Structural Dynamics Modification of Vibration-Test Fixture

Vibration tests are designed and executed for verifying the qualification of aerospace hardware. To accomplish this, a test fixture is required, to transmit mechanical energy from the shaker to the test specimen. This paper presents the experimental testing and finite element model correlation of an available vibration test fixture. The objective was to design an optimized fixture in which the first natural frequency was out of the test frequency range (5-2000 Hz). Many iterations of the test were performed, but the results are presented for only the few that contributed to the optimized design of the vibration test fixture. The final optimized design is presented and discussed.