Case Study: Bemco Vectra Environmental Test Chamber


Bemco Inc. is a well-established manufacturer of high-end environmental test chambers and space simulation systems. An early example of their pioneering products would be the very first Orbital Space Simulator, designed and built by Bemco for Lockheed Missiles and Space in the 1950s. Since the beginning, Bemco has provided a wide variety of test chambers, both large and small, to all sectors of American and International business including aerospace, defense, electronics, automobile, and consumer products.

The Design Challenge
Recently David Xerri, Project Engineer at Bemco, was looking for a safe and reliable way to reduce the force required to operate a 150+ lb. top mounted lid on a custom environmental chamber he was designing.

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Our Solution
Weber Knapp’s VectisDYO (Design Your Own) hinges proved to be the ideal solution. Safe, rugged, and tailored to provide a unique torque curve for his specific lid using the online VectisDYO software tool, these hinges met all of David’s needs.

An Additional Advantage
Due to the short 2 week shipment lead time for tailored VectisDYO counterbalance hinges, David did not need to lock in the counterbalance hinge torque curve for his hinges until the lid had been fabricated, tested, and confirmed. Fast delivery nullified any problems that might have cropped up because of last-minute lid design changes at Bemco.

I can say that we are extremely satisfied with the Vectis hinges and intend to use them as much as possible going forward. In the past we have been hesitant to design these chest style chambers because of the shortcomings of conventional lifting methods such as gas struts and sub-par spring assisted hinges. 

The Vectis hinges are of exceptional quality and every technician and engineer currently working at Bemco has expressed to me that they absolutely love the product. We only install the highest quality components on our test chambers and the Vectis hinges are no exception. I look forward to working with Vectis in the future, and thank you again for your continued support throughout the design and purchasing process.

– David Xerri, Project Engineer at Bemco