September 2009

SEPTEMBER 2009
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How Spanish engineers have
developed a sports car with the
power-to-weight ratio of a Veyron
Big Three focus
Ford, GM, and Chrysler are changing their
test regimes to meet the changing times
Giugiaro special
Spend some time with the legendary
Giugiaros, and take a tour of their facility
The baby Rolls-Royce is the marques most
powerful, most driver-focused model yet
David Leone, Cadillac
I want to help Cadillac achieve
a market position in which
luxury consumers acknowledge
that our cars are equal to or
better than the nest European
and Japanese competitors
Your guide to the technologies
on show at North Americas
best automotive testing event
Expo time
BMWs M division has created a
monster: a twin-turbo, four-wheel-
drive SAV with track aspirations
BMW X6M
SHOW ISSUE
Ghost
Camouflage
Tips from the worlds experts to
help keep your prototype a secret
IFR Aspid
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com
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001
004 Rolls-Royce Ghost
Has the venerable marque produced
a drivers car? It appears so, and its
most powerful model ever, too
CONTENTS
010 BMW X6M
A double milestone for M: its rst four-
wheel-drive car, and its rst turbocharged
car, all in one. But is it a true M car?
012 IFR Aspid
Light weight and luxury combine in this
track-ready road car
014 GM GPEDC
The General Motors Global Powertrain
Engineering Development Center in Pontiac,
Michigan is nally operational
026 Proving grounds
Keith Read brings you the latest proving
ground news from around the world
030 The Big Three
Ford, GM and Chrysler have had an
interesting time of late. Jim McCraw, our
man in Detroit, reports on how the various
upheavals are affecting test programs
038 Giugiaro
Nick Kurczewski traveled to Italy to meet
one of his automotive idols: father and son
team Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro. They
say you should never meet your heroes, but
Nicks glad he did
044 Giugiaro tour
Have a look round the place where the magic
happens: Giugiaros headquarters
050 Camouage
Camera shy? Learn from the pros how to
protect your prototype from prying lenses
060 Automotive Testing Expo USA
Just a few highlights to expect at North
Americas favorite automotive show this year
FEATURES
COVER STORY
WHATS NEW
004
AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com September 2009
060
030
012
038
050
002
The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are
those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the
publisher. While every care has been taken during production,
the publisher does not accept any liability for errors that may
have occurred. ISSN 1751-0341. This publication is protected
by copyright 2009. Periodical postage paid at Dover NJ 07801.
US Mail Agent: Clevett Worldwide Mailers LLC, 7 Sherwood Ct,
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Periodicals Registered Number 018-628.
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Trading Estate, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1RL
published by
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Subscriptions 42/US$88
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
068 Facility integration
070 Data-acquisition system for testing actuators
072 Coupling challenges
073 Emissions analysis equipment
074 High-accuracy speed measurement
075 Complete solutions for shaker testing
076 Fresh approach for MEMS inertial testing
077 IMU integration signals end to noisy GPS
078 In-vehicle combustion analysis system
080 Products and services directory
As we go to press on the eve
of Europes biggest annual
motoring event, the Frankfurt motor
show, I am strangely unexcited.
I love the dramatic unveilings and
the glamorous ladies, but while
there are some beautiful shapes
due to be laid bare for the rst time,
something is just not raising my
pulse this year.
For me, the stars of the show (at
least, those that I know about) will
be the Mercedes-Benz SLS, the
limited-edition Porsche 911 Sport
Classic, and the MINI Coupe. An
appropriately Germanic collection,
all beautiful, and all familiar.
What is the SLS if not a pastiche
of the 1954 300SL? The 911 Sport
Classic is clearly an updated 1973
Carrera 2.7 RS, and in simple terms,
the MINI is a squashed Cooper S.
For sure, the technology beneath
the retro-cool bodies is hugely
impressive, with tremendous power
matched with ever-lower emissions,
all engineered to the most arduous
durability standards. But where is
the originality?
Where is todays Mini, Citron
DS, Land Rover Defender, VW
Beetle, Jaguar E-Type, Fiat 500, or
any of those great innovators who
combined technology with timeless
style? You can still buy all these
models in modern guises, improved
beyond recognition, albeit
somewhat larger and more
expensive. But while powertrain
engineers are making incredible
advances in very short timeframes,
car designers are still living in the
past, feeding a nostalgic public.
What cars made today will become
the classics of tomorrow? Im sure
someone will come along and
correct me, but the Smart is the
only car that springs to mind,
and possibly the Honda Insight.
Almost every other car I can think
of and dont get me wrong, I still
get excited when I see them has
its roots in the past.
Even the legendary Giugiaro
design dynasty is guilty of looking
backward while moving forward.
Having penned some true classics
in the past, Giorgetto and his son
Fabrizio are now creating some
designs that combine fantastic
technology with retro bodywork.
Perhaps they think the public can
only cope with one advance at
a time? Find out on page 38.
If you think you can cope with
more than one advance a great
deal of them in one venue in fact
come and visit Automotive Testing
Expo North America on October
27-29, where the latest and greatest
vehicle development technology
will be on show. I know engineers
look forward to it; if only designers
could look forward in the same
way
Adam Gavine
editors note
Contact us at:
Automotive Testing Technology International
Abinger House, Church Street, Dorking,
Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK
tel: +44 1306 743744
fax: +44 1306 742525
editorial fax: +44 1306 875824
email: [email protected]
Editor
Adam Gavine
Deputy editor
Jon Lawson
Editorial assistant
Bunny Richards
Chief sub-editor
Alex Bradley
Sub-editor
William Baker
Production manager
Ian Donovan
Production team
Joanna Coles, Lewis Hopkins,
Carole Moyse, Emma Uwins
Art director
James Sutcliffe
Design team
Louise Adams, Andy Bass,
Anna Davie, Andrew Locke,
Craig Marshall, Nicola Turner,
Julie Welby, Ben White
Proofreaders
Christine Velarde,
Frank Millard
Contributors
John Challen, Brian Cowan,
Alex Geisler, Dave Gorschkov,
Graham Heeps, Nick Kurczewski,
Peter Lyon, Jim McCraw, Mike
Magda, John Miles, Keith Read,
Michael Scarlett, Dean Slavnich,
Richard Stobart, Chris Theodore
CEO
Tony Robinson
Managing director
Graham Johnson
Sales and marketing director
Dominic Cundy
Publication manager
Jason Sullivan
International sales
David Stradling
Circulation manager
Suzie Matthews
CONTENTS
016 Theodore
In the shadow of green powertrains
018 Read
Zero-emissions cars: polluting by proxy?
020 10 questions
David Leone, chief engineer at Cadillac,
discusses luxury, US-style
022 Ask the experts
The panel considers if a 10-year warranty
is a viable proposition
024 Ask Alex
Our resident automotive lawyer contemplates
how to demonstrate to a court that a failure
mode exists
024 Recall roundup
The latest vehicle roundup news from
the third quarter of 2009
096 Testbed legends
A tribute to the Lincoln Futura, a wild
concept that became perhaps the biggest
cult car of all time
REGULARS
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1
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4
SEPTEMBER 2009
Big Three focus
Giugiaro special
Expo time
BMW X6M
SHOW ISSUE
Ghost
Camouflage
IFR Aspid
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com September 2009
004
A
R
olls-R
oyce has alw
ays been designed w
ith
the rear passenger in m
ind. B
ut now
, the prem
ium

m
arque has created a drivers car, w
hich is the
m
ost pow
erful m
odel ever to sport the ying lady
WORDS BY ADAM GAVINE
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WHATS NEW
005
WHATS NEW
Ghost is one of the most revered names in the
automotive industry, says Tom Purves, CEO of
Rolls-Royce, from his sumptuous ofce at the
companys Goodwood headquarters in the UK, where a
new assembly plant is being completed for the new model.
Ghost evokes images of adventure and technical innovation.
The rst cars to bear the Ghost name were known for not
only impressive dependability and renement, but also for
great air and style.
Whether the latest Ghost has air and style is in the eye
of the beholder. However, its dependability and renement
should be without reproach, following an intensive test
program headed up by Helmut Riedl, director of engineering
at Rolls-Royce.
There was one clear point: until the Ghost, Rolls-Royce
had two big cars on the market, so we had to develop a
smaller car, says Riedl. The question was, how small
should it be? During the development program, we spent a
lot of time deciding how small, and in the end, we decided
we wanted the new model to be around 40cm shorter than
the Phantom.
The result is that the baby Rolls-Royce extends a mere
5,399mm.
The RR4 [the initial codename for the design] has a
more informal presence than the Phantom models, with a
greater emphasis on driving, says chief designer Ian
Cameron. In design terms this is expressed through its
slightly smaller dimensions, yet with powerful, purposeful
proportions.
And in testing terms? Just because the dimensions had
changed, we did not have to radically change our testing
and development procedures from previous projects, Riedl
explains. We applied certain development procedures, but
then we looked at how we could improve the process.
According to Riedl, the biggest change from the Phantom,
Phantom Coup, and Phantom Drophead Coup projects
was the use of virtual tools.
We used virtual development much more, he explains.
We had mules especially for the engines but nearly all
the other stuff was made virtually. Theres no doubt that
Ghost is the most virtually developed Rolls-Royce model
yet. The entire program took three years, which represents
a considerable time saving on the Phantom.
Phantom took four-and-a-half years to develop. Riedls
team saved on time with the use of virtual tools, and cut the
006
WHATS NEW
Rolls-Royce Ghost
Engine: 6,592cc 48v V12
Power: 563bhp @ 5,250rpm
Torque: 575 lb/ft (780Nm) @ 1,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed shift-by-
wire ZF automatic
Performance: 0-62mph in 4.7 sec,
155mph (250km/h) top speed
Economy: 20.8mpg, 317g CO
2
/km
average
Suspension: Double-wishbone front,
multilink rear, air suspension,
electronic variable damping
Gross vehicle weight: 2,940kg
Vehicle length: 5,399mm
Vehicle width: 1,948mm
Vehicle height: 1,550mm
High specication
Our challenge has been to
preserve the prerequisite levels
of comfort while delivering the most
modern, dynamically interesting
drive ever in a Rolls-Royce
ABOVE: You wont
nd vulgar suicide
doors on a Rolls-
Royce. These are
rear-hinged coach
doors, which open
to 83
RIGHT: The 6,592cc
V12 produces an
indecent amount of
power while retaining
passengers
composure
007
WHATS NEW
The result is 780Nm at just 1,500rpm, and 0-60mph in
4.7 seconds. Despite the pace, power delivery is designed to
lower the pulse, not raise it.
