Barcelona – ITMA 2011

Newton at ITMA 2011

Newton had an excellent trip to Barcelona, Spain for the ITMA 2011 textile exhibition. As a booth companion, I can say he was definitely the strong, silent type – not much for conversation but quite popular nonetheless. Sharing the spotlight with Newton were Measurement Technology NW’s SGHP-8.2 sweating hotplate (skin model), and our new RPP (Radiant Protective Performance) device for assessing a fabric’s resistance to radiant heat energy.

All these items garnered significant interest and proved that ITMA is the premier show for the textile industry. To call it a huge exhibition is an understatement. It was a full 8 days long, with attendance totaling well over 100,000 people. Every facet of the textile industry is represented: from raw materials, to finished goods, to everything in-between.

Next up for MTNW is the IFAI Expo in Baltimore (October 25-27), where Newton will put on a repeat performance. The SGHP-8.2 unit we had on display at ITMA remained in Europe, but at IFAI it will be replaced with our TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) device.

Interested? Come on by! You’ll find Measurement Technology NW in Booth 2509.

Tags: exhibition, ITMA, ITMA 2011, measurement technology northwest, MTNW, Newton, SGHP, SGHP hotplate, sweating manikin, textile, thermal manikin

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 at 11:33 am and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Upcoming Events

With the end of summer quickly approaching, your MTNW team is hurrying to complete preparations for the ITMA show in Barcelona, Spain(September 22-29) and the IFAI Expo in Baltimore, Maryland (October 25-27).

At ITMA, Measurement Technology NW will be displaying a 26-zone Newton sweating thermal manikin with physiological control model, a SGHP-8.2 sweating hotplate, an RPP (Radiant Protective Performance) device, and, hopefully, a TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) device. For those of you traveling to Barcelonafor the big ITMA show, you’ll find Measurement Technology NW in Hall 2, Booth A164.

At the IFAI Expo, we plan to display the 26-zone Newton sweating thermal manikin with physiological control model, an RPP (Radiant Protective Performance) device, and the TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) device. We may include some other items too, but until final decisions are made you’ll just have to find a way to deal with the suspense. October is a beautiful time of the year to be on the East coast, and if attending the IFAI Expo is part of your travel plans you’ll find Measurement Technology NW in Booth 2509.

Oh, and we have new booth display banners too!

New Booth Display Banners

Tags: 26-zone, Baltimore, Barcelona, IFAI Expo, ITMA, Maryland, Newton, physiological control model, RPP, SGHP, Spain, sweating, sweating guarded hot plate, thermal manikin

This entry was posted on Friday, August 19th, 2011 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Techtextile 2011, Frankfurt, Germany

While Newton was busy showing the crowd at VTMS 10 how comfortable he was, Measurement Technology NW was preparing other thermal test equipment for the big Techtextil 2011 show in Frankfurt, Germany. We had a SGHP-8.2 sweating guarded hotplate on display at the Mesdan S.p.A. booth, and the device generated a great deal of interest from textile labs and companies who evaluate the thermal insulative and evaporative properties of fabrics. In fact, by the end of the show the SGHP-8.2 had been sold to Carvico S.p.A. in Italy – a fabric testing lab for high performance bicycle apparel.

After the show and before my flight home I saw one of Frankfurt’s more unique sights: the “Beer Bike”. A human-powered beer bar, five seats on a side, each seat with a set of bicycle pedals underneath. If you were thirsty and a seat was open all you had to do was run alongside, hop onto the seat, and start pedaling while the driver/bartender served you a beer from the keg in front!

It was a memorable example of German efficiency – a place to have fun, drink beer, and work off the calories, all at the same time.

Tags: beer bike, comfort manikin, display, human simulation, Newton, techtextil 2011, thermal manikin, thermal simulation

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 at 3:32 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Newton gets a little brother!

Our New Child Manikin

Standing just 55 inches tall (139 cm) and designed to represent the morphology of a 10 year old child, Measurement Technology NW’s new Child Thermal Manikin (we call him “Timmy”) was recently completed and shipped to AITEX in Alicante, Spain.

The Child Thermal Manikin is the latest offshoot, or perhaps I should say offspring, of MTNW’s “Newton” product line. Our new Child Thermal Manikin is a 15-zone model jointed at the shoulders, hips, knees, elbows, and ankles, with computer-controlled sweating skin and walking motion capabilities. The child manikin’s smaller physical dimensions presented quite a challenge for our engineers – who were tasked with redesigning the manikin’s internal electrical and fluid supply components to fit into a body form that is significantly smaller than Newton’s, along with scaling down the walking motion stand without affecting its performance or harmonic stability. In the end everything came together as planned, and our engineers were as happy as any new parents could be.

