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High Speed Mechanical System Testing

In expansive, large-scale system testing, data loss is not an option. HBK's local Linux-based data storage eliminates the concerns associated with Windows- or BUS-based acquisition systems.
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Capturing Critical Data in Destructive, High-Speed Tests

High-speed system tests are often destructive, non-repeatable, and expensive, making it absolutely crucial to capture accurate data on the first and only attempt. 

Whether it's a helicopter crash landing, an explosion, a bird strike, or a rocket separation test, HBK solutions are designed to ensure you get the data you need, every time.

HBK offers high-speed data acquisition systems engineered for transient events. By combining hardware-based triggering, high sample rates, and secure local data storage, our solutions enable engineers to capture strain, acceleration, and pressure with complete confidence. 

This proven approach provides the reliability needed for any high-energy, short-duration test where data integrity is paramount.

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Capture every critical event during destructive and single-shot tests. Hardware-based triggering, high-speed acquisition and secure local storage ensure complete data collection when there is no opportunity to repeat the test.

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High sample rates and sustained throughput ensure complete visibility into fast transient events while reducing the risk and cost of retesting due to lost or incomplete measurements.

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Synchronize strain, acceleration, video and other measurement data across multiple systems and locations. Correlate every signal in time to simplify analysis and gain a complete understanding of overall system behaviour.

From Impact to Insight: A Complete Measurement Chain

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High-fidelity sensors capture the precise mechanical response of systems during short, high-energy load cases.

  • Strain gauges on structures or components
  • Accelerometers for impact and shock measurement
  • Speed and pressure sensors for analysing impact conditions
  • Trigger sensors (photocells or contact triggers) to initiate acquisition

Transient-ready data acquisition systems capture and securely store every data point, with no need for a live PC connection.

  • Genesis HighSpeed DAQ mainframes (e.g., GEN7t / GEN17t)
  • High-speed input boards with hardware-based triggering for deterministic capture
  • Sample rates up to 250 MS/s per channel and streaming rates up to 400 MS/s per mainframe
  • Scalable channel count, ranging from eight to hundreds of channels for maximum adaptability and flexibility

Powerful software enables system setup, synchronised data review, and efficient reporting.

  • HBK Perception software for test setup, acquisition, and real-time visualisation 
  • Automated post-processing, including analysis and documentation
  • Time-aligned review of time domain data alongside high-speed video footage
  • Direct link into HBK's cloud-based analysis ecosystem
  • Automated export in various formats like ASCII, Matlab, LabView and more

Key Areas of Application

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Bird Strike Testing

Verify the ability of aircraft structures and engines to withstand bird impacts under certification conditions. HBK synchronizes sensor measurements and high-speed video to capture every critical detail of these destructive tests.

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Blast & Explosion Testing

Assess how structures and systems respond to extreme pressure waves and explosive loads. HBK's high-speed measurement solutions provide reliable data capture during highly dynamic and non-repeatable events.

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Ballistic Impact Testing

Evaluate structural integrity and damage mechanisms caused by projectile impacts in aerospace, defense, and research applications. HBK delivers synchronized, high-speed measurements that help engineers analyze transient responses with confidence.

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Case Study: University of Ghent uses GEN5i from HBK to measure the impact of bird strikests

How does Ghent University simulate bird strikes to protect aircraft? Discover how they use HBK’s ultra-high-speed GEN5i data recorder to set critical technical design constraints and improve aviation safety. Read the full case study now.

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FAQs

If the peak load or deformation is not captured, the test data may be incomplete or unusable for certification. Because these tests are destructive and cannot be easily repeated, reliable triggering and high-speed data capture are essential.

Our systems use hardware-based triggering, onboard memory, and secure local storage. This ensures data is captured and stored locally in the DAQ mainframe during the event, so data collection is not dependent on having a live PC or network connection during the moment of impact.

Accurate correlation between sensors and high-speed cameras requires precise time synchronisation and deterministic hardware triggers. This guarantees that all strain, accelerations, and video data can be reviewed together with confidence after the test.

The easiest way to achieve this today is with PTPv2 synching methods for both DAQ systems and high-speed cameras.

Alternatively, HBK DAQ systems can send a defined trigger to the camera.

Tests commonly involve strain, acceleration, speed, displacement, and pressure measurements. These measurements are crucial for helping engineers understand structural response and performance during dynamic events. 

Yes, data from these tests is critical for supporting certification, design validation, and regulatory documentation. This requires traceable, high-quality data that can be clearly reviewed and justified after testing is complete. 

If data quality or completeness cannot be demonstrated, costly additional testing may be required, delaying certification and development timelines. Reliable measurement systems are designed to reduce this risk by ensuring that data capture is deterministic, repeatable across setups, and clearly documented.

Bird strike tests and other impact-related aerospace tests are fairly similar, apart from a few details. In ground fire testing, the projectiles fired at components are harder than a real bird, meaning the resulting frequencies are higher with higher sample rates required. More components are tested during ground fire testing, with the scope expanded to cover critical fuselage areas or landing gear.

Sample rate always refers to the sampling of a single channel. However, in high-channel-count system tests, the DAQ system must also store data from all channels. The throughput rate specifies the maximum combined data rate from all individual channels that the DAQ system can store continuously.