With input from BMW Group, the new V12 took around
three years to develop. Riedl considers this is a standard
time for such an engine. A lot of virtual development tools
were also used during this part of the project.
The biggest challenge was to create a really compact
engine because turbocharger technology takes up a lot of
space. We had to nd a solution that enabled us to create a
compact engine with two turbos. Turbos are also heavy and
we wanted a light engine this was the second aim.
number of prototypes and mules to 40. However, reduced
physical testing did not make for a simple test program.
Every day was a challenge. Car development is a really
complex process because one simple situation inuences
other systems, and this is the most complicated thing.
Riedl was in the fortunate position of being able to call
on his old chums at BMW, where he spent 19 happy years
working his way up the ranks in the chassis department
until becoming chassis director in 1999, remaining there
until his move to Rolls-Royce in 2004.
The way our programs work is that I have dedicated
manpower within Rolls-Royce for this project. I have around
60 basic staff but then I can buy further engineers from
BMW when I need them. So, for example, if I needed a
specialist in electronics, Id go to BMW and hire that
engineer. At that point, that BMW engineer comes and
works for me and Rolls-Royce, and we pay his or her wages.
Basically, what Im buying from BMW is the performance of
the engineers.
This is a two-way deal, though, as BMW is beneting
from Rolls-Royces knowledge of making powerful yet
unobtrusive engines in this case, a 563bhp twin-turbo
V12. As a nod to the environment, displacement has been
reduced from the traditional 6.75 to a slightly more modest
6.6 liters.
We made a decision as part of BMW Group to make a
new 12-cylinder engine, states Riedl. The goal was for this
new engine to be used in two cars the Rolls-Royce Ghost,
and the BMW 7 Series.
However, the V12 in the BMW will differ from the V12
in the Ghost. The actual base and housing will be the same,
but there will be a difference between the two derivatives.
We always intended to develop this engine to have high
torque at low revs, so we went for a higher stroke.
Driver focused
The principle of simplicity extends to the act of
driving the Ghost. The host of complex engineering
software and technologies beneath the surface serve
to make driving easier and more enjoyable, and not
intrude or confuse.
Nothing should distract from the pleasure of driving
the Ghost, says Riedl.
ABOVE: The Ghost is
constructed from
steel sections and
then wrapped in steel
panels, which are
brazed by hand. This
results in a near-
seamless join, which
is then sanded by
hand. In total, Ghosts
frame contains 4.9m
of seam weld and
braze, and 6,988
spot-welds
VISIT www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com FOR MORE DETAILS AND NEWS
According to Rolls-Royce data, the new V12 is 18kg
lighter than the Phantom unit. The use of plastic and
aluminum helped save some weight, but the biggest inroad
came with a new design for the cylinder housing.
Although power may be the driving force for the typical
Rolls-Royce customer, it is not the be-all and end-all in
automotive terms. Ghost is built around a steel monocoque
body, with a double-front bulkhead to help insulate the
interior from engine noise. Further renement comes from
the double-wishbone front suspension and multilink rear
suspension, which work with an intelligent, four-cornered,
air-suspension system and electronic variable damping.
A Rolls-Royce should be graceful in every way: the way
it handles, feels, and brakes, says Riedl. The balance of
renement and dynamic ability is astonishing!
The new air suspension system in Ghost is so sensitive
that it can detect even the smallest of changes. It senses the
movement of a single rear passenger from one side of the
seat to the other and compensates accordingly. A computer
system reads multiple inputs from sensors around the car;
the dampers alone make load calculations every 2.5ms.
This ensures comfort and precise steering and dynamics.
The air-suspension system incorporates a lift-and-kneel
function, raising or lowering the vehicle by 25mm.
Our challenge was to preserve the prerequisite levels of
comfort while delivering the most modern, dynamically
interesting drive ever in a Rolls-Royce, says Riedl.
WHATS NEW
ABOVE: The Spirit of
Ecstasy stands
proudly on the prow
of this landmark
Rolls-Royce
The Ghost moniker derives from a legendary
vehicle in Rolls-Royces history, which, at the
time, was a world apart from other cars in terms of
durability. Originally named the 40/50hp, the model
was unveiled in London in 1906 and was hailed as
the best car in the world.
In 1907 Rolls-Royces commercial managing
director, Claude Johnson, ordered a car to be used as
a demonstrator. Registered AX 201, with chassis no.
60551, it was the 12th 40/50hp to be made, and was
painted in aluminum paint with silver-plated ttings.
The car was named Silver Ghost to emphasize its
ghost-like quietness, and a plaque bearing this name
adorned the bulkhead. An open-top body by coach
builder Barker was tted, and the car was readied
for the Scottish reliability trials of 1907.
Immediately afterward, the Silver Ghost took part
in another 15,000-mile (24,000km) test, involving
driving between London and Glasgow 27 times.
The aim was to raise public awareness of the new
company and to show the reliability and quietness of
the new car. This was a risky idea. Cars of this time
were notoriously unreliable, and roads of the day
could be horrendous. Nevertheless, the car set off on
trials, and with press on board, it broke record upon
record. The reputation of the 40/50hp, and Rolls-
Royce, was established.
The Silver Ghost is now considered to be possibly
the most valuable car in the world. In 2005 its
insured value was placed at US$35 million.
Ghost has a series of complex electronic aids to keep it
composed on virtually any surface. These include anti-roll
stabilization, dynamic-brake control and dynamic-stability
control, including dynamic-traction control and cornering-
brake control, all of which work together under dual
integrated chassis-management systems.
Riedl and his team enjoyed some interesting drives. Of
course, a great deal of road miles were covered around
Goodwood in the UK, but the Ghost was also extensively
road-tested around the world.
We went from South Africa to Sweden, from Tokyo to
Death Valley to test Ghost in the real world, says Riedl. We
undertook high-speed endurance testing at Miramas in the
south of France, which is a BMW facility. For our winter
testing we drove in Arjeplog in Sweden. We took cars to
California and South Africa for hot testing, and prototypes
to Mount Fuji and Tokyo. The program also took us to
China a really important market for us.
The Silver Ghost
008
ABOVE: A designer
at the Goodwood
facility ensuring the
Ghost retains the
classic Rolls-Royce
wheel-to-height
ratio of 2:1
XXL performance in mini format.
Reliable. Universal. Flexible.
The new-generation data acquisition system.
_24-bit A/D converter on each channel
_Supports all common transducer technologies
_Advanced Plug and Measure (APM) for
immediate setup and measurement.
For more information please visit the QuantumX microsite at
Increased efciency in testing, verication and measurement.
www.hbm.com/quantumX
measure and predict with condence H
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qx_Ad09_215x275_en_rz_090713.indd 1 13.07.2009 14:08:53 Uhr
WHATS NEW
What you see here is not
just another high-
performance SAV this is BMW
M divisions rst foray into four-
wheel drive and turbocharging,
intended to challenge Porsches
Cayenne Turbo and Mercedes-
Benz AMGs ML63.
With a twin-turbo 4.4 V8
delivering 547bhp, 0-60mph in
4.7 seconds, and 155mph, the
X6M certainly has M gures,
but does it have M soul?
Jrgen Poggel, development
manager for BMW M thinks so.
For M division to make X Series
cars is a big step [an X5M is also
available]. To get an M stamp
on this class of car with a
turbocharged engine is a major
thing. We experimented with
this type of concept about 10
years ago with the X5 Le Mans,
which featured a V12 from the
Le Mans-winning car. Then in
2000 we made a prototype X5
with RWD and the former M5
V8 engine. So nine years ago
we thought about how to make
a high-performance SAV, and
now with Dynamic Performance
Control we have the chance.
Dynamic Performance
Control switches power between
the left and right rear wheels
to stabilize the vehicle within
milliseconds and to help
increase traction and lateral
acceleration. The result is,
according to Poggel, lighter
and more precise handling.
010
This is not just another fast 4x4 this is BMW Ms rst forced-induction,
four-wheel-drive car. But is it in keeping with M tradition?
BMW X6M
development times we
have fast cars and quick
engineering.
Of course, a great deal of
hands-on work was required
to earn the X6 an M sufx.
Extensive track work was
done at Road Atlanta in
Georgia, USA, as well as at the
Nordschleife, and engineering
work was carried out at Ms
own engine development
facilities in Munich (which
has test beds, workshops,
and design studios), as well
as at BMWs facilities.
The track work has
revealed something
remarkable though: the X6M
is not just being tested on
track, it is built for it. It is
very good on track its hard
to believe, but it is. You sit
high in a commanding
position, but the car is really
sporty. Our engineers think
that the X6M will lap the
Nordschleife in the same time
as the previous-model M3.
Now that really does put the
S in SAV, and the M in X6M.
Dynamic Performance
Control is very important as
it makes a four-wheel-drive car
really agile. This is the answer
in terms of dynamics, he states.
Although the V8 is
surprisingly agile, its a brute,
and a new direction for the M
division. For this type of car
you need an engine with a lot
of torque, so we changed the
engine concept from high
revolution to turbocharged,
explains Poggel. The challenge
was to get this powertrain into
an M car. I think we have done
a good job, but it is difcult
in this class of car to get good
feeling when you have 2.5 tons
to accelerate.
So will the X6M feel like a
fast X6 or a true M car? Poggel is
in no doubt: M cars have racing
genes. You feel it as soon as you
start it up you know it is an M
car. It is more racy, with more
feedback in ride, acoustics,
braking, and acceleration.
Poggels cars are even
developed more quickly than
regular BMWs. We have shorter
Dont believe the track claims? You can see footage of the X6M tearing up the road at
Derv derivative?
Could we see a diesel
derivative to challenge the
Audi Q7 V12 6-liter TDI? Its
an interesting proposition,
says Poggel. From todays
perspective I think we can
say no, but you never know
what will happen. Never say
never. If, 30 years ago, you
had told your grandmother
that you could have a tiny
phone in your pocket, she
would have thought you were
crazy, but now we have them.
You never know what will
happen in terms of break-
through and innovation. At
the moment, if you take the
characteristics we expect of
an M engine, diesel cannot
fulll them. But someday it
may be possible.
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WHATS NEW
With a career involving
stints as a race engineer
at Prodrive and the Mitsubishi
WRC team, Ignacio Fernndez
Rodriquez should know how to
engineer a good car. Having set
up IFR Automotive in 2003, he
and his team of 10 engineers
began work on a new sports
car project, the Aspid. Six years
on, the development program
is complete, promising a
lightweight luxury sports car.
