Five Testing Methods
While the five steps to safety are fairly easy to define, the verification methods are not quite as clear cut.
One thing that stands out immediately is that all verification programs must include dynamic testing. Accidents simply do not happen in a slow, progressive manner. They are instantaneous and they are violent. Pulling on a door latch with a porta-power is far less severe than an instantly applied 20-30G’s of force. The same is true for seating, cabinet or equipment retention.
High speed cameras and computers record data during a body mount crash test. Bodies are tested on crash bucks to create a consistent environment so test data can be compared from one test to another.
Static weight loads applied to a vehicle roof can verify some information and design, but they simply do not apply the same intense forces seen when a vehicle rolls over at highway speed.
In reality, it only makes sense that any testing program employed to verify safety and integrity should entail all five kinds of accepted methods used and accepted by the automotive industry. With that in mind, Horton’s comprehensive programs are built around the following five methods:
- Static load testing as required in KKK and FMVSS specifications Learn More!
- Hygee crash sled testing to introduce severe dynamic loads to the body and mounting system Learn More!
- Computer simulation modeling to predict and pretest engineering assumptions Learn More!
- Direct impact or barrier testing using actual destructive crash impacts Learn More!
- Rollover testing, the most severe of all impact tests Learn More!
