RTS - Rexnord
Technical Services
5101 West Beloit Road
Milwaukee, WI 53214

Phone:
(414) 643-3067

Phone Toll Free:
(800) 488-9078

Fax:
(414) 643-3200

E-mail:

TESTING TECHNOLOGIES

AEROSPACE BEARING CAPABILITY:

ANALYTICAL MECHANICS:

CHAIN TESTS:

4-Square Chain Testers are used to determine operational performance (over sprockets) of a wide range of chain sizes and types including strength, corrosion wear and lubricated/non-lubricated wear in a range of environments. Special fixtures help determine fatigue strength, ultimate and yield strength and dimensional characteristics using ANSI Standard methods.

FLEXIBLE ELEMENT COUPLING TESTING:

RTS has designed and fabricated test stands for the evaluation of flexible element couplings.   These enable RTS to evaluate performance under angular, parallel, and axial misalignment at speeds from 0(static) to 5,400 rpm, and from 1000 to 200,000 in-lb. of torque.

EXPERIMENTAL STRESS ANALYSIS:

EXPERT WITNESS / CONSULTING / LITIGATION SUPPORT:

RTS pioneered the concept of "active proof" -- a combination of laboratory and field investigations to corroborate conclusions based on theory and past experience. RTS has highly qualified, credible, Professional Engineers to reliably serve as Technical Consultants or Expert Witnesses.   Fields of expertise include: Mechanical devices, materials suitability, product durability, patent disputes, product liability, hydraulic systems, "situation" reconstruction/simulation, "slip & fall".

ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING:

RTS has special chambers to perform cyclic testing to industrial, aerospace and military specifications.   The environments available include: programmable temperature (-100°F/+375°F), temperature-humidity, fluid immersion (water, oil, sludge, dust, rocks, ceramic, sand) or spray chambers.   These are available for the determination of mechanical and degraded properties.

FAILURE ANALYSIS:

Examination of failed components can directly lead to corrective actions. Correlation of observations on appearance, composition, and strength can point to the cause and often, to a cure.   Determining the root cause of a product or component failure requires a review of design and manufacturing history, and of the operating conditions and service environment.   Typical investigations include a determination of materials properties & failure modes.   Tests typically include optical microscopy, fractography, SEM, chemical analysis, hardness and microstructure determination.

FATIGUE AND DURABILITY CAPABILITY:

ASTM, SAE, MIL-STD and industry-specific testing of a wide range of products and components including: LED sensors, panels, industrial bearings, pumps, shafts, axles, frame structures, crankshafts, connecting rods, bearings, seals, door locks, hydraulic cylinders, and more.   Testing modes include fully-reversed axial, torsional, bending, radial, oscillatory or full rotation, and each mode with feedback control.

Analysis can include calculation of predicted fatigue lives following experimental determinations.   Equipment Capabilities include: seven load frames, servo-hydraulic actuators and controls up to 150,000 lb., four open architecture test beds, environmental chambers, vibration and shock, computer controlled complex loadings, RPC, and LCF.

INDUSTRIAL BEARING ENGINEERING / TESTING:

Industrial bearing testing to MIL-STD, ASTM, SAE or industry-specific programs.   Industrial: Capacity, life testing in oscillation or full rotation of roller, pillow block, tapered roller and ball bearings. Surface measurements include roundness, roughness.

LOW CYCLE FATIGUE (LCF, ASTM E606):

Basic materials properties can be determined through the use of LCF testing.   In this process, cylindrical or flat tensile-style samples are subjected to fully reversed fatigue loading with strain monitoring.   Each sample is tested to a single load, but after 15 to 20 samples are tested at different loads, the data is mathematically analyzed to determine the elastic and plastic strain-life curves.

MECHANICAL TESTING:

Determination of strength, ductility and toughness for both metallic or plastic materials is done to ASTM, SAE or ISO standards.   Test modes include tension, compression, flexural, torsional, impact, 3 or 4-point bending on standard samples or specialized materials.   Determination of Fracture toughness J_1c and K_1c on servo-hydraulic test stations. Equipment Capabilities include: up to 300,000 lb. tension/compression testers, Drop Weight, and extensive sample preparation facilities.

MODELING AND ANALYSIS:

Dynamics, impact, structures, systems, thermal and other modeling can highlight problems, optimize configurations or suggest new design directions. RTS uses both analytical and numerical methods to explain observations and predict future performance.

MATERIALS QA/QC:

Consistency in a product's performance starts with consistent materials.   RTS uses all of the evaluation tools in the laboratory to quantify performance, dimensions, calibrations on a timely basis.   Programs have included evaluations of raw materials for motorcycle sidebags, motor boat laminates, chain components, coatings, tools, elastomeric couplings, and fire pumps.