We have a good advantage
in being a new brand, as we can
dene what we want to be. It is a
fantastic freedom not having the
constraints of an existing brand.
We had 10,000 components
and a blank sheet of paper. We
decided which markets to target
and then decided on standards
of quality, says Rodriquez.
The design began with no
restrictions on the positioning
of key chassis and suspension
components. A 3D geometric
void an empty space was the
starting point for the car. This
approach delivered the optimum
linear relationship between all
chassis and suspension variables,
according to Rodriquez.
Prospective customers have
worked out that you can spend
a lot of money preparing other
makes of cars for the track, he
continues. With the Aspid it
all comes as standard. The car
meets FIA safety requirements as
well as European homologation
standards, so it really can be
driven from the road onto the
race track without any special
preparation. And after a hard
race, the car is robust, durable
012
IFR believes this is the supercar of the future: lightweight, high power,
planet-friendly and race-ready, but with a dash of everyday practicality
IFR Aspid
one prototype. Although there
is one car, there are 10 chassis
and seven sets of suspensions.
The most intriguing part
of the development program
has been the benchmarks. The
KTM X-Bow and the Caterham
look the most likely, but
Rodriquez is unconvinced.
A Caterham is fantastic,
but what happens if youre in
a trafc jam at 45C, what if
it rains? The KTM uses carbon
ber and doesnt have doors
or a roof, and we achieved
the same weight.
There is a closer rival in
Rodriquez eyes: For the
chassis we looked at the Lotus
Elise. That was the technology
to be beaten. We develop
lightweight technology that
can be industrialized, which
means we cannot use exotic
materials. We wanted to use
aluminum.
For cornering, the
benchmark was the Ferrari
F430, he continues. We
played with some aggressive
geometry to make the Aspid
very stable in a straight
line and in cornering. Its
a fantastic combination.
and safe enough to be driven
again on public roads.
These durability claims
are the result of 50,000km
of testing, mostly around
the mountainous roads that
surround IFRs HQ near Reus
in northern Spain, which are
used for the main stages of the
Catalonia Rally. IFR engineers
have also made use of local
proving grounds, which include
MotorLand Aragn at Alcaiz,
Idiada, and various race tracks.
The car is meant to go racing
so track testing is necessary.
After driving 300km on the
track the car is still perfect, says
Rodriquez. Lab work is carried
out at IFRs own facilities, as well
as those of local universities.
The car you see here is the
only prototype, as Rodriquez
believes that with a small
company, it is better to have just
Fast facts
Engine: Honda FC20 1997cc,
either 270bhp naturally
aspirated or 402bhp
supercharged
Drive: Rear
Gearbox: Manual six-speed
Weight: 700kg (1,550 lb)
Power-to-weight ratio:
570bhp-per-tonne
(1.75kg/bhp)
Unsprung mass: 21kg
Acceleration: 0-62mph
(100km/h) in 2.8 sec and
100mph (160km/h) in 5.9 sec.
Braking: 100mph (160km/h)-
0 in 3.0 seconds
Maximum g: 1.6g
Maximum speed: 155mph
(250km/h) (restricted)
Emissions: 188g/km CO
2
Suspension and chassis:
In-house designed, all-
aluminum
Price: Estimated 100,000
(US$146,000)
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014
and non-fueled powertrain
development, up to
a maximum torque limit of
approximately 950Nm. Every
cell has a high-resolution
video camera with a zoom
lens for monitoring from
the instrument consoles.
Duguay says this lab is a key
component in GMs road-to-
lab-to-math commitment that
started in 2006, and that the
programmable dynos can now
simulate any road, course or
racetrack, which in terms of
calibration means that about
two-thirds of all powertrain
calibration work can now be
done in the lab, with a near-
term goal of 80%. Some 68
new laboratory procedures
have been scripted to simulate
vehicle performance
characteristics. This capability
eliminates the need for a eet
of expensive test mule and
prototype vehicles, and
expensive, time-consuming
road trips. Duguay says the
lab has already saved GM
more than US$200 million
in costs in its rst year.
diesel fuel, or biodiesel required
for testing. Individual batches
of fuel are delivered in totes
externally to each cell to
accommodate whatever type
of testing is being carried out.
The center has been designed
to handle development of hybrid
powertrains, pure electric, and
all types transmissions and
drive systems for cars, trucks,
hybrids, and EVs.
GM worked with AVL
to design the facilities and
equipment using Horiba
dynamometer systems,
including a large number
of high-dynamic, low-inertia
electric dynamometers, which
are used to simulate production
and prototype engine inputs
for transmission development.
Two of the dynos are tted
with huge hydraulic rams that
can instantly tilt an engine or
a transmission up to 54 positive
or negative in both pitch and roll
directions to check internal uid
ow behaviors.
The labs include front-drive,
rear-drive, and all-wheel-drive
capability for both fueled
Key numbers
41,805m
2
total footprint
120 automated dynamometer cells
100 powertrain components test stands
10 weeks average reduction in engine
development cycle
-40C to +60C temperature controls
Two dynamometers with +54 to -54
degrees of rotational freedom in 360
of direction simulating up to 1.3g
vehicle loads
15% of required operating power
generated in-house
Four regenerative thermal oxidizers
that are 98.6% efcient
96% CO reduction
1,200 employees
GM R&D center
Its described by those who work there as a high-tech Disneyland for powertrain engineers.
Be one of the rst to take an exclusive tour of GMs new engine R&D center in Michigan, USA
Five years in the planning,
the General Motors Global
Powertrain Engineering
Development Center (GPEDC) in
Pontiac, Michigan, is the largest
and most advanced such facility
in the world. Not only does the
new engine base replace three
other outdated Michigan plants
(in Ypsilanti, Warren, and
Romulus) by running 24 hours
a day, seven days a week, the
GPEDC also serves as a timely
reminder that theres plenty of
life left yet in North American
powertrain development. In fact,
the Generals new engine HQ
will become the model for 11
future powertrain engineering
and development centers around
the GM world.
Roger Duguay, director of
GPEDC, says the three older
labs didnt have the exibility,
capacity, capability, or
environmental cleanliness
needed for the future, so the
new center was designed by the
engineers who would be using it.
Although the bulk of the new
labs work is for North American
products, it is also undertaking
European gasoline and diesel
engine development, including
the Family Zero engine for the
Volt and the 1.4-liter turbo
engine for the Chevrolet Cruze.
The lab even has two cells
dedicated to single-cylinder
engine combustion research.
The centers underground
fuel tanks hold up to 250,000
US gallons and can supply
any grade of gasoline, ethanol,
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Recently, I was asked by the American
Society of Body Engineers to speak
about the impact of green vehicles on the
future of performance vehicles. Being a little
perplexed, I started with that subject, but
expanded it to include the impact of green
vehicles on body engineering.
People say the rst automobile race
occurred when the second car was built,
and the current emphasis on green vehicles
doesnt mean that the competitive nature of
humans will disappear. As green vehicles
appear in greater numbers, you can be sure
that tinkerers, enthusiasts, and inventors will
start to gure out how to make them perform
better. Ultimately, manufacturers will also
respond to our need for speed.
Already, the FIA is supporting
regenerative power-boosting systems for F1
cars, and the American LeMans series is
promoting a green race within a race. Tesla
chose to focus attention on its EV by rst
introducing a high-performance sports car.
So you can expect green performance
vehicles to take on many new forms:
EVs will be tted with more powerful
motors and larger, higher voltage battery
packs, along with weight reduction and
aerodynamic packages.
Hybrids will also receive enhancements.
For example, I had dreams of building
a hybrid sports car using Escape Hybrid
mechanicals. The Escape is tted with
a naturally aspirated Atkinson cycle engine
to maximize fuel efciency. Few people
realize that Atkinson cycle engines love to be
supercharged. A turbocharged four-cylinder
would provide greater performance, but
deliver essentially equivalent fuel economy.
Diesels and biofuel vehicles will also be
modied. For example, if E85 ethanol ever
became more readily available, dedicated
E85 vehicles could be developed to take
advantage of the higher octane rating.
This approach leads to a broader
discussion regarding the implications of
green technologies on body engineering. The
green challenge is not just one of creating
new powertrains. In fact, I suggest that the
challenge is just as great for body engineers.
Virtually every new green powertrain
technology that is being developed will cost
more. The body engineering challenge is
simple: create solutions to improve fuel
economy at a lower equivalent cost than the
incremental cost per MPG (or equivalent CO
2
reduction) that new powertrain provides!
The answer for body engineers is to focus
on architecture, weight, and aerodynamics.
Few manufacturers of the rst- or second-
generation hybrid vehicles have redeveloped
vehicle architecture to come up with a more
efcient package. Battery packs are hung
in existing tunnels. Fuel tanks, motors, and
power control systems are packaged in
whatever free space can be found, and little
has been done to take a holistic and
synergistic approach to vehicle design.
We should realize the synergistic effects
of weight reduction. A lighter body structure
requires a less powerful and lighter
powertrain, which makes possible lighter
suspension and drivetrain components.
We need a cost model that recognizes these
synergistic effects so that an optimum
outcome is achieved. I tell my engineers that
weight is free, to get them out of the cost/lb
weight reduction mindset. Each component
needs to be optimized for efciency before
you start spending on lightweight materials.
That is not to say we shouldnt continue
to explore the use of advanced lightweight
materials and technologies. This is where
a good accounting system of the synergies
comes into play. Body weight reduction is the
most effective way of reducing vehicle mass.
The lower the sprung weight, the lighter the
supporting components. Optimization of the
total vehicle is the order of the day!
Body engineers need not operate in the
shadow of the green movement. Their
challenge lies in vehicle architecture, weight
reduction and aerodynamics improvements.
The green movement provides the impetus
for great strides in body engineering.
Chris Theodore had a lot to say on this topic, and a lot of valuable
insight didnt make it into this column. To read the full text, visit
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com. Its well
worth visiting to read the much longer uncut version.
IN THE SHADOW OF GREEN POWERTRAINS
016
OPINION
Little has been done
to take a holistic and
synergistic approach
to vehicle design
www.acscm.com [email protected] 1.608.663.1590 Design Construction Integration
Forgive me for returning to a topic
that I am unashamed to call my
hobbyhorse. But the more I learn about
continuing developments of the IC engine,
the more I realize that the headlong dash
toward certain types of EVs led, in the
main, by politicians has to be reined in.
