Challenge

"Passive safety" means all measures which are necessary to protect vehicle occupants from injuries or to minimize the risk of injury. In addition to the low-deformation passenger compartment and the vehicle's deformation zones, restraint systems such as belt systems and airbags are among the essential protection systems within the passenger compartment. The development and optimization of these systems, taking into account the enormous variety of vehicle models, is a major challenge for automotive manufacturers and their suppliers. New legal requirements and more stringent consumer protection requirements (NCAP) lead to a constantly increasing number of necessary physical tests. In addition to modeling, the real test is required in the development phase for the verification and optimization of the components and structures.
Crash simulation systems are also the most important development tools in the modern test lab of vehicle manufacturers or suppliers of restraint systems, seats and steering wheels to recreate real crash sequences or standardized crash pulses.

Solution

The Hydropuls^® CSAadvanced was developed as a modular crash simulation system. This means that additional applications can be added to a basic system at any time. A wide range of applications and options are available. Requirements for the performance of a sled system are constantly increasing. Demands of up to 2000 test shots per year are no longer a rarity. In addition to very short times between two test shots, intelligent solutions for fast changing test setups are required to achieve this.
With the solutions developed by Instron, the efficiency and productivity of the test labs are considerably increased. The high degree of automation as well as the possibility to run test pulses offline generate significant additional time savings. Existing pulses can be reproduced accurately for many years without the need to iterate the test system or signals. Finally the CSA advanced is characterized by a high availability due to minimal annual preventative maintenance requirements.
Instron has more than 50 years of applications experience with crash simulation and acceleration sled systems. Instron has sold more than 60 Hydropuls® CSAadvanced products worldwide and successfully put them into operation. 14 of these systems are additionally equipped with active controlled pitch motion simulation technology.

For the following applications, appropriate extensions can be retrofitted at any time:

• "Low Speed Rear Impact" simulation
• "Side and Pole Impact" simulation

With the following accessories the productivity and efficiency of the development process can be increased:

• Frontal crash with pitch simulation
• Quick clamping system for easy test-setup of pallets
• New innovative sled design (2-Piece Sled)
• Camera outriggers