Weapon Shock Simulator

The core tool, their proven shock simulator for Picatinny rail-mounted accessories, was already well-designed and functional. Its innovative design replicates rifle-mounted shock without live ammo. They wanted everything around it engineered here, in the US: the drivetrain, controls, and operational workflow that provides accurate and repeatable test results in an easy-to-use system with fast turnaround.

Initial Performance Targets

• Force & Frequency: Drive a 100-lb moving mass at up to 11 shots per second.

• Ramp & Stop: Reach full speed in ~200 ms; with rapid braking to eliminate ghost strikes.

• Duty Cycle & Thermal: 20s on / 10s off all day, every day, with thermal margins on bushings and bearings.

• Installation: Operate in a sound-dampened enclosure with a dedicated electrical cabinet.

• Operator HMI: Easy-to-use touchscreen with saved presets.

About Re:Test, Inc.

Re:Test, Inc. is led by Nigel Linden, a world-renowned expert in fatigue, shock, vibration, and durability with over 45 years of experience developing analysis, tests, labs, and methods for major OEMs across the globe. His background spans CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) fatigue modeling, multi-body dynamics, shock response, and full-scale durability programs across automotive, aerospace, military, and civil/structural domains. If you want the engineering receipts, start with the About Us page on Re-Test.com. WeaponShock.com is Re:Test’s dedicated website for their small-arms accessory simulators. The team has developed the WSS system, also known as a shock amplifier, since 2005. It’s used by the U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, Special Operations, and countless manufacturers around the world. The WSS reproduces Shock Response Spectra to MIL-STD-810H, with reliable, defensible data without the time and expense of live fire. A 10,000-round full life test can be reproduced in less than 2 hours, compared with several weeks on a firing range.

For deeper capability overviews—fatigue/CAE services and dynamics analysis—you can also browse https://re-test.com 

The Asks, Engineered in Four Months

We worked side-by-side with Nigel and the Re:Test team to bring production home and tune the system to their exact specs. The timeline was tight, with only four months from handoff to a tested production unit. The challenges were clear with fast acceleration needs and durability targets in the hundreds of millions of cycles.

Caztek’s tight-knit team met with Re:Test engineers weekly to rigorously design the system. Caztek used their experience, coupled with desktop CAD and CAE tools, to ensure the product met requirements before any material was cut. The UI was designed to be simple for operators, while staying flexible on power, enclosures, and fixtures, so the system could meet various customers’ needs around the world.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we delivered:

• Mechanical system: Caztek partnered with Re:Test to engineer the table, belt/drive, actuator, and structure for shock loads. Bearings and bushings were sized for repeated acceleration and deceleration. The system drives a 100lb mass at 11 shots per second (about 660 cycles per minute), to reproduce automatic gunfire.

• Motion fidelity & repeatability: A 1000 pulse per rev encoder holds profiles such as 2,000 rpm for 200 ms. This accuracy prevents false shocks and delivers clean, defensible data at the specified setpoints.

• Acceleration, braking, and energy management: Reaches full speed in ~200 ms, then stops cleanly with resistive braking. We treated each cycle like a small combustion event, routing transient loads and excess energy into the drivetrain, housing, and braking path. The result is hard, repeatable stops with no ghost strikes, protected components, and safeguarded data accuracy.

• Thermal and duty-cycle stability: Built for 20s on / 10s off all day, every day. Heat flow and motor/drive sizing keep bushings and bearings in safe ranges. Outputs stay stable across multiple shifts per day.

• Operator experience: Touchscreen HMI with large, easy-to-use controls, including cycles per second, dwell time, session counts, and saved operating presets. Machine states are clearly indicated to support operator awareness, even during extended shifts.

• Electrical architecture and integration: Compatible with ~200, 400, and ~480 V industrial power. A dedicated electrical enclosure with a disconnect simplifies service and provides safe access for maintenance.

• Data confidence and validation: A rail-mounted accelerometer verifies response against command. Encoder and HMI logs align so engineers can document results 

• Business impact: The first unit worked exactly as designed. From desktop to production with zero prototypes. The client now has an ongoing relationship with Caztek and is ordering multiple systems per year. The product, named WSS-TB, is proving extremely popular in the marketplace, especially for production validation testing, where high throughput and ease of use are essential.

The Result: A Reliable and Well-Designed System

Nigel’s team reported that Caztek’s robust design has thrilled customers. The system operates flawlessly for 100s of millions of cycles, with minimal preventative maintenance, high uptime, and minimal operation costs.

What’s Next

More units, more programs, and tighter integration with customer test labs and production floors. We’ll continue to manufacture and support these systems while adding new capabilities. Safe, efficient and rapid testing with novel methods development.