TESTING | NRJ RC Baja

TESTING

SUMMARY

Three components of the RC Baja vehicle will be tested and evaluated by Jeffrey Harn. These include the suspension tower, the transmission cover, and the body.

SUSPENSION TOWER

The suspension tower will undergo force testing, based on the load requirements specified, as well as chassis and component mounting feasibility. Below are listed the requirements for the suspension tower.

Must withstand a direct impact from a 4 foot drop while secured to the chasis.
Must withstand a maximum 10 lbs of force from suspension arm actuation.
Must vertically hold up to 5 lbs when inverted.
Must secure body/fuselage and resist up to 5 lbs of force.
Must be disassembled using no greater than three tools.
Must connect to the chassis via four mounting points.
Must not self-disassemble or be damaged crucially in any fashion after one hour of straight operation.

TRANSMISSION COVER
The transmission cover will undergo a use test and a dirt, water, mud, and other debris test, and a mounting and feasibility test to verify it meets the requirements. Below are listed the requirements for the transmission cover.

Must be able to prevent all amounts of dust, water, and mud from entering the transmission housing interior.
Must fit within a 3 x 3 x 3 in cubic area.
Must not self-disassemble or be damaged crucially in any fashion after one hour of straight operation.
Must require no greater than two tools to assemble and disassemble.
Must be assembled and disassembled in no longer than ten minutes.

BODY/FUSELAGE
The body will undergo as use test along with the transmission cover, and the body will undergo a loading test to ensure it meets the requirements specified. Below are listed the requirements for the fuselage.

Must mount to the suspension towers via four mounting locations.
Must require only one tool to disassemble.
Must not self-disassemble or be damaged crucially in any fashion after one hour of straight operation.
Must withstand an impact of 5 lbs of force in any direction.
Must stimulate at least 100 visual dendrites.

TESTING MEDIA

Please see the below photographs and videos showcasing the work done in the testing phase of this project.

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TEST DESCRIPTIONS

Summarizing all the testing needed to be done, the main tests that will be conducted are use tests, loading tests, an environmental test, and mounting and feasibility tests. The use tests will be conducted by running the RC at normal use for a specified amount of time and be recalled after said time to be inspected. This test will happen in conjunction when the NRJ RC Baja team practices operating their RC.
Loading tests will be conducted in a lab with force meters or weights. Forces and loads will be applied to a degree of accuracy and the components undergoing the test will be inspected for any yielding or failures.
The environmental test will consist of exposing the transmission cover to water splashing, dust, mud and other small debris. The transmission cover will be inspected after being exposed to the environment.
Finally, the component mounting and feasibility test will consist of mounting the components in question to their designated spots and ensuring they function as intended. How well secured a component is and how well a component actuates, if applicable, will also be evaluated.

TESTING ISSUES

Two testing issues that arose are discussed here. One testing issue occurred during the transmission cover assembly and disassembly testing. Upon peer review and feedback, it was pointed out that the knowledge and experience of the individual conducting the testing must be defined. To explain, the first run through of the test was conducted by an individual who worked on the RC project. Questions arose as to whether a "layman" would have been able to assemble and disassemble the cover. Because of this, assembly and disassembly instructions were added to the testing report procedure.

The other issue occurred with the suspension tower load testing. Proper load testing was not able to be conducted using professional load-testing equipment. Test were done "at-home" with "at-home" materials.

TESTING RESULTS

Please see the below data sheets to view the results of the testing conducted. The first table displays the results of the disassembly and assembly test, the second displays the results of the operation test, and the third displays the results of the suspension tower load test.