Product R&D Testing

Innovation never rests

Miller UK is recognised as a market leader in the development of quick couplers, buckets and attachments. This has only been achieved by the consistent investment in its current product, as well as the development of new products. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, this investment is what differentiates Miller from its rivals.

At Miller, we have two separate design functions:

  1. Designing today’s product and customising designs of current Miller coupler and bucket variants to suit individual customer needs.
  2. Development of new products for Miller’s expanding equipment offering, including couplers, buckets, other attachments and specialised products.

Both design functions use the latest state-of-the-art 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to provide full visualisation of the product. The 3D models developed can also be incorporated in virtual excavator machine assemblies, providing a high degree of ‘fit and function’ checking, before the finished product is even fitted to the machine.

Tried, tested and true

Designs are validated using a number of techniques, including Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA), to provide predictive performance of products in respect of loads and stress. This is physically verified in the Research & Development workshop where we carry out cyclic, destructive and operational testing of products. Typically, Miller’s testing parameters are significantly higher than expected operational requirements. Why? We have higher standards – because our customers expect the best from Miller.

Cyclic testing is used to verify the performance and fatigue life of product components, as well as weak points within the product. Loading is typically tested from zero to maximum load over several thousand cycles, representing several years of practical operation. These tests help us to identify potential product weaknesses which could potentially develop only over long periods of time.

Protecting our innovation is a serious business, with significant investment in both design registration and patent application. Miller always ensures that both our trademarks and our product designs are legally protected in all relevant countries worldwide.

In the end, you can count on Miller for ground breaking products that always deliver top performance.