Test table digitally shakes out rattles

Testing for squeaks and rattles is now easier thanks to the Multi-Axis Simulation Table from MTS, Eden Prairie, Minn. (www.mts.com). It provides repeatable simulations consisting of high-frequency (500-Hz), six degrees-of-freedom motion. It is engineered to be stiff, so it delivers stable, coherent responses. Six servohydraulic, sealless actuators coupled with hydrostatic bearings provide a low-friction setup that improves controllability. Actuators are joined to an internally damped, 1-meter-diameter table with a high-frequency swivel and strut assembly. Table position is controlled by a digital servocontroller using feedback from both displacement and acceleration sensors. The entire system is mounted on a monolithic base. The table handles sinusoidal testing, including sine sweep and sine dwell, and can repeat recorded profiles.