Xcite Systems Corporation is an international company located in southwestern Ohio. This company produces modal exciter. In fact, it is a leading manufacturer of high force modal excitation systems with office locations around the globe.

This company is dedicated in providing the best structural excitation products and serving the needs for high force modal excitation applications required by the automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, power generation, and the turbo machinery and machinery industry. Xcite Systems Corporation was founded in 1997 by two former executives from Zonic Corporation. These individuals created this corporation for the purpose of consolidating the Xcite Systems products and technology to meet the needs of the model analysis community around the world. This well-known company produces electrodynamic shakers that are capable of creating both random and sine excitation. The selection of the proper excitation technique is determined by the nature of the structure that is being tested.

Electrodynamic shakers provide a valid technique when the structure being tested is of medium size, linear, and has medium damping. The electrodynamic shakers are available in force ranges from 10N to thousands. However, there are drawbacks to using electrodynamic shakers for modal excitation. These drawbacks include the large size of shakers with higher force capacities, and limited static (preload) loading capacity. For example, the 10,000N electrodynamic shaker would be far too large to fixture in a machine tool or under an automobile for the purpose of testing. There are several good candidates for electrodynamic shakers such as complete electronic packages, motorcycle frames, bodies in white, and aircraft flight control surfaces.

Xcite Systems manufactures the Xcite 1100 Systems which was the first product manufactured by this company as a means to predict and control machine tool chatter. It actually got started as a research product for students in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Cincinnati. The purpose of this research project was to develop an excitation source that was small enough in size to be mounted between the machine tool holder and work piece. This intent of this research was to improve the process of high strength alloys used in the manufacturing of next generation aircraft and aerospace structures being developed for the United States Air Force. The results of this research were so well received that it started an entire industry of modal analysis companies working to serve the hardware and software requirements of structural dynamists.

Currently, Xcite Systems Corporation produces many products which include the following: the Xcite 1100 Field Test Series (Xcite 1100-4-FT System, Xcite 1100-6-FT System, and Xcite 1100-7-FT System); the Xcite 1100 Laboratory Series (Xcite 1100-4 System, Xcite 1100-6 System, and Xcite 1100-7 System); the Xcite 1100-5 Inertial Mass Field Test System (ES-301-2 Inertial Mass Exciter Head); Xcite110-5 Inertial Mass Laboratory System (ES-301-2 Inertial Mass Exciter Head); Xcite 1200 Laboratory Series (Xcite 1200-1 System, Xcite 1200-3 System, and Xcite 1200-6 System); Xcite 1300 Laboratory Series (Xcite 1300-1 System, Xcite 1300-2 System, and Xcite 1300-3 System), and Xcite 1300T Torsional Series (Xcite 1300T-1 System, Xcite 1300T-2 System, Xcite 1300T-1 System).

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter recently met with an engineer who could explain the use of a modal exciter and its benefits. He toured the company that produces modal excitation systems.

Category: Business
Keywords: modal exciter,modal excitation