338 includes the design and location of catchers and springs, and removing features which interfere with band  motion away from rings and into catchers. The challenge in the setup is creating a mass simulator and off-loader that is representative of the flight release condition. The Nanosat clampband system was successfully tested in a zero-g flight to verify proper separation dynamics (which is not as expensive as one would think).  Installation and Preloading  The ground installation procedure is critical to set the band properly for flight. Specific tooling and  processes for installation and preloading are an important part of the design effort and should be considered earlier rather than later as this can drive aspects of the design. A controlled, safe, and repeatable process is necessary and must be used in qualification and acceptance testing, as well as during integration. Development of ground support tooling and reset and preload procedures are critical to mission success. If possible, it helps to understand how the payload is to be integrated. How will kickoff springs be compressed and rings mated? How is the access to fasteners, and to the release device? Is there sufficient room to use any support tooling for the tensioning process?   Safety concerns must also be addressed. Traditional safety measures were taken to avoid an unintended  pyrotechnic release. Regardless of the type of release element used, redundancy is required during loading of the band. In most systems we have seen, the tensioning tool serves as a backup to prevent catastrophic release due to a failure during load application. Shearing shoe fasteners during preloading is a potential failure mode. Shoes must be properly spaced before loading, and monitored as band load is increased, to accommodate band stretch. A shoe spacing tool can be used to ensure shoes and fasteners are positioned for maximum travel and even loading of the rings. Position of the release device is similarly adjusted and controlled as load is increased.   Ensuring the band loads evenly is critical for safety. Tapping around the band with a small mallet is the  traditional recommended method, but is definitely not desirable as a practice. During development testing a reliable process for ensuring uniform band stress during loading must be developed by instrumenting the band with strain gauges in several locations (~5). We’ve found in our systems that with controlled friction between the band and the shoes, tapping is not required for uniform band loading.   Accurate application of band preload is difficult in systems which do not include direct, calibrated load  sensing devices. In many cases this has led to over-design of Marman band systems to cover variations in preload application of up to ±25%. The CBOD uses an instrumented bolt to accurately set a known preload to the tensioning band, which can be verified prior to launch. The instrumented bolt eliminates inaccuracy of torque measurements or sensitivity to friction at fastener interfaces to indicate proper preload. It also eliminates need for strain gauges on band, and affords better accuracy via factory calibration (strain gauging band during development testing is still required to ensure band loads evenly).   In the case of the sub-24-inch (61-cm) system, specific hydraulic tooling was developed for ground support. Features were incorporated into the band ends to mate with the hydraulic loading tool (see Figure 6).