The gallop has to be hauled back to a more
reasoned and well-thought-out trot
The recent high-prole unveiling of
Nissans battery-powered affordable
C-segment car the Leaf, which will go on
sale towards the end of 2010 simply served
to increase my determination to pursue,
as vigorously as possible, a more sensible
global attitude toward zero-emissions
battery-powered vehicles.
Let me quote Nissans CEO, Carlos Ghosn,
talking about the tremendous achievement
that Leaf represents. He said, We have been
working tirelessly to make this day a reality
the unveiling of a real-world car that has
zero not simply reduced emissions. Its
the rst step in what is sure to be an exciting
journey for people all over the world, for
Nissan, and for the industry.
Not simply reduced emissions. Is he
joking? What about the truly appalling
emissions from the coal and oil-red power
stations that will generate the electricity
needed to charge Leafs lithium-ion batteries
to 80% capacity in 30 minutes or full
capacity in eight hours? Its too easy for
Nissan and other manufacturers,
for that matter to overlook this when
promoting their emissions-free vehicles.
Not that I blame auto makers for
developing EVs, or for promoting them.
Because politicians the world over
conscious far more of their image and
voters intentions than the well-being of
the world continue to use the automotive
industry as both the whipping boy and
milch cow of ecology. Its an easy target,
and has been for far too long. And, sadly, the
automotive industry seems to accept what
amounts to environmental victimization.
Yes, I accept that France is second only
to the USA in clean nuclear-generated
power that entitles battery-powered vehicles
to claim near-zero emissions. But the 436
nuclear power stations in 30 countries
together account for only 15% of electricity
generated worldwide. Meanwhile, thousands
of coal-red, pollution-producing power
stations account for 40% of global electricity.
(Oil, by the way, accounts for 10%, natural
gas 15%, and hydro and other 20%.)
The automotive industry must start to dig
its heels in. After all, the shipping industry
has successfully fought against imposed
restrictions on emissions. And Im told that
ships bringing vehicles from the Far East to
the UK produce more emissions on each trip
than their cargos will produce over years of
driving. Meanwhile, every day the aviation
industry gets away with doing its bit to drill
holes in the ozone layer, and as for farmers
You wouldnt believe how much unrestricted
methane cows produce every day.
So lets start to be realistic about these
zero-emissions cars and take into account
the generation of energy that charges their
batteries. Lets concentrate more on fuel
cell hybrids, whose sole emissions are heat
and water, and lets give huge support to the
engineers all over the world who are testing
and developing advanced IC engines. Guys
like those at the University of Wisconsin,
USA, working under Prof Rolf Reitz, who
have developed a hybrid engine fueled by a
mix of diesel and gasoline. It produces fewer
emissions and is up to 20% more efcient
than conventional engines, and runs 40%
cooler, thus reducing energy losses.
A paper on their project was delivered at
a recent diesel engine conference in Detroit,
sponsored by the US Department of Energy.
Reitz stated that if all cars on US roads could
match the fuel efciency gains simulated
in the project, it would lead to a 33%
reduction in the transport industrys daily
consumption of 14 million barrels of oil.
That reduction would amount to the entire
amount of oil imported from the Persian Gulf.
Wow! Now that would be an exciting
journey for people all over the world
Keith Read spent many years as communications manager
at MIRA before becoming an industry commentator
Politicians the world over continue to
use the automotive industry as both
the whipping boy and milch cow of
ecology. Its an easy target
ZERO-EMISSIONS CARS: POLLUTING BY PROXY?
018
OPINION
M SERIES
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01
How long have you been involved
in the industry, and how did you end
up working with automobiles?
Ive been in the industry 30 years, and am a third-generation auto
worker in fact my grandfather and father both worked in the
business. As a young person, I really liked taking things apart
and I was even able to put some of them back together! My father
noticed that interest, and suggested I look into engineering.
02
What are the best and worst
elements of your job?
The best element is that I get to shape the design and
execution of some of the best cars Cadillac has produced. I feel
fortunate to be a part of that. The worst part is simply a personal
concern with responsibility for global projects, that means
meetings and conversations can occur any time, day or night.
03
What is your proudest career
achievement to date?
Being responsible for the Cadillac XLR Roadster, from
concept to production in 2004. It was an exciting product, and it
had a lot of rsts for us, which is important as an engineer. It was
our rst keyless car, it was a retractable hardtop, it was our rst use
of adaptive radar cruise control, and it contained a lot of technology
that was very fresh in that era.
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david leone
chief engineer,
Cadillac
The only way to achieve proper
renement and execution for a luxury
car is to do so with real properties
High Resolution Slip
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Wet Surface Testing
Pitch & Roll Measurement
Dynamic Camber Angle
Measurement
Measurement System
Components
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www.kistler.com
04
What are your career goals for
the next ve years?
To help Cadillac achieve a market position in which
luxury consumers acknowledge that our cars are equal to or better
than the nest European and Japanese competitors.
05
What could legislators do to make
your working life easier?
A frustrating element of legal requirements today is
that there may be a temptation to increase standards beyond their
actual societal and safety benets. The variation in some of the test
procedures has become greater than the performance benet the
standards are mandating.
06
What are the trends in your eld?
The rise of lower-displacement, high-performance
engines for the benet of fuel economy. Another
important trend is the spread of feature content and technology
across the range of models and market segments.
07
How condent would you feel about
developing a car purely in the lab?
Although modeling and simulation capability is
greater than ever, the total integration of a new car still requires
physical vehicles. The only way to achieve proper renement and
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execution for a luxury car is to do so with real properties. We have
reduced the number of test cars a great deal, but those cars are
still extremely important.
08
What is the ultimate physical to
lab test ratio?
I think it would something like 1:5.
09
At which test facilities do you
conduct testing, and why?
We test internally and in conjunction with suppliers.
This includes our proving grounds in Milford, and tracks around
the world especially for our V-Series. We also test outside North
America, to verify performance in local market conditions. The
ultimate example of this is the Nrburgring, which we have visited
periodically over the past decade.
10
How long will a new vehicle program
take to complete in the year 2015?
Development time is highly dependent on when
the clock is started. The degree of change and innovation in
a vehicle program also has a major impact on the duration of
development cycles. Over the last ve years, we have reduced
basic development time by about 6-12 months. I think further
reductions are possible, maybe by 10-15%, by 2015.
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WHATS NEW
Will a 10-year warranty ever be viable for OEMs?
ask the experts
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Hamish McCowan, director, after-sales
Kia UK
Kia has already introduced a seven-year
bumper-to-bumper warranty on all our cars
built at our European factory in Slovakia,
because of the efciencies and quality we are
able to achieve there. And our new models
from Korea are coming with a ve-year
warranty. So in the future, 10 years is
possible. It is a matter for the actuaries, engineers, and
marketing people to decide upon. At the moment, in Europe,
we believe seven years is the maximum expectation from
customers. However, in the USA, Hyundai and Kia already
offer limited 10-year warranties because of demand.
Edmund King, president
Automobile Association
Over the past 15 years, vehicle reliability
has improved beyond imagination.
Manufacturing techniques and oils have
progressed to such an extent that engines
and gearboxes remain trouble-free for many
years. Complex wiring has been reduced
because of the introduction of systems such
as multiplexing, and bodywork protection has been developed
so that severe corrosion is rarely seen on a modern car. In most
cases, major components including starters and alternators
last for more than 100,000 miles without any problems.
A 10-year warranty, with some limitations, would therefore
be possible without great cost to the manufacturer.
Graham Townsend, engineering director
MIRA
Im not sure that a 10-year warranty is the
most important priority for car manufacturers
at the moment. I believe the priorities are
low carbon emissions and vehicle and
transportation safety, using IT to deliver
those to their customers satisfaction. This is
certainly what we are seeing in our work at
the moment. Thats not to say that durability and longevity are
not important; they are. But when you look at other consumer
products where you automatically get a 12-month warranty,
but often not much more a 10-year warranty for cars seems to
be asking a lot. In the short term, I dont think its viable but
it could become a priority in the future.
David Leone, chief engineer
Cadillac
We already carry a 10-year warranty for
powertrain components. As for the whole
vehicle, extending warranties further is
largely a nancial question.
It is surprising how often this question comes up
without the parties even realizing that it is an issue.
When a calamity arises in the automotive industry, great
or small, the injured party will frequently try to identify the
failure mode. This quest is an almost instinctive reaction,
sometimes undertaken with indecent haste.
This approach, though understandable, can be
misplaced as it assumes there is a failure mode and not,
say, human error. The industry tests each component and
the whole vehicle with commendable rigor. To that end,
those who work in design and manufacturing FMEA
possess agile imaginations when it comes to conceiving
potential failure modes. Yet, in the event of a failure, the
community will readily suspect one of its components.
When litigation follows, the classic format for the
complaint is this: First, describe the failure mode. Second,
assert that the calamitous events were a manifestation
of it. The claimants logic is that because the product
(allegedly) has a known vulnerability to a particular
failure mode, those who supplied it should be held to
account. However, in any competent court of law, it is not
enough just to describe a failure mode for the court to
accept that it exists. The claimant must prove, on the
balance of probability, that it exists. This is frequently the
time when a supercially coherent case starts to unravel.
This example is based on a real case. An auto maker
received complaints about a model a large, powerful
SUV. The complaints were that the fuel gauge was
inaccurate, and users were running out of fuel. No fault
was found by the OEM or the supplier of the fuel gauge.
Eventually, inevitably, someone missed a plane,
(allegedly) lost a business opportunity, and sued. The
complaint started, There is a well-known fault in ve
minutes on the internet you can nd a dozen similar cases.
It continued, The vehicle was supplied with a defective
fuel gauge, leading to a faulty instrument reading, leading
the Plaintiff to believe he had more fuel than was the case.
Oh really? The manufacturer argued that this is not proof
of the existence of a failure mode. It is not even evidence.
Evidence of a faulty gauge is something to be opined upon
by an expert who has examined the vehicle, not a lawyer
who has examined the internet. The 12 vehicles were
a minute percentage of the in-service population.
The manufacturer focused on the vehicle and the events
of the day. When was it last fueled? Was it lled? If so, why
was the fuel receipt for an exact dollar amount?
What distance was traveled, in what manner,
and with what load? The court concluded
that the claimant had simply run out of gas.
And so had his bogus litigation.
How do I demonstrate
to a court that a failure
mode exists?
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Alexander M. Geisler is a partner at Duane Morris.
He has 20 years of experience in the automotive sector
and is retained by OEMs, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers,
test facilities and engineering companies. He is our
resident legal columnist. Alex can be reached at
[email protected], +44 207 786 2111
(London) and +1 215 979 1000 (Philadelphia).
