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Tag: NSM 400

Environmental testing

NSM 400 to successfully pass vibration test

SOMAG AG Jena has successfully completed vibration tests on its Nautical Gyro Stabilization Mount NSM 400 at the independent and accredited test laboratory MeßTechnikNord GmbH in Jena, Germany. The vibration test is part of a series of comprehensive environmental tests that the company performs at regular intervals, in addition to EMC, performance and other tests to ensure consistently high-quality standards for its devices.

Tests were carried out on the NSM 400 with its maximum payload of 100 kg (220.5 lbs) with a center of gravity of 250 mm above the mounts pivot point. The test aims to verify the mechanical strength of the Mount and to observe its dynamic behavior. Testing was carried out in accordance with IACS E10 No. 7 Vibration and DIN EN 60068-2-06.2008-10.

First, a sinusoidal sweep test was performed with a frequency range from 2 to 300 Hz. From 2 to 13 Hz the excitation amplitude equaled 1 mm, afterwards it depended on the acceleration of the shaker with 0,7g. The resonance test was run in all three space axes (x, y and z) and aimed to find the resonance frequencies of the Mount.

A total of 5 accelerometers (4 x single axis accelerometers and 1 x single accelerometer for control) were placed at the base plate, the top part and at the supporting structure of the stabilization platform to measure the resulting vibrations. In addition, a three-axis acceleration sensor was attached to the payload in order to measure the resulting vibrations there as well and thus incorporate the real use of the Gyro Mount with payload in the test.

“To meet the standard, it would have been sufficient to test the unit in non-operational mode. However, we wanted to go one step further and also test the mechanical-dynamic behavior of the mount in MAN and STAB mode. In all three scenarios the NSM performed just as desired,” explains Sebastian Schreiber, CTO at SOMAG.

After the resonance search the visual check was passed. There was no external damage and no visual deficiency after the test. The self-test via the SOMAG Mount Control App could also be performed successfully which was the success criteria for the test.

Since resonances with an amplification factor ≥ 2 were found in the sinusoidal sweep test, additional endurance tests (1.5 h each) were performed at each of these frequencies. The visual inspections after the endurance test did not reveal any damage or optical defects. The self-test via the Mount Control App could be performed successfully in all cases and the vibration tests were completed successfully overall.

NSM 400 and payload equipped with sensors on vibration test system
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SOMAG AG Jena has successfully tested the IP rating of its Gyro Stabilization Mounts for marine and land applications at the independent and accredited laboratory for environmental and materials testing at the Technologie-Zentrum für Oberflächentechnik und Umweltschutz Leipzig GmbH. The test of the protection class is part of a series of comprehensive environmental tests that the company performs at regular intervals, in addition to EMC and performance tests to ensure consistently high-quality standards for its devices.

Sebastian Schreiber, CTO at SOMAG, comments: “The mission of our marine and land gimbals is to flawlessly stabilize sensor systems in both marine environments with high humidity and salinity as well as in dusty, unpaved terrain. Therefore, they have been designed in such a way that neither dust nor water can enter into the units according to IP class 67.”

This classification has been successfully confirmed by recent tests according to DIN EN 60529: 2104 -09. The tests were carried out with an NSM 400, which was first placed in a dust chamber to test the protection against the ingress of solid foreign bodies (dust-tight). The NSM 400 was sprayed with talcum powder in the chamber from all directions. The talcum powder is very fine (<75 μm) and has rather lubricating properties. Due to the homogeneous structure of the dust, it infiltrates into the smallest joints, especially if negative pressure is applied, which was the case with the NSM 400. The gimbal was removed from the chamber and its functionality verified. Furthermore, the cover was removed and the device was opened. In accordance with the requirements for passing the test, there was no dust visible inside the unit.  

The second step was the test to determine the protection against temporary submersion. For this purpose, the NSM 400 was lowered into a dipping basin. The water level above the enclosure is defined with 1 meter. The gyro stabilizer remained submerged for 30 minutes. After this period, the Mount was lifted out of the basin, opened, and subjected to a visual inspection. No water was detected in the sealed area and the correct functioning of the device was confirmed.

