Lumafield and Informal utilise CT scanners to inspect waterproof robustness

Lumafield has partnered with hardware freelancing collective Informal. The two parties are hoping to be able to assess potential leak paths as well as the waterproofing robustness level of Lodge Sound’s Solar Powered Speaker prototype ahead of its launch. According to its developers, the speaker is designed to be outside and can be powered by over 180 square inches of solar panels. But Lodge Sound need to ensure that the speaker is 100% safe to remain outdoors.

About Informal

Informal is a California-based hardware freelancing collective. The company works by matching freelancers with companies of all sizes. Since the company was founded in 2019, Informal has perfected its four-step process. At step one, professionals are recruited by Informal before being matched up with companies looking for specific talent. Informal will then provide back-office support, with the company’s team set to scale as its clients do.

How did Lumafield's Neptune industrial X-ray CT scanner help improve the integrity of the speaker?

After outlining the importance of ensuring the waterproof capabilities of the speaker, engineers at Informal set to work creating a realistic simulation of sprinklers and inclement weather, which allowed engineers to assess any leak paths. The hardware freelancing collective completed various water infiltration tests on the speakers before scanning them with Lumafield’s Neptune industrial X-ray CT scanner.

The speaker exposed to water was compared to a new speaker of the same specification using Lumafield’s cloud-based software Voyager. Informal completed a vigorous check on the manufacturer’s waterproofing sealant by slicing, measuring, and inspecting it for any water ingress pathways before the launch of the speaker.

In previous instances, water ingress testing was binary, but deducing the path the water took was far more complicated. Additionally, disassembling products during the testing period can lead to the introduction of new variables. To complete the inspection necessary, some companies will encase its products in resin and cut them in half to better understand how gaskets were being compressed and identify voids. But this can be messy, inaccurate, and dangerous especially when batteries are involved.

However, using Lumafield’s X-ray CT scanner, Informal can see glue voids that could lead to water ingress in the Lodge Sound's speakers. Voids in the applied glue are visible beneath the solar panel, at the top of the speaker, and vertically along the airtight inner chamber. If the speaker suffers from a broken seal, water could end up in the unit and damage the circuit boards. However, the insights from the CT scanner were used to improve the speaker’s manufacturing process to reduce this risk.

“Lumafield’s CT scanner and software gave us superpowers to see exactly what was built, allowing us to ensure our products are being assembled correctly without destroying units or compromising our testing data,” said Sam Holland, Co-Founder of Informal.

While engineers were inspecting the interactive 3D scan data, the workers were able to verify the speaker’s complex wire routing paths and ensure that the internal gaskets were sealing correctly. In addition, the optimal antenna placement was determined. The Informal team did this by finding areas that are less obscured by metal (and other electric components) in the speaker, which further increased the range of the product.

Key features of Lumafield's Neptune industrial X-ray CT scanner:

• Provides early insights during the research and design stage.
• Pinpoints small issues that could become major problems one day.
• Features automated integrity analysis which will find defects that visual inspection would miss.
• Neptune can scan parts at high volumes, ensuring improved quality standards.
• The scanner is designed for an office or workshop environment as it is six feet wide and runs on a 120 V household outlet.
• The CT scanner is integrated with the Voyager cloud-based analysis software, allowing for workplace collaboration all over the world.

How has the CT scanner impacted Informal?

The hardware freelancing collective was aiming to provide its customers with “the best design and engineering solutions” going into this collaboration with Lumafield. Now, having utilised Lumafield’s Neptune industrial CT scanner, and the company’s cloud-based Voyager analysis software, Informal believes the technology has made it possible to pinpoint voids in the glue sealant during the manufacturing process. This discovery has ensured the quality levels of Lodge Sound’s speakers ahead of the product launch.

Through the use of the industrial X-ray CT scanner, Informal has been able to ensure that Lodge’s speakers will be ready to withstand inclement weather, as well as backyard sprinklers. With the additional benefit of “unbeatable sound quality.”

“With Lumafield’s industrial CT technology, it was simple to investigate water ingress without destructive testing on our product, allowing us to inexpensively and effectively deliver the best outdoor speaker on the market,” said Holland. “The cloud-based software lets me easily explore the scan data, validate our assembly process and wire routing, and gain confidence in our design.”