Make Model(s) Concern
Mercedes-
Benz
Sprinter. Jan 2006
Dec 2006
Parking brake may fail
Kia Sportage, Shuma,
Mentor. June 1998
May 2000
Front seatbelt buckle may
detach during a collision
Suzuki Grand Vitara. June
2005 Feb 2007
Fire may occur
BMW 1 Series, 3 Series.
May 2008 Jul 2008
Front side airbag or seatbelt
tensioner may not operate
correctly
Aston
Martin
V8 Vantage, V12
Vantage, DBS, DB9.
Apr 2009 Jul 2009
Steering response
may be incorrect
Kymco People S 50 Main frame may crack
Mercedes-
Benz
Actros Loss of transmission
may occur
vw Touareg. May 2006
Jan 2009
Rear spoiler could become
detached when driving
Chevrolet 2009MY Traverse Failing to comply with FMVSS135,
Passenger car brake systems
DAF CF65/75/85/XF105.
March 2008
June 2008
Axle may displace
Mercedes-
Benz
ML. Jul 2008
Mar 2009
Automatic liftgate may
open inadvertently
Lotus Elise, Europa,
2-Eleven, Exige. Jan
2009 May 2009
Wheel hub may
become insecure
Nissan Murano, Teana.
Oct 2002 Jan 2008
Engine may stall
BMW X5, X6. May 2009
June 2009
Brakes may fail
Mazda 2009MY Failing to comply with FMVSS126,
Electronic stability control system
Ford Models tted with
2-liter Duratorq
TDCi engine. Nov
2008 Mar 2009
Hard brake pedal may occur
during engine warm-up
Citron Berlingo.
Dec 2008 Jan 2009
Left-hand seat may become
detached in collision
Mitsubishi Lancer GS with CVT/
AS or SST. Jan 2008
Apr 2009
Lack of brake
servo assistance
ERF Various. Nov 2008
May 2009
Service brake may be lost
Honda Civic, Accord, Acura.
2001 2002
Drivers airbag could produce
excessive internal pressure
recall round-up
The latest automotive recall news for Europe and
North America during the third quarter of 2009
ASK ALEX
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www.weiss.info
Weiss Umwelttechnik is one of the most
renowned manufactures of Environmental
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welt technik offers an entire range of high
quality and well-proven designs used in all
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for Corrosion and Weathering tests, Testing
of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Com-
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The wide ranges of Weiss Umwelttechnik
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Weiss Umwelttechnik provides test techno-
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development throughout the world.
If you place importance on quality and suc -
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Anz_Keeps you_215x275:Anz_Keeps you_215x275 28.08.2009 14:04 Uhr Seite 1
Engine and Emission Tests
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Mechanical Component Tests
Weiss keeps you safely on the road to success
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Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH
Environmental Simulation Equipment
35447 Reiskirchen-Lindenstruth / Germany Greizer Str. 41 49
Phone +49 6408 84-0 Telefax +49 6408 84-8710
Internet: www.wut.com eMail: [email protected]
See us at Automotive Testing Expo
North America, Novi, Detroit, MI
27 29 October, 2009 Booth 12004
www.weiss.info
Weiss Umwelttechnik is one of the most
renowned manufactures of Environmental
Simulation Systems world wide. Weiss Um -
welt technik offers an entire range of high
quality and well-proven designs used in all
areas of the automotive industry. This inclu-
des the testing of all interior and ex terior
components.
Our range of equipment includes standard
test units and special testing systems used
for Corrosion and Weathering tests, Testing
of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Com-
ponents and Engine and Emission tests.
The wide ranges of Weiss Umwelttechnik
Enviromental Simulation Systems are used
in every stage of development.
Weiss Umwelttechnik provides test techno-
logy that all renowned car manufactures have
been using for many years as part of their
quality management. Customer oriented con-
sultation is ensured in all phases of project
development throughout the world.
If you place importance on quality and suc -
cess in the international market then place
your confidence in Weiss Umwelt technik.
Anz_Keeps you_215x275:Anz_Keeps you_215x275 28.08.2009 14:04 Uhr Seite 1
026
New proving ground for Giti
HEFEI Chinas largest manufacturer
of tires is to build a multimillion-dollar
advanced proving ground and test
facility close to its Hefei City
production plant in Anhui Province,
not far from the Greeneld site where
Continental is developing its test
facilities.
The new proving ground will
complement Gitis European Test
Centre, based in customer facilities
at MIRA Ltd in the UK.
It is possible that Giti will take
advantage of its growing relationship
with MIRA in the development of
its new proving ground in China,
as MIRA has a large test facility
engineering department that has
designed, developed, and managed
construction of a number of proving
grounds in various countries around
the world, including China. The
company has also embarked on
a program to expand in Europe.
GM opens Yuma
Bosch renovates Flat Rock
MICHIGAN Bosch has invested
US$8 million to renovate its 20-year-
old Flat Rock test track, one of three
the company has in the USA and
seven worldwide. The two-year
project requires the removal of the
existing track, installation of a new
subgrade material, and installation of
a new test track with a banked curve,
hydroplane area, vehicle dynamics
area, staging area, and new storm
water retention ponds.
Ronaldo Reimer,
regional president for
the chassis systems
control division at
Bosch North America,
said: The current
state of the economy puts greater
focus on nding the right balance
between running a leaner, smarter
business while also having the tools
and products necessary to continue
to advance innovation.
Aberdeen Test Center
www.atc.army.mil
ACTS
www.acts.de
Arctic Falls AB
www.arcticfalls.se
Arjeplog Test Center
www.arjeplogtestcenter.com
ATP Papenburg
www.atp-papenburg.com
Australian Automotive
Research Centre
www.aarconline.com
Bosch
www.bosch.us
CERAM
www.ceram-mortefontaine.fr
Cooper Tire and Vehicle
Test Center
www.tvtc.us
Dayton T. Brown
www.daytontbrown.com
Deance Testing
and Engineering
www.deancetest.com
IDIADA
www.idiada.com
Gerotek Test
Facilities
www.gerotek.co.za
Keweenaw Research Center
www.mtukrc.org/school.htm
Magna Steyr
www.magnasteyr.com
MIRA
www.mira.co.uk
MGA Research
www.mgaresearch.com
Michigan Proving Ground
www.testprofessionals.com
Millbrook
www.millbrook.co.uk
Nevada Automotive
Test Center
www.natc-ht.com
PMG Technologies
www.pmgtest.com
Prodrive
www.prodrive.com
Prototipo
www.prototipo.org
Smithers Winter
Test Center
www.wintertesting.com
Southwest Research
www.swri.org
Southern Hemisphere
Proving Ground
www.shpg.co.nz
TNO Automotive
www.automotive.tno.nl
Transportation Research
www.trcpg.com
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ARIZONA One of the
brightest moments for
GM of late was the opening
of its new test facility on the
US Armys Yuma Proving
Ground. Negotiations for the
move started more than two
years ago. With the closure
and sale of the long-established
GM Mesa PG (whose value as
development land was greater
than that of a PG), the hook-up
with Yuma was essential.
The new US$100 million
facility will meet GMs needs
for years to come, said Ken
Morris, executive director
of vehicle integration, proving
grounds and performance.
It meets several of our
important product development
needs.
Some 75 engineers,
technicians, and support staff
have 40 miles of roads and test
tracks available on the Yuma
site, where much of the work
involves hot weather testing,
powertrain, ride and handling,
and vehicle development.
Yuma, with a longer hot
weather season than Mesa,
is fairly isolated and secure
from spy photographers.
Proving ground directory
FURTHER GROUNDS ARE LISTED AT
WWW.AUTOMOTIVETESTINGTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL.COM
If you would like your facility to be included in the Automotive Testing Technology
International proving grounds directory, please contact Jason Sullivan on: +44
1306 743744, or email: [email protected]
CZECH REPUBLIC Military
authorities are disposing of
major facilities that are no longer
required, including a vehicle
proving ground and testing range
once used by the Czech Army.
This is a result of a great
reduction in the number of army
personnel (less than half its former
165,000 complement), which has
led to a number of surplus
facilities being put up for sale.
Looking for a facility in central Europe?
PUNE Long-time home to Indias
ARAI proving ground and
laboratories, Pune now has a major
engine and vehicle test and
development facility following the
opening of FEVs new ve-acre
technical center its fth worldwide.
FEV is already planning phase two
of the development, which will see
more jobs added to the 70 that will be in place by the end of the year
for phase one of the project.
Professor Stefan Pischinger, chairman and CEO of FEV Group, said,
Indias importance to the world economy and the automotive sector is
growing rapidly. We want to express our dedication to the Indian market
with this investment.
More than 300 industry guests and governmental ofcials watched
Prof. Franz Pischinger, founder of FEV, cut a ceremonial ribbon.
FEV makes further investments in India
TRW opens 12th test facility
HEIHE TRW Automotive Holdings
Corp has opened a 350-acre track
in China, bringing its number of test
facilities worldwide to 12. The track
is designed to meet the needs of
Chinese manufacturers as well as
those from other countries, and is the
companys sixth winter test center.
Nancy Gougarty, vice president of
Asia-Pacic operations, said, Heihe
offers world-class testing conditions
and boasts one of the broadest
ranges of testing surfaces in the
Asia-Pacic region. We are proud
to be able to support our domestic
and international customers by
meeting their product development
requirements. Having a test track
here in China means that we can
greatly reduce the time and costs
of our winter testing.
The facility comprises 320
acres of lake tracks and 30 acres
of land tracks. The location includes
a dynamic area, a handling track,
ice testing circles of 200m and 500m
diameter, packed ice, polished ice,
and split- surfaces.
October 27, 28 and 29, 2009
If you are involved in the
automotive testing industry,
these are the most
important dates for your
diary in 2009
October 27, 28 and 29, 2009
October 27, 28 and 29, 2009
THE ROCK FINANCIAL SHOWPLACE IN NOVI, DETROIT, MI, USA
www.testing-expousa.com
The only dedicated automotive testing expo in North America for car, truck
and vehicle component manufacturers
Building on the success of last years partnership, the organizers of
Automotive Testing Expo North America will join forces with ASAM
(Association for Standardisation of Automation and Measuring Systems) to put
together a three-day Technology Forum with presentations from leading OEMs
and Tier 1 and 2 suppliers. The Technology Forum is free of charge to attend,
and will take place in the purpose-built studio within the exhibition hall.
