Triax 2015 User manual

TRIAX 2015 WIRELESS SURFACE IMPACT
TESTER
USER’S MANUAL
REVISION 0.4 October 8, 2018
Sales and Technical Support
Alpha Automation, Inc.
127 Walters Avenue
Trenton, New Jersey 08638
United States of America
Paul Bamburak
(V) 609.882.0366 (E) [e-mail]
Training and Standards
Canadian Playground Advisory, Inc.
1097 West River Road
Cambridge, Ontario N1R 5S5
Canada
Rolf Huber
(v) 416.410.7506 (F) 519-267-3802 (E) [email protected]

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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction 2
2.0 System Components 3
3.0 Hand Held Unit 5
4.0 “E” Missile 7
5.0 Tripod 9
6.0 “E” Missile System Use 14
7.0 Report Generation PC Application 16
Appendix A: Verification and Calibration 24
Appendix B: Triax 2015 Settings 27
Appendix C: Memory Card 28
Appendix D: “A” Missile System 29
Appendix E: Troubleshooting 34
Appendix F: Missile Specifications 35
Appendix G: Warranties 37
Certificates of Compliance 38

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1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Triax2015 “E” missile system is intended to be used to measure the impact
attenuation of surfaces under and around playground equipment in compliance with
worldwide standards including but not limited to:
ASTM F1292 ASTM F355 En1177 AS/NZS 4422
The Triax 2015 “A” missile system is intended to measure the impact attenuation of
artificial and natural turf playing surfaces in compliance with standards including but not
limited to:
ASTM F1936 ASTM F355
The use of Triax “E” missile system is applicable to a wide range of additional standards
including:
Wall / Feature Padding ASTM F2440
Pole Vault Landing Systems ASTM F1162
Pole Vault Box Collars ASTM F2949
Engineered Wood Fiber ASTM F2075
Outdoor Fitness Equipment ASTM F3101
Soft Contained Play ASTM F1918
Aquatic Play Equipment ASTM F2461
Loose Fill Rubber ASTM F3012
Poured in Place Surfaces ASTM F2479
Home Play Equipment ASTM F1148
Climbing Crash Pads UIAA 161
Rugby Turf Fields ASTM F3146
World Rugby Regulation 22
The use of Triax “A” missile system is applicable to a wide range of additional standards
including:
Wrestling Mats ASTM F1081
Trampoline Courts ASTM F2970
Consumer Trampolines ASTM F381
To promote effective use a Triax 2015 system must be properly configured and used by a
properly trained operator.
The designation “E” and “A” refer to the different missile shape and corresponding
support mechanism, and are described in ASTM F355. The “E” missile is hemispherical
with a weight of 10.1 pounds and is supported by an adjustable height tripod. The “A”
missile is cylindrical with a weight of 20.0 pounds and is dropped in a guide tube from a
fixed height of 24 inches. See Appendix F for more details about missile dimensions. “A”

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missile drop heights of 36” and 1 meter are also available. The missile is also commonly
called the head form.
Throughout this document and the referenced standards the terms “head form” and
“missile” will be used interchangeably.
ASTM standards are available from ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken,
PA, 19428-2959, United States 610.832.9585
2.0 SYSTEM COMPONENTS FOR TRIPOD SYSTEM
The Triax2015 “E” system consists of the Triax2015 hand held controller, a
hemispherical missile and a support tripod. Also included with the Triax 2015 “E” system
are an 8” x 8” rubber reference pad, battery charger, manual drop handle and fitted
carrying cases.
The hand held controller is powered by an internal rechargeable NiMH battery, and
records the results of drop tests. The LCD display will show the Peak G, HIC, angle of
impact and time and date, while the impact velocity and HIC Interval (Delta T) are shown
optionally. A memory card is used to store the results of up to 1000 drop tests, and allows
the user to copy the drop test results to the included proprietary application program
running on a Windows compatible platform for report generation and archival purposes.

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Internal to the head form is a tri-axial sensor (accelerometer) which produces electrical
signals proportional to the G value of the head form’s impact with the surface being
tested. Circuitry inside the head form measures these voltages, calculates Peak G, HIC,
impact angle and impact velocity and wirelessly transmits the results to the hand held for
display. Affixed to the head form is a normally on electromagnet. This magnet allows the
head form to be suspended from the lifting cable of the tripod, allowing the user to set
exact drop heights above the surface to be tested. The normally on nature of the
electromagnet requires no battery power to be used while the user prepares for the test
preventing the head form from falling unexpectedly should the batteries grow weak.
CAUTION: To prevent injury never allow any person to stand beneath the missile
when it is suspended from the tripod, nor anywhere in the possible drop path of the
missile.
The head form is powered by an internal rechargeable NiMH battery. Nickel Metal
Hydride (NiMH) batteries are of a lower power density than Lithium Ion batteries thus
allowing the Triax system components to be transported by aircraft if required. Typical
battery life on a full charge exceeds two months of substantial daily use.
The Tripod is used to support the E missile and provide a repeatable drop height and drop
location. A steel cable is used to support a steel block to which the E missile’s
electromagnet is attached. The height of the missile above the surface can be adjusted by
lowering or raising the steel block by adjusting the position of the steel lifting cable.

