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Product category: Linear Position Sensors
News Release from: Penny + Giles | Subject: Hybrid Linear Potentiometers
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial Team on 08 February 2000

Jaguar goes for PandG linear
potentiometers

Test rigs at the Jaguar Engineering Centre use Penny and Giles Hybrid Linear Potentiometers (HLPs) to provide accurate measurement data for a wide range of test development projects.

Test rigs at the Jaguar Engineering Centre use Penny & Giles Hybrid Linear Potentiometers (HLPs) are providing accurate measurement data for a wide range of test development projects At Jaguar's Product Development Centre at Whitley, Coventry, the dedicated workforce of 1800 are responsible for all current and future product development

Here, engineers undertake direct product development, research for future Jaguar models and specialised research with leading independent engineering institutions such as British Standards and TWI (The Welding Institute).

Jaguar engineers use a wide variety of computer-aided predictive and analytical techniques in the design and development of new models.

This analysis is confirmed with extensive testing on specially designed rigs in the company's own System & Component test department.

The test department houses more than 40 different rigs, 20 thermal chambers and a full vehicle 'drive-in' chamber capable of creating any hot, cold or humidity environment in the world.

The System & Component test department is responsible for a wide variety of component testing, from a single switch up to a complete new vehicle body.

Penny & Giles HLPs are used on a variety of rigs to provide accurate measurement data.

Most of these are quick-build rigs used to resolve issues during a component's development, after which the rigs are decommissioned.

Brad Cotton, Project Engineer in Body Engineering, discusses some of the applications.

"We use HLPs wherever we have a displacement which needs to be monitored electronically, on components ranging from switches, dashboard mounted cassette and coin trays, to whole vehicle structures.

We use HLPs to characterise their operation, before, during and post test, in order to achieve that unique Jaguar tactile quality.

Using specially designed test rigs, we can apply loads to these components and record the resultant displacements of the tested unit against the applied torque, load or effort." "In other applications HLPs are fitted between the vehicle bodywork and the centre of the road wheel hub, to measure the vertical road wheel motion under actual driving conditions.

The captured data is then digitised and used to reproduce the same motion on static vehicles fitted to test rigs, to assess vehicle suspension, body and other components.

Similar data for engine movement is used to optimise the design of the engine mounts." Simple test applications may employ between one to four HLPs to provide the required data measurements.

More complicated rigs may require more transducers.

For example, an evaluation exercise recently conducted on a series of plenum chambers employed alternative assembly methods.

Explains Brad Cotton: "The plenum chamber on a current production saloon is a spot welded, structural body component that fits between the engine bay and the vehicle cabin.

We have designed a test rig to help us understand the performance and characterise the alternative fixing methods, by applying a cyclic dynamic elastic torque loading into the structure.

We can test and measure the ultimate strength, evaluate bonding properties and compare NVH (noise, vibration & harshness) properties.

The data will enable us to design adhesives to eliminate noise paths, improve body strength and body assembly methods." In this test the Penny & Giles HLP190s, 15 in all, are fitted along the component's length in five groups of three transducers.

Each transducer and the torque-applying load cell are linked to a 16-channel data acquisition system.

A loading arm is cycled to twist the box section about its 'no load' condition and the resultant torque and displacement measurements are captured.

Data from each of the HLPs is then plotted against the applied torque.

Performance characteristics of the current production component can then be compared with the predicted data from a CAD/CAE model.

Commenting on the choice of Penny & Giles HLPs against other types of transducers, Brad Cotton says that the HLPs are less expensive when considering the 'total installed cost'.

"Linear Voltage Displacement Transducers (LVDTs) need varying degrees of bridge rectification which can increase the cost, but with the HLPs comparable displacement resolution we buy them, fit them with plugs and put them to work - all they need is a stable power supply." He says, adding: "We are currently using Penny & Giles HLPs on at least ten of our rigs. Request a free brochure from Penny + Giles ...

They provide accurate and reliable data and to date have been trouble free.".

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