a knob moved the shaft to test the sensor’s x-axis. When complete, we rotated the sensor 90 degrees and did the same thing to test the sensor’s y-axis. We used a second knob to move the shaft up and down to test the sensor’s z-axis. These tests measured the sensitivity of the sensor ring.

We designed and created an automated test fixture so users could simply insert the sensor ring, click a button and view the results. This system automated testing using a microcomputer, microcontroller, 3D printed and metal parts, a Python program and a database. With these components working together, the automated fixture tested the sensor ring sensitivity, read and stored the data, and displayed the test results to the user.

We made a CAD model of the design, programmed a Raspberry Pi and designed a database to store data and test results from the sensor. Testing validated the design and the results were as expected.