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3.0 HAND HELD UNIT
The hand held unit is shown in Photo 1. The main parts of the hand held are the eight key
membrane keypad, the liquid crystal display (LCD), the lower cover and the memory
card.
Photo 1 - Triax2015 Hand Held with lower cover opened showing
memory card and battery charger connection
3.1 Key Switch Functions
1. ON - Used to turn unit on. Press and hold this key until the display becomes readable.
The missile is independently turned on by pressing the red button on the missile.
2. OFF - Press momentarily to turn unit off. The Triax2015 will automatically turn off
after three minutes if no keys are pressed. Turning the hand held off will turn off the
missile as well.
3. ENTER - Press this key to view the G versus time graph of the currently selected drop.
4. START - Press this key to start a drop test.
5. YES - This key has a different function depending on the current menu display of the
Triax2015. From the drop test data display, pressing and holding this key will show the
LCD contrast display menu. Other available functions will be noted in text messages at
the bottom of the display when in the respective menus are displayed.

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6. NO - Functions similar to YES key, except gives alternate choice to an operational
question. Pressing and holding this key for approximately three seconds allows the user
to enter the clock, folder and configuration menus.
7. LAST – Allows the user to step through the drop test results, in descending order.
Using the Memory Card the Triax can record up to 100 drop test in each of 10 folders for
a total of 1000 drop tests (root directory plus 9 folders.) Drops are labeled 1 through 100
and only the drop tests stored in the currently selected folder are available for display (see
Appendix C for information on changing folders). Each time the drop number is changed
any test data available for the drop will be displayed. If no test data is available (no drop
has been recorded at the respective drop number) the PEAK, HIC and ANGLE data will
be shown as dashes.
Holding the LAST key will cause the Triax2015 to step through the drop test results at a
rate of about 1 drop per second. If while the LAST key is held the ENTER key is pressed
the drop number will change by ten. This allows the user to quickly scan through the
available 100 drops.
8. NEXT - Similar to the LAST key, except that the drop tests will be stepped through in
ascending order.
3.2 Hand Held to Missile Communications
The Triax2015 uses wireless communication between the hand held and missile. As
shipped from the factory each hand held is paired with a unique missile. A Triax 2015
hand held can be factory set to pair with both an “E” (hemispherical) and an “A”
(cylindrical) missile. (See section B.3 for details on selecting operation with an “E” or
“A” missile.) Multiple Triax 2015 systems operating in close proximity will not interfere
which other.
The range of the Triax 2015 wireless communications is about 20 feet. Should the user
try operation beyond this distance the communications between the missile and hand held
will cease and the system will appear to be non-operational. Moving back into range will
allow communications to resume after an approximately 30 second delay.
Some wireless devices such as laptops and tablets might show the Triax system in their
respective discovery modes. The Triax 2015 system does not support apps or
communications with devices other than the missile and hand held, and any attempt to
pair other devices could disrupt the factory pairing resulting in an inoperable system.
3.3 Lower Cover
Removing the lower cover of the hand held controller exposes the battery charger
connection. Also located under the lower cover is the memory card used for storing drop
test results. To remove the memory card press gently inward until a click is heard and
then release. The memory card will spring outward and can then be removed.