ASAM WILL JOINTLY HOST THE OPEN TECHNOLOGY FORUM
AT AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO NORTH AMERICA 2009
PLEASE NOTE NEW DAYS FOR 2009 TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY
PLUS EXTENDED HOURS
North Americas ONLY automotive test, evaluation and quality engineering trade show
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October 27 09.00hrs 18.00hrs October 28 11.00hrs 20.00hrs October 29 09.00hrs 15.00hrs
Acoustical evaluation
Alternatives to physical testing
Durability testing
Dynamometers
Electric and hybrid vehicle testing
EMC testing
Emissions measurement
Environmental equipment
Materials
NVH
Occupant protection
Onboard diagnostics
Quality assurance
Quality management
Sensors and transducers
Simulation software
Standards, certification
and legislation
Stress analysis
Subassembly testing
Suspension kinematics and
compliance
Track simulation and laboratory
testing
Vehicle aerodynamics
Wind tunnel technology
Over 200 of the worlds leading automotive test equipment manufacturers and
test service providers will display the very latest technologies aimed at the North
American automotive industry.
Product categories include:
October 27, 28 and 29, 2009
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General Motors, now majority owned by the US
and Canadian governments, has pared itself down
from eight divisions to four. Saab will be sold to
Swedish sports car maker Koenigsegg. Hummer will be sold
to a Chinese manufacturing consortium. Saturn will be sold
to American racing and automotive entrepreneur Roger
Penske. Pontiac division will cease to exist after 2010, and
one or two of its models will be rebadged as Chevrolets.
Chevrolet and Chevrolet trucks will be the volume leaders,
along with GMC trucks, Buicks upmarket products, and
Cadillacs pared-down luxury line-up.
Ken Morris, GMs chief engineer for vehicle integration,
testing, and performance, says that all the details are yet to
be worked out in terms of working relationships with the
new owners of the Saab, Hummer and Saturn brands. Some
of the programs are already in the pipeline, and I think well
complete those as we make agreements with companies. It
all depends on the desires of the buyer, and what we can do
on the inside.
Morris says that much of the integration, NVH, ride and
handling, and other testing and development of imminent
vehicles such as the Saab 9-4X, 9-5 and 9-3X, Hummer, and
Saturn variants has already been completed, and further
development will have to wait until agreements are nalized
on a case-by-case basis.
On the domestic front, for the remaining divisions of the
new GM, there will be the challenges of meeting new federal
regulations for corporate average fuel economy of 35mpg, a
new roof structure rollover standard of 3.5-times the weight
of the vehicle rather than the current 1.5-times the weight,
and pedestrian protection standards.
Morris says that, in terms of time, people, facilities, and
funding to get these jobs done, We will absolutely get the
jobs done, theres no question about that. But we are trying
ABOVE: Koenigsegg
will benet from
Saabs extensive
development work on
the forthcoming 9-3X
to get smarter, more efcient in the way that we are executing
the vehicles, and that includes how much time we spend on
different iterations of the vehicle and the kind of people we
have working on it. We are down to a core group of people
who are experts in what they are working on, and we have
a clear denition of what we have to do for each one of these
programs. I think thats working in the integration area and
helps get the workforce dialed in very quickly on what the
task has to be. He said that the accuracy, correlation, and
repeatability of GMs road-to-lab-to-math testing simulations
has become so good that a great deal of time and money can
be saved by not building prototypes and taking road trips.
Im condent were going to have the resources we need to
get the job done, asserts Morris.
He pointed out that GM recently sold its desert proving
ground in Mesa, Arizona, as real estate (making a prot),
and moved its desert testing operations to a facility in Yuma,
Arizona, leased from the US military, which uses the land
for missile testing.
Chrysler Groups scenario is as different from GMs and
Fords as chalk is from cheese, having been run into the
We are down to a core group of
people who are experts in what they
are working on, and we have a clear
denition of what we have to do for
each one of these programs
BIG THREE
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FATIGUE MONITOR
ground by a combination of Daimler mistakes, Cerberus
LLC arrogance, and a faltering economy. Now controlled by
Fiat Group, with its Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lancia, and
Maserati brands, Chrysler has already had a very wide and
deep management reorganization, and is headed by Fiat
Groups Sergio Marchionne, a lawyer by trade and an
automotive turnaround specialist by experience.
Unofcially, Chrysler says that, as was the case when it
was acquired by DaimlerBenz, it will have to learn yet
another new way of doing business, this time with an Italian
accent and with exchange visits to Turin instead of Stuttgart.
Although Chrysler Group does well with its larger Dodge,
Jeep, and Chrysler brand products, it is notoriously weak in
small cars, and offers not one hybrid product for sale to the
US buying public, nor an electric car, nor a diesel.
On the other hand, none of the current Fiat, Alfa Romeo,
or Lancia products that might eventually be sold in US
Chrysler-Jeep and Dodge dealerships has been federalized
in terms of safety or emissions equipment, nor tted with
US-style infotainment gear such as navigation and satellite
radio. Chrysler is clearly the weakest of the three in terms of
product and market share. Its engineering and technology
spokesman Nick Cappa told us that, with fewer resources
(money and engineers), testing future products will have to
change. He says the engineers at Chrysler Group will
increase their use of advanced virtual engineering tools.
With immediate effect, there will be combined engineering
forces with Fiat Group, and Chrysler can work with proven
Fiat platforms that will save money, time and manpower.
Cappa says that at the moment Chrysler does not use the
same computer-based engineering tools as Fiat. There are
a few hurdles with engineering tools but were nding ways
BIG THREE
to adapt to different computer-aided engineering systems.
He adds, The communication with Fiat is exceptional. We
all share common goals, which enables a smooth operation.
Engineers all speak the same language.
Chrysler has stated that it will get away from copycat
platforms for its Chrysler and Dodge products, and recently
it came to light that its slow-selling Dodge Avenger front-
drive car may be replaced with a new rear-drive version
based on the LX platform under the Chrysler 300, Dodge
Charger, and Dodge Challenger. The Chrysler Sebring sister
car will remain front-drive, using the Fiat D-Evo platform.
Chrysler co-chairman Jim Press has said the intent is to go
from 27 nameplates in 13 market segments to 20 nameplates
in 17 segments by 2013.
Ford Motor Company has its own priorities in its testing
and development programs. Having taken not a single
penny of federal government money, Ford is nevertheless in
hock up to its corporate eyebrows, having borrowed almost
US$26 billion from Wall Street, but it is in markedly better
035
BELOW: The Ford
Transit Connect BEV,
Fords rst electric
vehicle built in
collaboration with
Smith Electric
Vehicles US, will
debut in 2010
The communication with Fiat is
exceptional. We all share common
goals, which enables a smooth
operation. Engineers all speak
the same language
Moving forward
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shape than the other two companies. It has a strong product
line for 2010-2011, and its market share keeps rising month
after month as the other two Detroit companies shut plants,
lay off workers and staff, and continue to reorganize around
their respective new owners and ofcers.
In an interview, Fords group vice president for global
product development, Derrick Kuzak, said that despite
a struggling economy, the company is pretty much on time
and on target with its testing and development programs.
Investments we made in our global product development
system and in our plants enabled us to not only maintain
but improve our product development process. With our
EcoBoost powertrains, we are looking at an improvement in
fuel economy of 10-20% compared to vehicles of similar
size and weight with larger gasoline engines.
Kuzak says that with the introduction of a new 2-liter
EcoBoost four-cylinder turbocharged engine for worldwide
application, fuel economy gains could rise to 35% by 2015.
He says that over the next few years there will be a 40%
reduction in the numbers of vehicle platforms around the
world, with 80% of global sales volume resting on only eight
platforms. He said there would be a notable rationalization
of powertrains, along with the introduction of new
powertrains including the 3.5-liter GTDI V6 for 2010, the
2-liter GTDI four-cylinder, another, smaller-displacement
four-cylinder GTDI engine, and two new V8 engines for
North America, including a new 6.2-liter gasoline V8 and
a diesel V8.
Further ahead, he says, Ford, other companies, and
many governments are looking to a future in which
transportation will dominate. Ford is already committed to
the introduction of a pair of pure-electric vehicles, a Transit
Connect for 2010, and a Ford Focus electric in 2011. The
company will build more gasoline/electric hybrids than the
four it currently sells in the USA, and a plug-in hybrid.
Were doing this on global vehicles such as the Focus and
Transit Connect to drive volumes up and costs down. We
dont know which of these technologies will prevail, so for
the time being, we are pursuing all three of them. He says
that each new generation of full hybrid is expected to be
about 30% more efcient than the previous generation, with
a target of widespread affordability and value.
BELOW: Fords
Derrick Kuzak, group
vice president for
global product
development,
predicts fewer vehicle
platforms being
developed
ABOVE: Chryslers
Nick Cappa predicts
greater use of virtual
technology under
Fiats control
LEFT: Ken Morris
is seeing big
differences at GM,
with brands changing
hands, and legislation
looming
BIG THREE
The new KiBox
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in the vehicle. Use of the vehicle's crank angle
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displayed synchronously with the ECU status
data. Just "Indicating Power to Go"!
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Tel. +41 52 224 11 11, Fax +41 52 224 14 14, [email protected]
Indicating Power To Go!
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GIUGIARO
ITALDESIGNS FABRIZIO GIUGIARO AND FATHER GIORGETTO OCCUPY
A SPECIAL PLACE IN THE ANNALS OF AUTO-DESIGN, BUT SON AND
FATHER SEE THEIR DESIGN GENIUS AS BEING BUILT ON GIFTED
ENGINEERING RATHER THAN ART AND PURE ITALIAN INSPIRATION
WORDS BY NICK KURCZEWSKI
038
Giugiaro g
GIUGIARO
039
Fabrizio Giugiaro pictured
with his latest masterpiece,
the Frazer-Nash Namir
GIUGIARO
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Even after more than a half
century as a car designer,
Giorgetto Giugiaro, Fabrizios
legendary father, can think of
nothing he would rather do. His
dedication to his craft has led to
some impressive achievements.
Giorgetto, who turned 70 on August
7, 2009, has designed more than 200
cars during his 53-year career.
When combined, the total number
of Giugiaro-designed vehicles
produced is around 60 million.
It is easy to understand why
Giugiaro has been so prolic. During
the week he gets to the ofce every
morning by 09:00 and works until
about 19:30. To save time and keep
t, he uses his bicycle to get around
the campus of Italdesign. He is also
at the ofce every other Saturday
and, when necessary to nish
a project, he works on Sundays.
My normal business day includes
a couple of hours at the drawing
board, one hour of meetings with
clients to discuss projects, and the
remaining time closely watching the
construction of styling models and
prototypes, Giugiaro says.