Installation and commissioning of the system went very smoothly, and with their new Child Thermal Manikin, AITEX can now offer garment testing services for adult and child clothing sizes – a claim very few testing organizations can make!

Tags: child analog, child manikin, clothing testing, heat transfer, thermal manikin

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 at 11:56 am and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

IPEMS Phase 1 is Complete!

As regular Measurement Technology NW followers may know, back in November 2008 MTNW and a group that included Midwest Research Institute, Boston Dynamics, Smith Carter CUH2A, and HHI Corporation were chosen by the US Army to design and build “IPEMS” (Individual Protection Ensemble Mannequin System). This project includes state-of-the-art chemical testing facilities and a first-of-its-kind robotic thermal mannequin to perform high-resolution testing of protective clothing and equipment under live chemical exposure conditions. The IPEMS mannequin will be a freestanding, self-balancing robot that will simulate human physiology for realistic tests of protective equipment in a controlled environment.

Measurement Technology NW’s role is to develop IPEMS’s skin surface segments and thermal control systems, while other partnering companies developed the robotic mannequin’s internal structure. Integrating full-function thermal, perspiration, and chemical sensing controls into a 50th percentile body form, while also fitting it over an internal robotic structure capable of ranges of movement far beyond that of existing mannequin systems, presented some significant challenges. Adding more complexity to this challenge was the need for sealed skin surfaces and joints to prevent chemical agent contamination, while still allowing internal access for service and repairs.

The IPEMS mannequin design that emerged from Phase 1 – the design phase – included a body surface segmented into 17 separate hard-shell regions (14 independent thermal zones), each with sweating capability and chemical sensing ports. Overall, Phase 1 was a successful effort. Phase 2 – the fabrication phase – will include first-article build up of a mannequin shell region and joint sleeve. After decontamination testing and safety/operational procedures are finalized, work will begin on building the first IPEMS mannequin.

Tags: Boston Dynamics, IPEMS, thermal manikin, thermal mannequin, Thermal Measurement, thermal testing

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 2:44 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

NEMO Gets His 15 Minutes of Fame

NEMO, our submersible thermal manikin system, doesn’t make the headlines very often. After all, a true-weight cast aluminum sweating thermal manikin that is designed to operate underwater at depths of up to 10 feet (3 meters) is a rather specialized piece of equipment built to fulfill a unique set of research needs. Nevertheless, NEMO is in the news this week thanks to a new installation at Japan’s Ministry of Defense.

Ministry researchers had been try to secure funding for NEMO since 2006, but after years of negotiations things came together quickly in late 2009 and, by February 15th, we had an order in-hand along with an extremely challenging delivery date. Because of government procurement regulations associated with the end of Japan’s fiscal year, MTNW engineers had to design, build, test, and ship a custom 50th percentile (Japanese Male) sweating NEMO system in less than 14 weeks!

I’m not kidding when I say that our Japanese agents (IDS) and the whole MTNW team went into overdrive on this project. Thanks to everyone’s efforts we successfully met the deadline and last week’s installation went very smoothly. Now the customer is happy, our agent is happy, and we’re happy. Dazed and more than a little bit tired… but happy.

Tags: Nemo, thermal, thermal manikin, thermal mannequin, Thermal Measurement, thermal testing

This entry was posted on Monday, May 24th, 2010 at 2:12 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Automotive HVAC Manikin Testing System

Remember a few months ago when I mentioned that MTNW engineers love custom projects? Here’s a good example that shows our Newton manikin system re-purposed to serve (quite well I might add) as a sophisticated, repeatable tool for car/truck/transit HVAC comfort research.

This non-thermal manikin system features our popular 50th percentile Western or Asian male body form along with the addition of high-accuracy surface-mounted sensors to evaluate the environmental comfort conditions of automotive passenger cabins.

An integrated matrix of sensors measures air velocity, air temperature, radiant heat flux, and relative humidity. Wireless communication capability is included, and each manikin separates into upper and lower halves at the waist for easy insertion into a variety of vehicles. Newton is a fully jointed manikin, and this model is built with shoulder joints that allow the manikin’s elbows to move in or out from the torso, reflecting a range of typical driver positions.