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3.4 Batteries and Charger
The Triax2015 hand held and missiles each make use of permanent internal rechargeable
nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Each Triax 2015 system is supplied with a battery
charger with technology matched to the NiMH batteries used. The batteries in both the
hand held and missile requiring charging independently.
WARNING: DO NOT USE A BATTERY CHARGER OTHER THAN SUPPLIED
WITH THE TRIAX 2015 SYSTEM. USING A BATTERY CHARGER OTHER
THAN THE ONE SUPPLIED WITH THE TRIAX 2015 SYSTEM COULD
RESULT IN BATTERY DAMAGE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN FIRE AND
PROPERTY DAMAGE.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE TRIAX 2015 WITH THE CHARGER
CONNECTED!
To charge either the head form or hand held plug the charger into the charger receptacle
and plug the charger in AC mains power. The charger runs on either 110VAC or
220VAC power without adjustment or additional power converters. Initially a small LED
on the charger will be green and then switch to red when the charging begins. Depending
on the level of charge left in the battery up to six hours might be required for a full
charge. When fully charged the LED will turn green. Note that the charger is protected
from overcharging the battery and may be left connected after the LED turns green.
If the charger is unplugged and immediately plugged back in, the LED will once again go
from green to red. After a few minutes the LED will return to green.
4.0 Missile
Photo 2 shows the “E” missile. The missile is machined of solid aluminum and designed
and tested to be in conformance with applicable standards. The “E” missile is
hemispherical with a weight of 10.1 pounds and diameter of 6.30 inches. The normally
on electromagnet is mounted to the top of the head form connects to the steel lifting block
of the tripod. The head form also has a battery charger connection, and uses the same
charger as the hand held. The red push button turns the head form on, and a red LED
blinks to show the head form is operating.
The face of the magnet which contacts the steel lifting block should be kept free of rust,
nicks and scratches. Also be sure to remove any debris which might become stuck to the
electromagnet during storage or use. For the magnet to have full holding force and not
inappropriately release (allowing the head form to fall) the face of the magnet and the
steel block must form a perfect connection with no gaps. If the face of the magnet should
become rusted use only Scotch-bright type scouring pads to clean. Using sand paper or
other course materials may cause deep scratches which will affect the holding power of
the magnet.

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CAUTION: To prevent injury never allow any person to stand beneath the missile
when it is suspended from the tripod, nor anywhere in the possible drop path of the
missile.
NOTICE: The electronics inside the Triax 2015 missiles are sensitive to damage by
water intrusion into the missile. To prevent damage to the Triax 2015 missiles they
should not be used in rain or snow. The Triax 2015 missiles should also be stored in
dry locations such as a heated office. Storage of the Triax 2015 missiles in damp
locations such as basements and cellars must be avoided. Avoid any other storage
location such as vehicles in cold climates which could promote condensation on the
metal surfaces of the Triax 2015 missiles.
Photo 2 – E Missile

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5.0 Tripod
The Triax2015 Tripod is shown in Photo 3. In addition to the three leg section attached to
the top of the tripod, nine snap together sections of legs are provided with the Tripod to
allow a maximum drop height of up to approximately 12 feet (drop height is measured
from the bottom of the missile to the top of the surface to be tested.)
Photo 3 - Tripod with Head Form and Reference Pad

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CAUTION! Erecting the tripod can be a hazard due to tipping.
To erect the tripod, two persons are recommended. Use of proper head protection is also
suggested, as the operating height of the tripod will, in most cases, be above the head of
the operators exposing them to the hazard of being struck by either the head form or the
tripod. While erecting the tripod hold or otherwise restrain the steel lifting block to
prevent it from swinging into and hurting any nearby persons.
5.1 Tripod Legs
The leg sections are connected by interlocking connectors as shown in photo 5. Before
connecting the tripod leg sections ensure that the connector mating surfaces are free from
sand or other debris. The connectors are precision fitted and any foreign object on the
connectors could prevent them from properly connecting. To start the coupling, align an
“A” leg section (with spring button) and a “B” leg section (without spring button.) Press
the spring button down to allow the “A” section to begin to slide into the “B” section. As
the button enters the “B” section release finger pressure on the button and slide the “B”
section fully into the “A” section. After the sections are fully connected rotate either
section until the spring button pops into the hole in the “B” section, locking the legs
together.
Photo 4 – Tripod Leg Connector
WARNING: Make sure that the spring button pin fully extends after the leg
sections are coupled as shown in photo 5A. Failure to do so could allow the leg
section to unexpectedly disengage, causing the tripod to fall and possible strike and
injure anyone nearby.

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Photo 5A – Properly connected leg section with pin fully extended
Photo 5B – INCORRECT connection – pin not fully extended
Three of the nine leg sections feature a rounded end. These must always be installed as
the lowest leg sections when the Tripod is erected.
Whenever connecting leg sections the Tripod must first be laid on a horizontal surface.
After the desired number of leg sections is connected carefully stand the Tripod up while
simultaneously spreading the legs out for stability.
WARNING: Always use the same number of legs sections on each of the three legs.
5.2 Lifting Cable and Locking Device
For fine adjustment of drop height, a flexible steel cable is used to raise and lower the
steel lifting block. To prevent the cable position from changing the supplied locking
device is attached to the leg section adjacent to the location where the cable exits the
tripod head.
The factory installed steel cable is routed from the head of the tripod, along one of the
legs and into a hole in the top of the locking device. The cable then passes through the

