When consumers want unbiased advice on big-ticket items such as cars, washing machines, and laptops, they often turn to Consumer Reports to see how different brands stack up. Until now, there was no equivalent testing and rating organization for industrial components.
Industrial Product Reports Inc., Hauppauge, N. Y., plans to fill that niche. The independent testing organization reportedly will market unbiased purchasing and performance information on industrial components and machine subsystems.
IPR was founded by two engineers with more than 50 years of design and application experience, and is not affiliated with any manufacturer or distributor of the types of products tested.
The company plans to create several reports each year that will include their vendor screening process, price and delivery information, unaltered manufacturer data, and side-by-side test results. Reports will define in detail all test protocols, and tests will be conducted on products obtained through normal procurement channels — without the seller’s knowledge that they will be tested. The information is intended to save time and money for engineers, end users, and purchasing managers, and serve as a benchmark for manufacturers and distributors.
IPR has released its first report, comparing several transport-type ball screws available in the U. S. The 50-page document, with a list price of $3,995, contains vendor information as well as bench-test results on load capacity, life, accuracy, efficiency, smoothness, and stiffness. For more information, or to download a sample of the ball-screw report, visit www.industrialproductreports.com.