Investigation of the Mechanical Properties of a Material
Pneumatic Air Tools
ATA Air Tools (ATA) manufactures and distributes pneumatic air tools to over 50 countries for major industries including the aerospace and automotive sectors. A previous Innovation Voucher project completed with the PEM Gateway led to two important developments for ATA.
The first of these was the optimisation of a turbine design for a new air motor which “proved invaluable in the design” of that tool. Optimisation was achieved through a review of the existing design, leading to a Computer Aid Design (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis of identified modifications and the 3D printing of these components for prototype testing.
Material Testing
The second development was an introduction to the product development company Zenoz Ltd. Resulting from the ATA Innovation Voucher, Zenoz was tasked with both design projects and as a component manufacturing sub-contractor for ATA. This introduction, and the success of the components manufactured by Zenoz, has developed into a mutually beneficial and longstanding business arrangement for both ATA and Zenoz.
Being familiar with PEM’s precision engineering expertise, Zenoz applied for an Innovation Voucher with the Gateway to investigate the mechanical properties of a material Zenoz and ATA were considering for a new product and wanted to compare against existing materials used.
OUR PARTNERSHIP
PEM undertook a literature review to determine the optimum way to test unique aspects of the materials in question. Following this, PEM used IT Sligo’s Materials Testing and Analysis Lab to carry out a series of tests, which also included hardness testing. The results of the tests were presented to Zenoz and ATA with insight given on the suitability of the material ATA hoped to use for their new product. Because of this work, Zenoz and ATA were confident that the new material would meet their performance criteria and this allowed ATA to develop a lighter air tool.
ATA was then able to sell this product into a new market and had the necessary experimental results to reinforce their performance claims for it. In conjunction with the material analysis carried out by PEM, ATA ran their normal in-house and end-user tests to prove the quality of the modified product. The experimental results from PEM will prove invaluable when ATA are introducing their product to a wider market base in the future