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locking device and out the bottom. To adjust the height of the head form, pull down on
the part of the steel cable below the locking device. Next, slowly lift the red handle on the
locking device to free the cable. When at the proper height, press down firmly on the red
handle to lock the cable.
For additional drop height control, the position of the locking device on the leg section
can be adjusted by loosening the wing head screw on the back of the assembly and
sliding the assembly as required. Tighten the screw when complete.
In typical use, the missile will be removed from the lifting block and the lifting block
lowered to a convenient height. The missile will be attached to the lifting block and all
persons moved to a location safe from the fall path of the missile. While gripping the lift
cable with a gloved hand, the locking handle is raised allowing the lifting cable to be
pulled, raising the missile to the desired fall height. The locking handle is pressed down
gripping the lifting cable and maintaining the height of the missile. Standing to the side
the surveyor’s rod (supplied with every Triax 2015 E missile system) is used to verify the
height of the missile. Fine height adjust can be made by holding the locking device while
loosening the lock screw. The locking device can then be slid up or down along the leg to
adjust the missile height and the locking screw tightened.
WARNING: When the red locking handle is raised or the screw holding the locking
device are loosened the weight of the steel lifting block will cause the lifting cable to
slide through the locking devices, or the locking device to slide upward on the leg.
The user must firmly hold onto the cable, preferably with a gloved hand, before
lifting the red handle or loosening the locking device screws. If the steel lifting block
is allowed to fall uncontrolled the sliding of the steel cable through the user’s
unprotected hands could cause serious injury to the user.
Never allow anyone to stand under the tripod as the falling of the steel lifting block
or the head form could cause serious personal injury.
THE HEAD FORM CAN ALSO BE UNEXPECTEDLY RELEASED FROM THE
MAGNET DUE TO SHARP JOLTS DURING ADJUSTMENT.
5.3 Steel Lifting Block and Leg Clamp
At the end of the steel cable is the steel lifting block. This block gives the head form
electromagnet a surface to grip to before being released. As with the electromagnet the
mating surface of the lifting block must be kept free of rust and scratches.

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5.4 Manual Drop Handle
Preliminary testing without setup of the tripod can be conducted using the optional hand
held drop handle. The use of the drop handle is shown in photo 6. When using the handle
leave the release mechanism set to magnet (see Appendix B.3)
Photo 6 – Hand Held Drop Handle

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6.0 E Missile System Use
6.1 Performing Drop Tests
Refer to applicable standards to determine which locations and from which heights a drop
test is to be performed. Following the information in section 3.2 erect the tripod so that
the head form will be suspended above the desired test location.
To perform a drop test:
6.1.1. Turn the hand held unit on by pressing and holding the ON key until the display
comes on. Press the red push button on the top of the head form. The red LED will
initially be on for 1 second and then flash briefly every two seconds.
6.1. 2. Select or confirm in which folder and drop number the drop test results will be
recorded (see section C.2 - Selecting Memory Card Folder)
6.1.3 Mate the electromagnet of the head form to the steel lifting block.
6.1.4 Confirm the distance from the bottom of the missile to the surface using an
appropriate measuring device.
6.1.5 Press the START key. A message will appear on the display indicating that the
Triax 2015 is being prepared for the drop test. The first time the Triax 2015 is turned on
after being turned off (or automatically turning itself off) approximately 12 seconds will
be required for the Triax 2015 to become ready and display “READY FOR TEST”.
Approximately 5 seconds will be required to reach the ready condition on subsequent
test.
If the hand held has not yet established communications with the head form pressing
START will show “PLEASE WAIT CONNECTING.” As soon as connection has been
established the hand held will display the battery charge (in percent of full charge) of the
hand held and head form batteries. Note that a few seconds may be required for the
charge display to stabilize. The battery charge will only be displayed before the first drop
every time the system is turned on. To continue press any key, or wait 5 seconds for the
display to advance automatically to normal operation.
To release the missile, press the YES key to immediately release the head form.
Immediately after impact the Peak G, HIC, angle and impact velocity will be displayed.
PLEASE WAIT will briefly appear at the bottom of the display while the impact
waveform data is saved to the memory card.
WARNING: Depending on the surface being tested, slope of the surface and any
surrounding structures, the missile might rebound off the surface in an