Giorgetto would love it if lawmak-
ers would impose a maximum size
for automobiles. He believes that
cars with those proportions would
be lighter than many cars on the
road today, meaning less CO
2
.
The 4,500mm-long car would be a
premium vehicle, while a 3,500mm-
long car that could accommodate up
to ve passengers and their luggage
would be for the mass market. In his
view, shape matters more than size.
I think limiting the overall length
by law to 4.5m and the height to
1.7m would allow us to make a car
that ts any buyers needs, he says.
Like father, like son
The Giugiaro name, associated with some of the most dramatic and
iconic vehicle styling over recent decades, was started by Giorgetto
Giugiaro, who puts his success down to inspiration and hard work
Despite representing the second generation of
what is possibly Italys most prestigious automotive
design and engineering company, Fabrizio Giugiaro
is not a believer in the magic of Italian style.
In our opinion, its not a question of Italian design, says
Giugiaro, 44, looking relaxed in jeans and a button-down
shirt at Italdesigns headquarters on the outskirts of Turin.
A customer comes here and we must provide the best
service we can. Good taste is simply good taste.
He concedes that Italian design can draw upon a rich
history.
This Italian way has always been very successful,
especially with things that are simple, such as the Fiat
Cinquecento. So yes, we are Italian, but were many things
because were working with people all over the world. He
makes specic mention of Ferrari and the rival design house
of Pininfarina when mentioning the power and allure of
Italian style.
Yet, Giugiaro acknowledges the automotive world has
changed due to globalization and, more recently, economic
pressures.
When we do something like the new Fiat Grande Punto,
its a car that must be nice and understood by the public, he
explains. Okay, if Im doing an Aston Martin or a Maserati,
maybe it can be something very sophisticated and, yes, can
be shaped for only very few people.
Rather than relishing a clean sheet of paper, Giugiaro
says each project requires some rm starting point.
Im not doing sketches in the air, he says, laughing.
FAR LEFT: The 1971
Maserati Boomerang
inspired many future
Giugiaro designs
ABOVE LEFT: The
1971 Maserati Bora
ABOVE: Father and
son agree that the
DS is a masterpiece
In terms of car business today, its crazy, says Giugiaro,
shaking his head. Our answer is always to give the best as
a service company. This is to give a style that is a success
with the public and to remain popular for as long as possible.
We are not doing things for the museum.
Giugiaro believes its vital that each culture and each
vehicles specic role in it (be it economy, luxury, or sport)
must be carefully studied and understood.
GIUGIARO
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I just designed a car of this size
and it offers plenty of space.
I feel it is stupid to measure a cars
value and status based on its size.
What really matters, what makes
you different is the shape of the car
its design.
Giorgetto thinks that mandatory
limits on a vehicles size would not
affect design creativity. He is
convinced that total freedom the
mythical blank sheet that many
designers would love to have from
clients is of no help.
I have faced hundreds of new
rules and I have welcomed all of
them because boundaries stimulate
creativity, he says. I have never
sketched on a clean sheet of paper
because that is art, not design.
I have always worked on the
technical layout, which includes the
platform and the powertrain layout,
to be sure everything I was designing
was technically feasible.
Although he was named designer
of the 20
th
century in 1999, Giugiaro
says that very few of his original
design proposals went into
production without any signicant
modications. In many other cases,
the customer asked for modications
that he feels progressively altered
the spirit of the original design.
Every auto executive is convinced
he understands design and wants
to have a word or even too many
words on it, he remarks. I would
say the rst VW Golf and Scirocco,
as well the Audi 80, the Fiat Panda,
Uno, Punto and Grande Punto, the
Lancia Delta, the Alfa Romeo Brera
and 159, and the Lexus GS300 went
into production as I proposed them.
Giugiaro says that sometimes
designers are treated like surgeons
who are trusted fully with the style of
a new model. But sometimes they are
treated like a grocery clerk, who gets
no feedback at all on the quality of
the product. Despite the sometimes-
disrespectful treatment of his work,
Giugiaro plans to continue expanding
his legacy by trying something he
has never done: work as a design
consultant for an auto maker.
I have always been asked to offer
my own proposal, but never to be a
pure consultant, he said. This could
be a really nice opportunity for a
future development of my career.
On a curious note, the name
Giorgetto, often thought to be Giorgio
with a diminutive sufx, turns out
to be his actual Christian name.
Often in small country towns like
Garessio, where I was born, recalls
Giugiaro, it was common to modify
the Christian name with a diminutive
or endearing form, and therefore
a Giorgio would inevitably become
Giorgino or Giorgetto. By calling
me Giorgetto from the start, my
parents avoided this complication. So
Giorgetto is a childs name that I have
kept all my life. It keeps me young!
To hear more from Giorgetto, visit
ABOVE: Giorgetto
at work at the desk
that has spawned
60 million beautiful
vehicles
Having hard points to work around be it a chassis or new
safety regulations is integral to blending good design with
solid engineering, according to Giugiaro. Integration is
key. Not style for styles sake.
With a customer, possibly an OEM, sometimes well say
okay look, if you can make the front structure shorter or
if you are not able to do it I will tell you how to do it. It is
always a big exchange with the customer and engineering.
There is always a lot of exchange between the styling and
engineering departments because changing one thing
means moving and changing many others.
Having penned wild concept cars like the Aston Martin
Twenty Twenty, the Chevrolet Corvette Moray and the Ford
Mustang Giugiaro Concept, Fabrizio Giugiaro says even
these one-off creations require paying attention to every
single detail.
ABOVE: The 2003
Moray concept was
the Giugiaros tribute
to 50 years of the
Chevrolet Corvette,
which they saw as the
ultimate American
sports car
LEFT: The design for
the Fiat Grande Punto
was intended for a
much wider appeal
than with more
specialist models
RIGHT: Specialist
models included
the Twenty Twenty,
Giugiaros vision for
Aston Martin in 2020
GIUGIARO
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South Haven, Michigan 49090
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For us a concept car is a real concept, he says. Some
practicality can be sacriced, but not if it is to the detriment
of rushed engineering.
Such was the case with the companys latest concept, the
waist-high hybrid-powered Frazer-Nash Namir supercar.
The Namir is one of the most complicated cars weve
ever done, says a proud Giugiaro. We always endeavor to
nd the best technology we can, sometimes with an OEM.
Luckily Frazer-Nash had this wonderful hybrid system.
Underneath the dramatic lines of the Namir is an 814cc
endothermic rotary engine and four electric motors.
Who knows, maybe the next [concept] will be nuclear-
powered, says Giugiaro, jokingly. With the Namir concept,
the styling must reect something unique and particular
because the technology is new. But at the same time, as my
father says, if we really make a revolution with the engine,
then people want the same idea of an exotic car.
This, according to Giugiaro, is why the amboyant Namir
has a slightly retro-supercar feel.
The shape the general silhouette is very classic, he says.
If you go in this eld, even with the very best of technology,
people want to feel and see the same type of exotic car.
Starting with the chassis, ancillaries were eliminated
from the front to get the wedge prole, and suspension
changes were needed when larger tires were tted.
[With the Namir] I was completely free to do what I
wanted, says Giugiaro. Yet, he admits having the chance to
recreate a 21
st
century version of the famous Citron DS
would be his ultimate challenge.
This is a very easy answer for me, and another point
where my father and I are of completely the same opinion.
The Citron DS, I think, is a masterpiece. In terms of styling
it is still an incredible object, and it is true that this styling
goes in parallel with incredible innovation, he says.
Asked why he didnt choose an Italian automotive icon,
Giugiaros smile gets even wider.
Ah, but remember, he says, leaning forward, the
Citron DS was designed by Flaminio Bertoni, an Italian!
The Namir is
one of the most
complicated cars
weve ever done
ABOVE: Sporting a
classic wedge shape,
the Frazer-Nash
Namir shows that
hybrid technology
can be made exciting
Testing Expo North America 2009 - Booth number 14034
GIUGIARO TOUR
Its the design agency behind the fastest hybrid in the world
and numerous other groundbreaking cars. The man in charge
at Italdesign-Giugiaro Spa, Fabrizio Giugiaro, takes Automotive
Testing on a tour of his company HQ
WORDS BY NICK KURCZEWSKI
044
GIUGIARO TOUR
045
I was trained to see cars that others didnt know,
explains Fabrizio Giugiaro, director of Italdesign-
Giugiaro Spa, while chatting in an ofce of the
companys headquarters in Moncalieri, Italy. A smile spreads
across his face at the memory. My father came home nearly
every day with a different car, he says, leaning over the
glass conference table, ready to burst with enthusiasm.
There is never a chance of receiving a curt, one-word
answer from Fabrizio. Every question leads to a long and
colorful story, highlighted with Italian humor and hand
gestures. There is also no doubting that, after more than
four decades in business, Italdesign-Giugiaro remains a
design and engineering rm that is lled with passion and
creativity.
As a kid I started to see and check what was in the
companys garage, reveals Fabrizio. Well, all boys like cars
at 12 or 13 years old! I saw cars like Maseratis, but also
Japanese cars which, you know, were not so normal to see
[in Italy at that time]. His appreciation for a wide variety of
vehicles (and the design, engineering, and cultural
challenges posed by each one) springs from his father,
Giorgetto Giugiaro.
ABOVE: One of the
many design ofces
in the headquarters.
In total there are
more than 450
CAD, CAE and CAM
workstations in use
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Voted Car Designer of the Century by an international
panel of automotive journalists in 1999, Giorgetto has
penned some of the worlds most beautiful and inuential
vehicles. The timeless lines of sports cars such as the 1972
Lotus Esprit and 1995 Lamborghini Cala concept car are
examples of his handiwork. Yet small economy cars have
played an equally important role in his success.
The original Volkswagen Golf and Fiat Panda the latter,
a car that Giorgetto himself considers one of his greatest
works might be anything but sporty, but their functional
lines inspired the auto industry for decades.
Having started his career with Fiat, Giorgetto spent
valuable time learning his craft at design houses such as
Bertone and Ghia, before founding his own company in
1968. Since then, Italdesign-Giugiaro has grown to include
more than 1,000 employees around the world, working in
its various ofces in Italy, Germany, China, and Spain.
A division of the company that is dedicated to architectural
design even penned the sparsely elegant headquarters in
Moncalieri.
Styling is less than 20% of the business, says Fabrizio.
The companys design process is grouped into four main
areas, namely styling, engineering, prototyping, and testing.
