Impact testing systems

I recently completed an undergraduate research assistant in UWaterloo's Forming & Crash Lab, under the supervision of professor John Magliaro, an expert in structural crashworthiness and impact mechanics. I designed two iterations of a new piece of equipment for the lab; a pneumatic high-velocity, low energy impact sled, and a drop tower, both for testing lightweight materials and structures.

First, I created a calculator in Excel to determining the impact energy and velocity for the purpose of component sizing. I designed the sled using SolidWorks, incorporating overload protection features to minimize the risk of damage to peripheral equipment. Mid-way through the term, I was guided to pivot the project towards a drop tower system to better suit the lab's current priorities.

I brought my learnings from the sled progress to begin the process of designing the drop tower, beginning with component sizing, drop height, impactor mass and springs, used for providing additional impact energy and speed. I iterated several times on the main impactor body and spring supports, while incorporating overload protection features. I designed a system for raising the impactor using electromagnets and pneumatic actuators as a failsafe.