Mitten-shaped manikin hands in a curved, gripping shape allow for easy positioning of the hands onto the vehicle steering wheel. Their shape does not impact air movement, but permits airflow similar to that of a human grip/fist. Thigh backs are flattened to simulate seat compression, for more realistic airflow patterns.

The ambient sensor matrix includes:

60 – Custom airflow/velocity/temperature sensors, developed by MTNW for this specific application. Protective caps are included for use during vehicle installation or storage. Measurement range:

• -20°C to +70°C
• +/- 1.0°C calibrated accuracy
• +/- 0.1°C resolution
• Airflow rates: 0.1-5.0 M/sec
• Temperature compensated from -20°C to +70°C

30 – Thermal radiation sensors, each mounted in a protective recess with the sensor at skin level. Measurement range is from near zero to >3,000 W/m², 1-20 um wavelength.

5 – Relative humidity sensors, 0 to 95% RH, non-condensing.

Interested in having one or two, or four of your own? No problem – we can build more!

Tags: thermal, thermal manikin, thermal mannequin, Thermal Measurement

This entry was posted on Friday, April 2nd, 2010 at 8:51 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

8I3M: The deadline for Abstract Submissions has been extended to March 15th

The 8th International Meeting for Manikins and Modeling (8I3M) is the primary forum for international experts on the science of human thermal comfort to present and discuss current and future challenges, opportunities, and the requirements of next-generation protective clothing, high-performance sport apparel, and environmental comfort research. Abstracts and papers are invited on a broad spectrum of topics, including:

• Thermal manikin applications including aerospace, automotive, clothing, commercial, industrial and military
• Human thermal physiology and mathematical models
• New or updated manikin, modeling and testing standards
• Thermal manikin developments, including breathing, sweating, and walking systems
• Environmental comfort research and human interaction
• Flame and Chemical exposure tests
• Body part manikins
• Virtual manikins
• Validation / Correlation studies

Authors are invited to submit research abstracts (300 to 500 words in length) for consideration at 8I3M. Abstracts should be submitted as soon as possible. A sampling of those received to-date include:

• Evaporative Resistance and Thermal Insulation of Clothing under Different Posture Positions
• Numerical Simulation Study on the Heat Loss from a Thermal Foot Manikin
• Protective Clothing Design Effects on Ensemble Biophysics and Predicted Human Thermal Responses
• Using Operational Models to Predict Performance of New Concepts in (CBRN) Personal Protective Systems

Visit the official 8I3M website: www.i3mmeeting.com for the conference schedule, registration forms, research paper submission forms, information on lodging at Victoria’s luxurious Hotel Grand Pacific, and upcoming conference deadlines. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of the year’s most important venue for the advancement of human thermal comfort research.

Tags: 8I3M, thermal manikin, thermal mannequin, Thermal Measurement, thermal testing

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 7:01 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

New Year’s Resolutions

With the beginning of a new year comes New Year’s resolutions, and for all our sweating manikin operators we heartily recommend making the resolution to pay more attention to your manikin’s fluid circulation system. Towards that goal I have re-posted a service bulletin from a few years ago that describes the maintenance procedures our engineers have developed for the proper care of our sweating manikins – including Newton (all models) and the Thermal Hand, Thermal Foot, and Thermal Head systems. Note: The procedures shown below apply only to MTNW manikins using removable wicking fabric skins. For manikins with MTNW’s porous metal sweating skin surfaces, please contact MTNW for maintenance information specific to these systems.

MTNW Service Bulletin

Sweating Manikin Fluid System Storage and Flushing Procedures

Long-term storage of water systems, even with high purity water, can result in bacterial growth and a resulting biofilm on all wetted surfaces. Studies have demonstrated significant bacterial activity within 7 days in a high-purity closed system. The large number of variables affecting this phenomenon, including supply water purity, existing bacterial content of water system, ambient temperature, and wetted materials, can make each location unique.

MTNW’s sweating manikin systems meet many of the criteria for promoting bacterial growth. The sealed design of MTNW’s fluid system does not permit reliable purging of the internal tubes, so the system remains wetted throughout its service life. The flowrates are low and often stagnant during non-sweating operation. Water recirculates through the system, so any bacterial content developed in the manikin tubes gets returned to the reservoir. Adding more high-purity water to the reservoir does not eliminate any existing biological activity.

The maintenance procedures outlined below are intended to minimize/reduce bacterial growth, and also offer a shock treatment to systems for periodic cleaning. NOTE: All supply water should be deionized or distilled high purity water.

