Dana Corporation

Lani Morrison

Garth B Maughan

Greg Fleniken

Frank Lucienne

A gage device and a test system for statistically qualifying compliant or semi-rigid molded bearings and bearing sets to predetermined material conditions includes a gage body, a flanged plug, a stud used to set a first predetermined material condition, an adapter used to set a second predetermined material condition, and a test fixture. The device simulates the assembly of ball joints to determine whether molded conformal bearings or bearing sets are acceptable from a beginning of life perspective. In this way, functional acceptability of a given number of samples drawn from a production lot is proven to satisfy pre-determined maximum and minimum material conditions. A method of testing and statistically qualifying the bearings is also disclosed.

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Leslie, MI, United States of America

Lani Morrison