FORCE ACTUATION FIXTURE

A medical device manufacturer approached Pipeline about building a machine that would allow them to measure the force required to actuate a mechanism on their device in a repeatable manner. The mechanism required very little force to actuate and thus was extremely sensitive to actuation force. Furthermore, the fixture needed to accommodate three very devices each with its own set of unique geometry. Finally, the customer requested that the actuation be motorized and controlled via a custom software interface. Pipeline developed modular holder elements (one for each unique device) that could be quickly and easily swapped in and out of the main fixture. A high-precision/low force value in-line load cell was selected from Futek and integrated into a nearly frictionless custom carriage. This carriage interfaced with the devices’ handles and actuated the handle mechanism. A Lexium MDrive motor was integrated into a lead screw linear actuator to automate the motion of the carriage/load cell. Finally, a custom LabVIEW program was written to facilitate the motion profile requested by the customer. The finished assembly was delivered to the customer as a turnkey solution.

TEAM:
Mechanical engineer, programmer, machine shop vendor

DESIGN TOOLS USED:
SolidWorks 3D CAD, LabVIEW

MARKET:
Medical devices