If you will be USING the manikin sweating system AT LEAST ONCE PER WEEK:

1. Fully drain and rinse out the manikin fluid reservoir with supply water
2. Refill reservoir with supply water
3. Unplug recirculation (black) tube from reservoir and route it to a drain or collection bucket
4. Turn on the fluid pump and allow it to run for 10 minutes to purge the old water from the system
5. Top off the reservoir and resume testing

If you will be STORING the manikin or not operating the fluid system (re: non-sweating tests) for MORE THAN ONE WEEK:

1. Remove the wicking fabric sweating suit
2. Add 5 liters of supply water to empty reservoir
3. Add 1 ml of unscented household bleach and shake the reservoir to mix and coat the inside surfaces (this will result in approximately 10 PPM sodium hypochlorite solution)
4. With the manikin tubing fully connected, turn on the fluid pump and allow it to run for 10 minutes, recirculating this solution through the closed system.
5. Set all the manikin sweat rates to 2000 ml/hr/m2, and allow the system to sweat for 10 minutes.
6. The system can now be stored for up to 2 months containing this solution
7. Prior to running sweating tests, repeat this procedure with fresh supply water to purge chlorine from the system

Every TWO MONTHS as preventative maintenance or as a special one-time shock treatment after storage:

1. Very important – Long-term exposure to sodium hypochlorite can degrade internal manikin system components. Do not allow bleach solution to remain inside the manikin system for more then 10 minutes.
2. Caution – This process uses bleach with a concentration which could possibly discolor fabrics or cause staining. Use colorfast or white absorbent pad and towels for this procedure. Wear eye protection.
3. Remove the wicking fabric sweating suit and place an absorbent pad beneath manikin to catch runoff
4. Add 5 liters of supply water to empty reservoir
5. Add 100 ml of unscented household bleach and shake the reservoir to mix and coat the inside surfaces (this will result in approximately 1000 PPM sodium hypochlorite solution)
6. With the manikin tubing fully connected, turn on the fluid pump and allow it to run for 5 minutes, recirculating this solution through the closed system.
7. Set all the manikin sweat rates to 2000 ml/hr/m2, and allow the system to sweat for 5 minutes.
8. Set sweat rates back to 0 ml/hr/m2 and quickly blot the manikin dry with a colorfast cloth and turn off fluid pump
9. Immediately drain and rinse reservoir, and refill with clean supply water
10. Unplug recirculation (black) tube from reservoir and route it to a drain or collection bucket
11. Turn on the fluid pump and allow it to run for 5 minutes to purge the system
12. Set all the manikin sweat rates to 2000 ml/hr/m2, and allow the system to sweat for 5 minutes.
13. Set sweat rates back to 0 and blot manikin dry with colorfast cloth
14. Allow the pump to run for an additional 10 minutes, flushing water out the recirculation (black) tube.
15. Begin using the manikin for sweating tests within one week, or follow the previously mentioned storage procedure

Tags: sweating manikin, sweating mannequin, thermal, thermal hand systems, thermal manikin, thermal mannequin, Thermal Measurement, thermal testing

This entry was posted on Friday, January 15th, 2010 at 8:53 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

8I3M Conference Registration Now Open!

As mentioned in an earlier posting, Measurement Technology NW and Canada’s Sport Innovation (SPIN) Centre are sponsoring next year’s 8I3M Conference (8th International Meeting for Manikins & Modeling). The location is beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and the dates are August 22-26, 2010.

The SPIN Centre is home to Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, and both are located at the new Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence (PISE). We will be holding all 8I3M sessions there. The Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence is an 80,000 sq/ft cutting-edge facility dedicated to the advancement of high performance sport, fitness education, and community awareness programs.

But the big news is that your official 8I3M website: www.i3mmeeting.com is now complete! Both the conference registration form and research paper submission form are now posted and available for downloading. A block of rooms have been reserved for 8I3M conference attendees at Victoria’s Hotel Grand Pacific, and the pre-conference registration period is underway. Attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the conference discount ($100) available to early registrants.

So log on, sign up, and begin preparing your presentations for 8I3M. All of us at Measurement Technology NW and the SPIN Centre look forward to being of service in the weeks and months ahead.

Tags: 8I3M, thermal manikin, Thermal Measurement, thermal testing

This entry was posted on Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 7:24 pm and is filed under Thermal Measurement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.