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 the 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. The Innovation Lab offices and common areas have been made available as additional break room space to help facilitate social distancing for manufacturing personnel at the company’s Pearland Operations next door.
“Occupancy of the Innovation Lab is an exciting milestone and an emphatic reminder that Dover Precision Components is a forward-looking company,” said Jane Kober, Dover Precision Components Vice President of Innovation & Marketing. “We are committed to providing our customers with proven solutions for reliability and efficiency, today, tomorrow and long into the future.”