NSM 400 inside dust chamber
NSM 400 inside dipping basin

 

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Environmental testing

Gyro Mounts to successfully pass temperature tests

SOMAG AG Jena has successfully completed temperature tests on its airborne, marine and land Gyro Stabilization Mounts at the independent and accredited test laboratory MeßTechnikNord GmbH in Jena, Germany, which specializes in conducting climatic product tests, such as cold, heat, thermal shock, and humidity tests. The temperature tests are part of a series of comprehensive environmental tests that the company performs at regular intervals, in addition to EMC and performance tests to ensure consistently high-quality standards for its devices.

Sebastian Schreiber, Chief Technology Officer at SOMAG, comments: “By means of environmental simulations, we can replicate environmental influences that occur in the course of a product life cycle to prove that our Gyro Mounts are able to face them. The analyses also help us to understand the different effects of extreme temperatures on the Mounts in operation, such as achieving the specified angles and angular velocities, as well as stabilization performance. In addition, it is important that we explore the limits of our devices.”

Temperature Tests Airborne Gyro Mounts

Tests were carried out on the GSM 4000 and DSM 400 Aerial Camera Stabilizers with their respective maximum payloads. The tests verified the acceptable temperature ranges for operation and storage given in the Gyro Mount specifications overview, which conforms to the RTCA DO-160 Equipment Section 4 / Temperature and Altitude / Category A1 standard:

Category A1
Operating Low Temp. [°C]-15
Operating High Temp. [°C]+55
Ground Survival Low Temperature (Storage) [°C]-55
Ground Survival High Temperature (Storage) [°C]+85

Both airborne gyro gimbals successfully passed the tests in the high and low temperature ranges. Beyond the limits of SOMAG specifications, the GSM 4000 kept performing well even at a minimum operating temperature of -32 °C.

GSM 4000 (left) and DSM 400 (right) with weight plates as payload
Temperature test setup in the climatic chamber in the facilities of MessTechnikNord

Temperature Tests Marine/Land Gyro Mounts


While airborne Gyro Stabilization Mounts are installed inside airplanes, the gimbals of the marine and land sector have to meet higher requirements. Installed up high on a mast of a frigate or on the back of an unmanned ground vehicle maneuvering through rough and dusty terrain, the Mounts in these application scenarios are directly exposed to harsh environmental influences such as blazing hot sun or freezing rain, which increases the stress on the material. However, even in these climatic conditions the Mount must prove that it can deliver its full power and achieve its specified performance and continuous torque. In the case of the NSM 400, this is 125 Nm and in the case of the OSM 4000, 225 Nm. This was tested by placing the payload off-center on the Mounts to setup a specific lever arm length to generate the continuous torque.

In the first phase, tests were carried out in accordance with the marine standards IACS E10 Rev. 7 and DNV-CG-0339. Both marine gyro platforms stabilized properly in the specified high temperature range up to 55 °C and in the low temperature range down to -25 °C with residual angles of 0.07° and less.

SOMAG Marine Mount Specifications
Operating Low Temp. [°C]-30
Operating High Temp. [°C]+55
Ground Survival Low Temperature (Storage) [°C]-55
Ground Survival High Temperature (Storage) [°C]+85
NSM 400 installed on top of OSM 4000, both with off-center payloads

“However, the requirements of our military customers go beyond this, just like our own specifications,” explains Arne Wollboldt, Application Engineer at SOMAG and responsible for environmental testing. NSM 400 and OSM 4000 demonstrated in the second stage that they performed perfectly even at -32°.

Wollboldt: “Up to this point, we had expected these results. But we wanted to see what would happen if we increase the difficulty and push the Mounts further, so we also tested an operating temperature down to -40 °C. An extraordinary cold, as it occurs for example in tundra regions and the arctic ocean. To create more natural conditions, we sprayed the NSM 400 with water and covered it with a layer of ice.”

A challenge that the surveillance sensor gimbal masters with flying colors. Thanks to its unique material, the protective bellow remains flexible and breaks the ice with the first movement, proving that the gimbal is capable of delivering best-in-class gyro stabilization for EO/IR systems even in extreme weather conditions.

Video Marine Gyro Stabilizer Temperature Test

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