Challenge
With iconic design, pioneering innovation, and a precedent of leadership, the Sun Path Products line of harness container systems continues to envision what other rigs might someday be, and value from today forward. Sun Path Products is dedicated to offering the finest parachuting equipment for both the sport and military markets. Continuous research, development, and testing coupled with equipment evaluation by some of the most exceptional skydivers in the world position Sun Path Products to be one of the foremost skydiving equipment manufacturers in the global market.
Clearly these products need to work. Failure is not an option. Specifically the material testing challenge had to meet Federal standards, FED-TM-STD – 191A – Section 4108. Sun Path Products existing materials testing system from a market leader had reached the end of its 30 year life. The challenge was to find an economical replacement which was totally reliable, easy to use, deployed today’s technology and could generate key metrics automatically.
Solution
The company acquired the eXpert 2613 Universal Testing System with an eP2 Digital Controller with GaugeSafe software from ADMET. The objective being to track, analyze, and report the data measured during the test and to assess the strength of their webbings and hardware. Dave Singer, Director of Engineering at Sun Path Products, explained that his company chose an ADMET solution because it was very cost-effective relative to the reliability, ease of use and quality of engineering demanded by the ultimate end use of the product.
eXpert 2654 with 100BT Webbing Grips
Results
The customer’s success criteria were met:
- Execute key tests to Federal Standards: Tensile test to break, cycle test (load & unload multiple times).
- Perform the tests on specific materials, namely webbing and associated hardware.
- Produce analysis results: Load vs. position chart, maximum load at failure, elongation.
- Deliver printable / exportable test reports with ability to auto save test results.
- Deliver the maximum force required: 10,000 lbf.
“We were delighted with the whole process from design to installation and training and the ADMET staff were great,” Dave Singer said during a phone interview. “Andrew DeWolfe (Account Director, Textiles Sector) was professional, insightful, and extremely knowledgeable. We received an excellent, simple to use machine that does the job it is intended for.”
