A compact machine has been developed to enable racing teams to test dampers at the trackside more easily. The Micro Shock Dyno is a 0.14 m2 tabletop machine with lab-grade testing quality created by LABA7, a Lithuania-based supplier of automotive testing and measurement equipment.
LABA7 says the dynamometer can hold a set velocity at every crank position, from 1 mm/s to 1000 mm/s, enabled by a closed-loop servo motor with an absolute multi-turn encoder. A special controller has been developed for the system that tracks crank position through the full cycle and corrects the velocity as the load changes.
The ability to maintain constant low speed is crucial for seal drag and friction tests. This is because the effects created during such tests are difficult to distinguish when velocity drifts – a phenomenon that occurs as damper forces rise.
“Until now, a shock dyno meant a room. If teams could not bring one to the track, setups were tuned by feel and generally went out untested. That means a loss for the team as they spent a whole session learning what a dyno could answer in minutes,” said Andrius Liškus, CEO of LABA7. “To solve this, we made a dyno with a uniquely small footprint, that is easy to take anywhere, and is very affordable.”
Small machine, big capability
LABA7 says that the small size of the machine does not mean it has a small testing capacity. The Micro Shock Dyno has the same 10 kN load cell as the Featherlight and Light Shock Dynos in the LABA7 product range.
The dyno also uses the same contactless temperature sensor as those models, reading from -40 °C to +150 °C, and the same connectivity options. The Micro Shock Dyno connects to Shock Dyno Software v2 via wi-fi, USB, and Ethernet connections.
The unit is also shipped with two self-preload clevis adapters. Other adapters for automotive, motorcycle, and MTB dampers can be fitted, and are sold separately.
A portable solution
The Micro Shock Dyno stands 1,338 mm-tall on a 363 x 395 mm footprint. The masts detach for transport, which brings the height down to 626 mm. The operating weight is 65 kg.
The machine runs on single-phase 230 V, 50 Hz or 110 V, 60 Hz and can be powered from a power socket in a racing van or from a generator.
The price
“A lot of qualities that make Micro great for trackside testing are suitable for workshops as well. Plenty of tuners wanted a dyno and did not have the floor space or the budget. A tabletop machine at this price changes that conversation,” Liškus stated.
The price of the Micro Shock Dyno is EUR 6,000 excluding VAT (around US$6,970 / GB£5,155). First deliveries are estimated to begin in October 2026.