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unpredictable direction. Care must be taken to avoid injury from being struck by
the rebounding missile.
The user may optionally configure the Triax 2015 to display the HIC interval which the
Triax 2015 display calls “Delta” Delta refers to the difference in milliseconds (or delta)
between the t1 and t2 integration limits of the HIC interval.
NOTE: At any time while the Triax2015 is preparing for a drop test, the test can be
canceled by pressing the NO key. The test will be canceled without changing any test
results previously saved in the Triax2015 memory.
6.2 Daily System Verification
Before performing drop tests the Triax2015 must be tested to ensure that the system is
functioning properly, as required by the applicable specifications. This test is performed
by dropping the missile on a reference pad, which was supplied with the system.
Appendix A details the procedure for this test. The test should be performed on a daily
basis before starting surface tests. Not performing the prior to use test could render field
data invalid if the subsequent verification test shows a non-compliance issue.
NOTE: Most standards require the verification procedure to be performed within 24
hours of performing surface testing. Refer to the applicable standards for exact
requirements.
6.3 Inspection of test result
Before continuing with the next drop test, the operator should briefly review the current
test to detect any obvious problems with the data.
6.4 Verify impact velocity
Compare the impact velocity as calculated to the theoretical velocity for the respective
drop height. If impact velocity is not within limits, repeat the drop test.
The theoretical velocity may be calculated from the measured drop height:
Using Imperial units:
Velocity = 8.025 * square root (drop height)
Where the velocity is in feet per second (ft/sec) and the drop height is in feet
Using Metric units:
Velocity = 44.27 * square root (drop height)
Where velocity is in centimeters per second (cm/sec) and drop height is in centimeters

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7.0 Report Generation Application
The Triax2015 system is supplied with a Windows compatible reporting application. This
application can be used to upload drop test results and impact wave forms to a personal
computer. The application allows the operator to generate reports of the drop test in both
table and graph formats, and to enter comments describing the drop tests. The drop tests
can also be saved to the computer’s file system, allowing archival storage of test results.
7.1 Installation
The application is provided in the USERDOCS folder located on the Memory Card
supplied with the Triax 2015. It is suggested that this folder be copied to the user’s PC,
and an archival copy also be created.
Install the Triax2015 host application on a Windows compatible platform by running the
SETUP.EXE program supplied in the \USERDOCS\HOST folder. The setup program
will ask questions to properly install the software. If the setup program indicates that a
file on the computer is newer than a file about to be installed by setup, click the setup
option to keep the existing file on the computer.
The application program is provided as part of the Triax 2015 system and may be
installed on as many computers as the operator desires.
7.1 Installation Error Messages
NOTE: When installing the software on some computers several warning and error
messages may appear. The first error message will warn the user that a file about to be
copied is older than the file existing on the computer. Select the option to keep the
existing file. Next, an error message may appear indicating an error has occurred and will
prompt for Cancel, Retry or Ignore. Select the Ignore option and when prompted if you
are sure you want to ignore this error select YES. For each of the next errors select the
Ignore option. Despite these error messages the software will install correctly.
7.2 Uploading Test Results
All drop test results are stored on the Triax 2015 memory card, in one of ten available
folders (root plus 9 folders.) To start remove the Memory Card from the Triax 2015 and
insert it into a memory card reader connected to the PC. Note that as some computer’s
feature internal card readers one is not included with the Triax 2015 system. To use a
computer not equipped with a card reader many low cost (less than US$20) models are
available from local computer stores.
Before starting the Triax 2015 application insert the memory card in the computer’s
memory card reader. Start the Triax2015 application and select the Memory Card top

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menu option, and then click Select Drops for Upload. A box will appear allowing the
selection of which drops to upload. If it is unknown which drop numbers have been data
select all 100 drops. The application will attempt to load all 100 drops but will ignore
drops for which there is no data.
Before clicking Upload, ensure that the location of the memory card and folder shown in
the Memory Card Path box is correct. If not correct, click the Browse button and select
the correct folder.
Tip:To select a group of consecutive drops, click the first desired drop and then hold the
shift key while clicking the last desired drop. All drops between the specified first and
last will be selected.

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Each drop test is stored on the memory card in a proprietary file format. The file name for
a drop test is DRPxxx.DRP where xxx will be replaced with the number of the drop (001
to 100.) After drop tests have been uploaded and saved on the PC, Windows Explorer
may be used to delete the .DRP file so as to prevent confusion for the user during
subsequent testing. The .DRP files do not need to be erased as the Triax 2015 hand held
controller will overwrite old drop test files with new drop test files.

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7.3 Adding individual comments to each drop
The report application allows comments to be added for each drop. Typical uses for
comments would be to indicate the location on the surface the drop test was made or any
observation particular to the specific drop. To add or edit a comment, click once on the
desired drop and then hit the ENTER key. A text box will appear allowing the adding of a
new comment or editing of an existing comment for the selected drop. Press the ENTER
key when complete.