Fatigue test on handbrakes

The factory standards of car makers place stringent quality requirements on the installed materials and components. For example, handbrakes have to withstand a fatigue test of 1.5 to 2 million cycles as part of the suitability test. Zwick offers two systems for this purpose.

In addition to a compact servo-hydraulic testing machine (e.g. HC10), the test can also be performed using an electro-mechanical testing actuator. The actuator is installed for this test in a two-pillar test frame. The advantage of doing this is that the testing actuator can be quickly removed at any time and thus used for tests on other test arrangements.

For the fatigue test, the handbrake is clamped in specially adapted specimen grips. The retainer can be turned by ± 30° as required to simulate misuse in an oblique tensile test. The handbrake is firmly connected to the tensile rod during the test. Test frequencies of between 3 and 4 Hz and maximum forces of up to 1 kN are used as specified by the standard. The stroke can also be individually set.

This inexpensive test arrangement is above all noted for its compact construction and flexible modification options. The test results are analyzed by the testing software testXpert^® II.

More information about fatigue testing.