Bromma develops new lifting beam
"We wanted to ensure that our calculations were correct and that we could add FEM analyses based on real data. We were particularly interested in looking at the strain in the steel while in operation – to calculate fatigue and ultimately predict new beams’ life spans.”
”It was the first time we used field measurements at this scale,” says Mats Idoff, development engineer at Bromma Conquip. “To ensure that strain gauges were correctly mounted on our equipment, we decided to bring in specialists from HBM Nordic Project Engineering. The dialogue with HBM flowed very well. Going forward, we now have a much better idea of how we can take advantage of measurement technology.”
“The technology is very sensitive,” says Herman Lingefelt, HBM project engineer who participated in the three projects at Bromma. “So it’s important that everything works perfectly all the time. The process of gluing the strain gauges to the steel construction is critical for reliable results.”The projects used CX22B-W – small compact data loggers – in combination with the QuantumX MX1615 amplifier and about 60 sensors in a distributed system, which reduces need for cabling.
“It required some flexibility, but our customers were very accommodating, and our dialogue with HBM flowed very well,” says Idoff. “When problems came up, we solved them along the way, and we learned a lot in the process. Going forward, we now know a lot more about how we can use measurement technology.”
“Besides verifying that we based our decisions on the right calculations, we acquired new data that are related to dynamic factors,” says Idoff. “Now we have a better idea of how stress varies in the beam in operation and how the loads behave in real life.”