Drop Test of a
Product . . .
Drop Test of a Headphone
A Drop test is a free fall of a component. It is generally performed to check the ability of a product to withstand suddenly applied loads. Physical drop test involves a huge cost of testing and enormous time, which can be replaced by Finite Element simulation of the Drop Test. Therefore a simulation is carried out on a weak frame to identify the critical region which is prone to more damage
The goal is to examine the breaking point in the design of a headphone when dropped from 6 ft.
Software Used:
CAD Software: SolidWorks, SpaceClaim
FEA and Simulation: ANSYS Mechanical (Explicit Dynamics Analysis System)
Actual Model of the Headphone
Velocity Impact . . . .
Dropped from a 6 ft. (1.83 m.) height onto the ground.
Material: PVC and Rubber
Velocity Impact = √2ax = 6 m/s
Distance before impact in the simulation = 10 mm.
Initial Step Time = 0.0015
Meshed Model in ANSYS
CAD Model of the Headphone
Results:
Maximum Stress at the Linkage Point of Headband
Safety Factor Analysis indicating point of fracture
There is always a variation in results obtained through FE analysis compared with test results. Acceptable percentage variation in result has to be decided by individual based on complexity considered in simulation and severity of failure. However some broad correlations are achieved like, no cracks or rupture strain are observed in FE simulation. Significant plastic deformation are observed in FE simulation which can be avoided by either changing the material or further improving the linkage design.