Catapult Testing - Hydropuls™ Servohydraulic Crash Simulation System

Select image to enlarge The IST servohydraulic crash simulation system (catapult testing) enables the simulation of vehicle crash situations. In contrast to full vehicle crash testing, which is destructive and requires a complete and fully instrumented vehicle for each single test, the servohydraulic catapult operates in a non-destructive manner.

Instead of decelerating a vehicle into a rigid wall, the servohydraulic crash simulation system (catapult testing) makes use of the inverse principle of accelerating a vehicle which is mounted onto a carrier sled backwards from standstill up to driving velocity. In this way the vehicle interior, the dummies and all passive safety devices experience the same kinematics as in a full scale crash test.

The IST catapult uses servohydraulic control incorporating the highly sophisticated CrashSim™ computer system for complex non-linear behavior of the test rig and the specimen. The servohydraulic crash simulation system (catapult testing) offers major advantages compared to conventional facilities working according to the pneumatic principle:

• Extremely high reproduction accuracy
• Extremely high repeatability
• Extremely high acceleration gradients
• Authentic reproduction of frequencies
• Fast and straightforward generation of drive signals using the CrashSim™ Simulation Software
• No time consuming manufacturing and changing of metering pins is necessary
• Assessment of reproduction accuracy is possible before the actual test
• Extremely effective testing with up to 1,000 test shots per year

Accurate Crash Simulation

One of the key development tasks being faced today in the automotive business is the optimization of the interaction between the occupant of a vehicle and the passive safety devices, for example; airbags, safety belts, head restraints, windscreens, steering wheels, seat and seat anchorage systems.

In particular, in airbag development the kinematic interaction between occupant and airbag is of significant importance. Any crash simulation has to reproduce that kinematic interaction i.e., the velocity of the dummy throughout airbag contact, as accurately as possible. For increased complexity of safety systems, for example, next generation 'adaptive airbag' systems:

• An adaptive restraint system that utilizes inputs on crash simulations, occupant status and the vehicle environment to optimize the airbag system performance for an actual crash.
• Requires test equipment which can reproduce crash signals achieved from actual collisions with high accuracy and repeatability. This is where the IST the servohydraulic crash simulation system (catapult) provides the best solution.

Performance Specification

Catapult Type 1

Optional Extensions

The Hydropuls™ Crash Simulation System is designed so that all applications currently available as Options can be retrofitted quickly and easily at a later stage.

Options:

LabSite™, Labtronic™, and Hydropuls™ are trademarks of Instron and LabSite^® and Labtronic^® are registered trademarks of Instron in Germany.