Modular Drop Tester
Modular drop tester utilizing 3d printed holders to grip and enable products to be dropped from precise heights with specific impact angles and conditions in a repeatable manner
Problem
What happens when a product fails? You replicate the failure to confirm what caused it. We needed to drop test a product at a specific angle to test for a specific failure mode and dropping it by hand wasn't cutting it anymore.
Solution
What's the cheapest, fastest, and most modular method to build a large device slightly over 6' tall? Aluminum extrusions are a consistently good answer. Because of the need to test various different products each at different angles, a laser cut aluminum pegboard was made to hold 3d printed jigs that would hold each product. And for maximum damage to the product, concrete blocks were used as the impact surface.
The end result? A highly configurable drop testing system that was used to find a particular failure mode before the full production run started and usable for future products too. This system was used to quickly test prototypes in addition to catching a < 2% failure rate that only occurred in a particular impact orientation.
Slow motion video of drop tester in action