NEWTON S.r.l. is an independent testing laboratory established in 2000, recognised and certified by international bodies such as Accredia, FIA - Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, SFI-USA, SNELL-USA, Italcert, Istituto Masini, TÜV Rheinland International, TNO and SNCH - Société Nazionale d’Homologation et de Certification for tests of motorcycle helmets and auto racing helmets (Formula 1 and WRC), children’s helmets for kart racing, HANS devices for Formula 1 drivers, devices to protect the head, eyes (goggles, masks, and visors) and body (riding, bike, and touring helmets) and for certification tests on high-performance seats.
Wind tunnel project
In addition, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport considers the laboratory’s equipment to be suitable for all tests required by Regulation 22 concerning helmets and visors for motorcycle drivers and for some of those concerning the approval of two- or three-wheeled motor vehicles. The Newton laboratory has recently completed the installation of a 280kW subsonic wind tunnel: this is a closed return, Göttingen-type wind tunnel, designed to be used with either an open or a closed test chamber, depending on the specific testing programme. The electric power needed is produced by a generator integrated into the structure.
Thanks to the testing activity carried out within the laboratory, products obtain the certifications required by various Italian authorities (which vary according to the sector to which the tested product belongs) in order to be considered adequate, and consequently put on the market.
“The idea of building an actual wind tunnel came about mainly to deal with the problem of ventilation inside the helmets,” explains Luca Cenedese, director of Newton. In fact, it seems that having solved the problem of head protection parameters, today there are large international groups focusing mainly on the study of comfort, concentrating mostly on thermal stresses and the analysis of how these phenomena affect the reaction and concentration abilities of automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle racers.
“In existing wind tunnels, everything was focused on the machine, not on the helmet. So we decided to prepare by building ourselves a medium-sized wind tunnel that could also satisfy these new requirements. Today, with a wind speed of about 250 km per hour, we test helmets, bicycles, magnetic sirens for police cars and also traditionally large objects - for example subway cars or high-velocity train cars - that by utilising the principle of aerodynamic similarity, are proportionately reduced in scale,” continues Cenedese.
Comparing data and images
Built a few years ago, the Newton wind tunnel has now found approval from old and new clients from different sectors. The wind tunnel allows continuous and very effective activity. To obtain the greatest performance and offer something extra to our clients, Newton needed to identify a system that would permit keeping track of all inspection and test activities.
“We work with the engineers who come to our laboratories during the testing phase to design and modify the prototypes currently being made while the product is being tested. Some tests last for many hours: we soon realised that we would have had surprising results if we had had a system available that allowed continuous recording.”
"Network-integrated cameras |
The software used for tests inside the wind tunnels produce an enormous amount of numerical data: that is, numbers relating to performance that characterise an object, especially force, pressure, and temperature. The experts at Newton have augmented this type of numerical information, produced and processed by a PC, with a second, new perspective: the display of images produced by MOBOTIX cameras during the products’ testing phase.
And thanks to the combination and comparison of numerical data and images, Newton can now provide its clients with much more accurate measurements, achieving levels of qualitative detail never before seen.
Need for network-integrated cameras
The years dedicated to this type of activity and the studies carried out in the Newton laboratories led to the awareness that the measurement of data, in and of itself, is very simple. Rather, the real problem is managing the amount of data produced by the system, which is quite often very difficult to read and make intelligible, so as to understand the various phenomena that occur in the products tested in the wind tunnel. To deal with this need, the idea was therefore to integrate the images by using video surveillance cameras. An idea that can now be described as a real pilot project, in other words a one of a kind application.
“We could not rely on images taken with traditional movie cameras, because the test sessions often last for many hours and we needed images that would allow us to observe the phenomena from many angles at the same time. In addition, network-integrated cameras were needed that could not only communicate with each other but also be accessible remotely.”
| Two models of MOBOTIX IP cameras were chosen: one with a 360-degree view, and one AllroundMono model |
Quality, timeliness and immediacy with MOBOTIX
Thanks to the support and advice of distributor R. Pierre Digital, two models of MOBOTIX IP cameras were chosen: one with a 360-degree view placed on the ceiling, perpendicular to the product test position, to offer a panoramic view; and one AllroundMono model, positioned at the side but movable as needed, which offers different details and angle shots within the same shot.
Thanks to the high quality of the images from the two MOBOTIX cameras, the Newton engineers can guarantee the end user that they can take very timely action in the test phase of their products, managing any anomalies and malfunctions in real time and making the necessary changes. The advantage of MOBOTIX IP cameras is that they are also accessible remotely: a very significant plus since many of Newton’s clients come from abroad, and often some of their staff follow the product test operations remotely, thanks to a system access login offered to the client.
“By combining data and images, we achieved surprising results in the test phase. When we analyze the data, if we see that the data changes, we go to retrieve pictures of the moment when the data changes and we can immediately understand the phenomenon.
For example, during a test on a bicycle and a cyclist, the team’s engineers were simultaneously checking the numerical data regarding the bicycle’s efficiency and, from the images produced by the camera, the position of the cyclist at the moment when the efficiency was greatest. We are not information systems engineers, and in this sense, we were helped a lot by not having to use image management software: the images are processed on board the cameras and the result compared to other systems is surprising”, concludes Cenedese.