Menstrual Product Testing Rig
Design, make and test project to develop a rig to test menstrual products in a representative and replicable manner.
British Standards exist for the testing of nappies and incontinence pads, but not for the testing of menstrual products such as tampons and towels. This project aims to address this inequality.
It builds upon a dissertation project which investigated the existing research into testing methodologies and from this proposed the outline design for a test setup. Our project aimed to develop this into a detailed design and working prototype enabling us to ensure the safety and efficacy of menstrual products and democratize both their testing and manufacture.
The project was divided into three sub-groups:
- Internal Surfaces and Grip
- Fluid Injection
- Chassis and Testing
As members of the Internal Surfaces and Grip team, we focused on modelling the internal environment and mechanical properties of the vagina to enable realistic and repeatable product testing.
This led to the development of a silicone-based anatomical model, featuring an on–off temperature control system to keep the model at body temperature during tests.
