Dover Precision Components, an integrated provider of performance-critical solutions for rotating and reciprocating machinery, has taken occupancy of its new Innovation Lab in Houston, Texas. The nearly 12,000-square-foot building will centralize the company’s test rigs for hydrodynamic fluid film bearings and reciprocating compressor components and bring together the research and product development teams. Two compressor units used to test valve and sealing technologies under various lubrication schemes and operating conditions have already been installed and are undergoing commissioning. Test rigs supporting fluid film bearing materials development will be commissioned in the coming months, with additional rigs to follow.
Waukesha Bearings and Cook Compression use component- and system-level test rigs to validate designs and analytical methods, evaluate performance and reliability, prove out solutions under real machine conditions, and develop next-generation technologies. The new Innovation Lab has four independent test bays to allow work on multiple rigs at once and dedicated control rooms for safe operation of the equipment. Four additional rooms are utilized for inspection and component testing. The state-of-the-art setup also opens up opportunities to expand capabilities and reconfigure test rigs in support of product development and customer testing.
While test rig commissioning is underway, Dover Precision Components is using the Innovation Lab to support safety measures in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
