Aava Mobile faced the challenge of ensuring their devices were durable enough to withstand harsh usage environments. While traditional physical drop tests provide some insights, they fall short in capturing the internal dynamics of a device during impact.
To overcome the limitations of physical testing, Aava Mobile partnered with Mectalent and turned to virtual drop test simulations. This case study highlights how Aava Mobile leveraged these simulations to assess and enhance their tablet designs, ensuring greater durability while reducing the need for costly physical prototypes.
What happens to the tablet when it falls to the floor? Does it break, and how does it break? Which components are the most prone to damage? What could be done to make the device more durable?
Aava Mobile, like all other manufacturers, grapples with these questions when working on designing a new device. How can we see in real-time what happens to the device when, for example, it falls to the floor? At that point, the mechanics might vibrate and bend, causing parts to collide and significantly increasing the risk of device failure.
Drop tests can be conducted by dropping a prototype and recording the event with a high-speed camera. The video reveals what external changes occur to the device, but the inside of the device can only be seen by opening it up after the test.
However, a problem with tests filmed with a high-speed camera is that the internal events of the device cannot be seen in real-time. As a result, it’s not possible to see the causes of the damage or necessarily all the damage itself. A damaged component may return to its position after the fall without showing visible signs of the damage.
Mechanics simulations offer an effective way to test whether electronic devices meet their requirements. Simulations are particularly useful when you want to model the device’s performance under extreme conditions or misuse situations.
Mectalent offers dynamic mechanical simulations, including:
>> Read the blog: Mechanics simulations benefit product development
This is an example of the video footage we provide to the customer after mechanics simulation. It shows how the components inside the device move during impact.
Aava Mobile’s device was tested using drop test simulation. This method allows us to see what happens when the tablet experiences a sudden impact due to a fall. Through the simulation, we identify the device’s most critical areas that need reinforcement or improvement.
Before the actual simulation, we create a virtual prototype of the device using the device’s 3D CAD files and bill of materials. Additionally, we utilize pre-made electronic component models in the modeling process.
The simulation consists of a series of runs where the device is dropped from a certain height in a specific orientation. The results and findings were provided to the customer in visual form, such as video animations, cross-sections, and images of potential damage points. We also wrote a report that included an analysis of the possible root causes of damage, a detailed analysis of the results, and improvement suggestions for the device’s structure.
Based on the simulation results and our recommendations, Aava Mobile’s product development team made changes to the device, after which we repeated the simulation. This ensured that the design changes truly improved the device’s durability. The results from simulations were comparable since all variables can be standardized in virtual modeling, preventing surprises.
Examples of images that show potential damage points.
Mechanical simulations and testing in a virtual environment offer several benefits compared to testing devices in physical surroundings:
With simulation aided product design, all of this can be done without expensive prototype rounds, making it possible to achieve a high-quality first prototype.
>> If you are interested in learning more about mechanics simulations and how they benefit your product design, contact our sales.
Aava Mobile has been developing advanced POS devices, industrial tablets, and handheld terminals since 2009. Aava Mobile’s tablets are used in critical applications where the device’s reliability is of utmost importance.
Aava Mobile’s Inari tablets feature durable components that make them reliable work tools, distinguishing them from competitors with features such as dust and water resistance according to the IP65 standard, extended operating temperature range, and vibration resistance according to the MIL-STD-810G standard.