METALLIC MATERIALS ENGINEERING CAPABILITY:

Materials issues often dominate product development efforts and can make the difference between commercial success or failure.   RTS determines composition, macro and microstructure, hardness distribution; resistance to corrosion by salt fog, humidity or alternate immersion testing, abrasive wear by sand box testing and mechanical properties.

RTS performs metallic materials evaluation via macro and microscopic examination, quantitative phase analysis, SEM-EDS microanalysis, thermal cycling.   Equipment Capabilities include: Optical emission spectroscopy, Zeiss Metallograph, Definitive Imaging Image Analysis, Rockwell, Shore A & B, Mohs, and Brinell hardness, Diamond Pyramid and Knoop hardness, and Harshaw salt spray.   This information can be used to infer prior processing, weld quality and coating stability.   Digital photographic techniques are used to facilitate better information flow.

METROLOGY AND PRECISION MEASUREMENTS:

RTS has surface analysis capabilities including circumferential surface profiles, surface roughness, flatness and roundness.   Other measurements include: Radius of curvature, complex dimensional measurements, and reverse engineering. RTS maintains a staff of trained industrial micrometer certifiers to perform on-site work to ASTM methods and standards.

POLYMER & COMPOSITES ENGINEERING:

Chemical, thermal, and physical analyses are used to identify and define material and behavioral properties of polymers.   RTS uses FTIR, DSC, TGA, DMA, melt flow index, SEM/EDS, hardness and mechanical testing as tools to study polymers and composites.   Stereo and transmission microscopy are used to evaluate structural characteristics, while mechanical testing evaluates strength and ductility.   Typical projects include the determination of the effect of exposure to various service environments on product properties.

PROTOTYPE, FABRICATION AND MACHINE SHOP:

RTS is staffed to produce complex "one-of-a-kind" items or short run critical components.   All designed, fabricated or machined components are accurate, reliable and cost effective.   We fabricate individual test fixtures and custom test stands to meet client needs.   Our craftsmen will work closely with your engineers or production personnel to help eliminate bottlenecks.

PRODUCT QA/QC, RELIABILITY, AND FMEA:

RTS has staff members with the technical training to devise statistically designed experiments (DOE) to optimize products and processes.   Test procedures and inspection criteria to verify performance characteristics and "fitness for use" have been implemented on a wide range of industrial components and products.   Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) can be performed during product development to help identify critical areas.

PRODUCT/PROCESS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT:

Successful product development requires a disciplined approach to achieving innovative, technically sound, market-viable products on schedule and within budget.   RTS developments include: Polymeric chains and sprockets for wastewater equipment, industrial planetary gear reducers, elastomeric flexible element couplings, polymeric bearings, airline baggage handling equipment and railroad wheel lubricant delivery system.   In addition, RTS has developed new processing and manufacturing methods to solve manufacturing problems which are detrimental to achieving Six Sigma quality at the lowest acceptable price.

REMOTE PARAMETER CONTROL (RPC^TM) TESTING:

Remote Parameter Control is a test method used to simulate product service conditions in a controlled laboratory environment.   Field measurements, including load, strain, displacement, velocity and acceleration can be reproduced to evaluate product durability in the laboratory setting, often, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming in-service product evaluations.

RTS utilizes MTS RPCTM III and Com, Inc. SINCON 2100 with SimTest^TM software for data analysis and playback.   Testing can be performed utilizing one to thirty-two control channels.

ROTATING EQUIPMENT / GEAR BOX TESTING:

These devices are subject to loadings that are difficult to simulate or model.   However, performance diagnosis requires an evaluation of efficiency, fatigue, wear, noise, vibration and thermal capacity.   RTS has the necessary special equipment to evaluate gear boxes and rotating equipment.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AND TEST DESIGN:

RTS can design and build special testers to measure operating parameters during simulated, but controlled, service conditions.   Testers built to date include: Bearing testers, motorcycle transmission testers, gear box testers, elevator lift capacity, helical gear reducers, carbon brush performance, medicine bottle closure durability, railroad tie fastener life, hand tool quality and others designed specifically for in-plant QA/QC use.

TOTAL PRODUCTION MAINTENANCE:

RTS is qualified to perform TPM inspections of industrial machinery in your location.   Vibration monitoring, hot spot determination via thermography and oil analysis will lead to a "machinery health" determination.

VALVE AND PUMP PERFORMANCE:

Special flow loops, using chillers or heaters, are assembled to evaluate pump performance.   Process valve testing determines flow and pressure drop characteristics. Cyclic performance life evaluations have been performed on sanitary or chemical process industry equipment.   RTS has high capacity and flow measurement capability.

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RTS - Rexnord Technical Services 5101 West Beloit Road Milwaukee, WI 53214 E-mail:

Phone: (414) 643-3067 Phone Toll Free: (800) 488-9078 Fax: (414) 643-3200