Evaluate Grip Force For Ergonomic & Product Design

Challenge

In designing packaging for consumer goods, product engineers must design a product that is comfortable and easy to use for a wide demographic population, while keeping raw material and manufacturing costs low.

Solution

Measuring the amount of force required to open, squeeze, and close products can now be evaluated with Tekscan’s Grip™ System, a tactile pressure and force measurement system. The system aids in research and development by measuring the time and force required to open and close containers. Areas on the hand and fingers that experience high forces during various gripping activities can be easily identified. Products and packaging can then be modified to become more ergonomic and functional. With the help of our highly qualified sales and engineering support team, each system may be configured to meet your specific needs. Learn more about evaluating grip pressure with Tekscan’s Grip system. A packaging manufacturer conducted a comparison of two different mayonnaise brands to determine which was hardest to open and squeeze. The first peak of the graph represents opening the container. The second peak in the graph represents squeezing of contents. As depicted in the graph above, the first brand (green) requires more force to open, while the other brand (red) is harder to squeeze.

Grip Force Measurement Applications:

• Determine required forces needed to grasp/open an object
• R&D for new product designs
• Competitive benchmarking

Benefits of Measuring Grip Force with the Grip™ System:

• One subject can grip several objects in many ways, once hand is instrumented
• Sensor position can be optimized to identify pressure on regions of the hand during various grips/maneuvers
• Fast sensor response and high scan rate up to 750 Hz