IS THE MAXIMUM ACCELERATION AN ADEQUATE CRITERION OF THE DYNAMIC STRENGTH OF A STRUCTURAL ELEMENT IN AN ELECTRONIC PRODUCT

The dynamic strength of structural elements of micro- and portable ele ctronic products is often evaluated on the basis of the measured maxim um acceleration which these elements experience during shock or drop t ests, It is well known, however, that it is the dynamic stress, not th e acceleration, which is a true criterion of the dynamic strength, Usi ng examples of structural elements that can be idealized as a simply s upported beam or a cantilever beam with a concentrated mass at the end , we show that for elements of the given geometry and weight, the leve l of the maximum stress can be indeed judged upon on the basis of the measured acceleration, However, the application of the measured accele ration as a criterion of the dynamic strength can be misleading if app lied to elements of different dimensions, weight and materials, We con clude that although the maximum acceleration is substantially easier t o measure, it is the maximum dynamic stress that should be evaluated e xperimentally or theoretically when there is a need to establish the l evel of the dynamic strength of a structural element of an electronic product and the role of different factors affecting this strength, The obtained information can be helpful when evaluating the results of, o r designing drop tests for electronic products.