Fabrizio explains that in 2008 there were approximately 40
different styling projects, and 2009 should be the same.
Fabrizio credits the companys resilience to the variety of its
offerings, ranging from automotive and architectural design
to chassis engineering and crash testing, and even to the
design of cameras and a range of pasta!
Walking down the stark white staircase of the main
lobby, we enter a bewildering array of ofces and hallways.
Fabrizio jokes that it took him years to learn the layout of
the different departments. While passing a life-size sketch
of a Fiat Panda, one cant help but wonder why this boxy
hatchback holds a special place in his fathers heart.
To do a supercar is easy, says Fabrizio, adding that an
exotic car sacrices practicality and function for looks and
BELOW: The
6.2m x 2.6m CAD
wall reduces the
need for expensive
scale models
LEFT: Over 850
people work at
the 453,000 sq ft
HQ, using 450
workstations, 16 NC
milling machines,
six laser robots and
15 digitizers to build
150 prototypes a year
GIUGIARO TOUR
047
performance. But to do a car like this, he says, pointing to
the sketch of the Panda, with Fiat telling my father the car
had to have at glass to keep costs down, now that is a real
challenge! Due to the highly secretive nature of Italdesigns
work, much of the facility devoted to milling, engineering,
and design remains off limits and behind closed doors. But
a stop in the Virtual Reality Center shows how important
technology is to the companys work.
A rear-screen projection room with a 6.2m-long and
2.6m-wide CAD wall comes to life as Fabrizio explains the
transference of sketches to 3D models. The image of an Alfa
Romeo Brera coupe (another Giugiaro-inuenced design)
ashes up. With the click of a mouse, the image is enlarged,
reduced and rotated. Colors, surfaces, and nish details can
be altered in seconds.
Using special polarized eyewear, the car can also be
viewed in 3D giving a team of designers (or perhaps
visiting executives) the chance to critique a vehicle before
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Oct. 27-29, 2009
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GIUGIARO TOUR
LEFT: Even
the companys
headquarters are
in-house designed
LEFT: An Alfa Romeo
Brera comes to life
on the 3D CAD wall
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committing the time and expense to scale models. While
the Brera dances across the screen, Fabrizio discusses the
companys latest creation, which, incidentally, is sitting just
meters away.
Having already pushed into emerging markets such as
China, Italdesign-Giugiaro entered the green car world
earlier this year with the introduction of the wedge-shaped
Namir concept car at the Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed the
worlds fastest hybrid, the Namir combines exotic Italian
sports car looks with ecologically minded underpinnings
that bet a 21
st
-century supercar.
Although it is only a concept, the Namir is said to be
capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds while
averaging 90mpg. The top speed is estimated at 187mph.
This is about the speed Fabrizio Giugiaro operates, and his
company isnt far behind the man in charge hints at an
even more exciting second-generation of industry-dening
creations to come from Italdesign.
BELOW: The stark
white staircase
of the main lobby
BELOW: Molds
can be specied to
handle very small or
large units of vehicles
GIUGIARO TOUR
CAMOUFLAGE
Many manufacturers developing a prototype will
stop at nothing to protect their ideas. Indeed,
car camouage is becoming quite an art form
WORDS BY KEITH READ
050
CAMOUFLAGE
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CAMOUFLAGE
There comes a moment within every new car
development program when the security of closed
test facilities and well-screened proving grounds
has to be abandoned and prototypes are taken on to public
roads or unscreened facilities such as deserts or frozen
lakes. Time to call upon the camouage guys, the masters of
disguise!
But far from the rapidly lashed together and bulky
disguises of yesteryear, todays camo experts have to meet
the needs of increased cooling for under-hood components
and critical aerodynamics/NVH, as well as high performance
all without adding any unnecessary weight. They have
made a contemporary science out of the former black art of
camouaging. Indeed, the architect of BMWs innovative
self-adhesive foil skin was a university engineering student
who wrote the thesis for her degree on the method of
disguising prototypes that she designed.
Manfred Habel, one of BMWs company security staff
who specializes in camouaging prototypes, said the foil
disguise was the result of a company-wide drive to save
money, including on camouaging. When we camouaged
the prototype X6 eet with a sort of rucksack to disguise its
distinctive shape, it cost us more than US$700,000, he
reveals.
The new plastic foil system not only saves money, he
says, but also saves weight and can be used throughout the
entire development program with more, or less, foil applied
to suit the circumstances of the testing. Foil does not affect
vehicle handling or aerodynamics as much as other
camouage. Whats more, it works. We tested it by covering
one of our old 7 Series cars and putting it on a proving
ground. Everyone thought it was the new car and described
all the new features they could see under the camouage!
We knew then that it was going to work well.
PREVIOUS PAGE
AND ABOVE:
A BMW X1 sporting
a self-adhesive
foil skin
Nothing to see here
A different approach to secrecy
has been adopted by Audi,
according to Werner Zimmermann,
head of quality assurance.
We do not want to disclose the
nal shape too early, so we keep it
disguised so people will be excited
to see what it will look like. We
dont have different levels of
disguise; we have just one for
the nal road tests.
There are different philosophies
on secrecy, he continues. Some
dont disguise their cars at all,
and others use panels and
superstructures but then you
cant really test the car properly.
For example, you cant really test
wind noise with superstructures.
Superstructures are too
dangerous to use when driving.
We use them only when
transporting a car from one
place to another, such as when
were visiting external suppliers.
We also use covers when we
transport prototypes by air.
But for new components, we
just use inconspicuous cars
maybe old models with totally new
technology underneath. It is not a
disguise as such, but the technical
components are not visible.
So how does Audi keep the spy
photographers at bay? We go to
remote parts of the world where
the cars will not be recognized
by the public.
053
The fact that rival manufacturers are copying the foil
camouage was actually helpful to BMW, states Habel.
When we were the only manufacturers using the foil,
people knew whose car it was. Now others are using the foil,
it confuses people.
Jaguar employs a similar technique but only in the
nal stages of prototype development. Rod Atkin, vehicle
engineering manager for the new XJ program, says that new,
vacuum-formed, bolt-on, polypropylene panels were used
for the main camouage package. We knew the car was
very striking and we had to keep it well protected during its
early development so that none of the [launch] surprise was
diluted.
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Although the robust plastic panels enabled testing at up
to 140mph in 77F (25C) ambient temperatures for
sustained periods, Atkin knew they had limitations in terms
of the ultimate sign-off. Wed have to have a stage two,
which would either be no camouage at all, or something to
enable the reveal date to be as close to the day-one job date
as possible. So we added the secondary strategy of vinyl
wrapping.
For the stage two package, Jaguar interior designer Adam
Hatton came up with a design to confuse digital cameras.
When we applied it to the car it seemed to be successful,
says Atkin.
Looking at the two camouage packages for the XJ sedan,
Atkin gives the stage one polyprop panels 8 marks out of 10.
It gets you to about 80% of what you want to do. Even with
things like its effect on road noise, NVH, and powertrain
NVH where you might think bolted-on panels would
generate or insulate noise we found it didnt affect things
too much. However, we couldnt complete the last 20% of
our development with the stage one package. So for that, the
vinyl camouage gets 10 marks out of 10 because it gives us
everything. Theres no distortion of the lighting functions
and wind noise isnt an issue.
If I rated the packages for security, its probably the
other way around. Stage one probably gives us 10 out of 10
and stage two is probably only 5 out of 10.
CAMOUFLAGE
055
We knew the car was very
striking and we had to keep
it well protected during its
early development
Rod Atkin, vehicle engineering manager, Jaguar XJ Program
LEFT AND BOTTOM: A
Jaguar XJ in stage one
guise, featuring bolt-on
polypropylene panels
BELOW: It looks like
a 7 Series; it is actually
the Jaguar XJ again,
this time in stage two
vinyl wrapping
In North America, one of the best-known names in
camouaging is Dan Hossack, whose Autocanvas company
is based in Clinton Township, Michigan, a mere 10 miles
from Detroit. Hossack was just 18 when he rst got into the
automotive business through helping one of the major
domestic manufacturers solve a problem.
It took quite a while to get a name for myself in the
industry, he says. But today, Autocanvas works for all the
major US auto makers, as well as several from outside of the
USA.
In general, Hossack uses a specially made woven fabric
material. Manufacturers have been using vinyl for eons,
he explains. When I got involved and saw what they were
LEFT: GM Europe
engineers afxing
immies to confuse
the lenses of any
prying photographers
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using, I had a special material made that is specic to who I
am and what I do. Its a fabric that works innitely better
than vinyl.
In cold weather, vinyls can crack. They get rigid and
condense in nature and t. In warm weather, vinyls will
elasticize and become very loose on the vehicle. But my
material is very stable. It has a polyurethane backing so that
it will not mark any of the prototypes nished surfaces.
The material is shaped by a computerized Gerber fabric-
cutting machine and sewn together.
Engineers dont like camouage, says Hossack. Theyd
rather test vehicles with nothing added on. Wind noise
from the camouage is always going to inhibit some of their
tests, but my material minimizes this noise because of the
way it ts the vehicle and because of the techniques I use to
produce the camouage in the most suitable way for the
tests that will be carried out. Often he produces three, four,
or even ve different camouage packages to suit different
requirements.
The reason you see no colors on camouage just black
and white is because the iris on cameras cant pick up on
surfaces underneath black or gray shades, or neutral colors,
he explains.
The most challenging camouage job Autocanvas has
undertaken was turning a prototype two-seater sports car
into what appeared to be a hatchback. I had a welded frame
underneath the camouage, he says. Once you got close
enough, you could tell what it was from the contours. But
from 100-200ft away, you really couldnt tell. It looked just
like a little hatchback or station wagon. It worked great.
057
The enemy
Hans Lehmann
Lehmann, then a 24-year-old news
photographer, was visiting his
parents in Wolfsburg, home of
Volkswagen, back in 1963 when
he spotted a VW prototype and
photographed it. When the photos
were instantly bought by a German
magazine, an idea and a legend
was born. Since spotting that rst
prototype, Lehmann went on to
become the most prolic car spy in
the world, and the inventor of the
genre. He recently retired, but his
name lives on to haunt car makers,
thanks to another legend
Brenda Priddy
Probably the most feared woman
in the automotive industry,
49-year-old Priddy has been
photographing prototypes for
almost 18 years. When she started,
her goal was to take one spy
photo per month, but as her
skills grew, so did her network
of photographers, and she now
averages one spy photo per day.
Arizona-based Priddy now runs
the Lehmann Photo-Syndication
Agency, so the name lives on.
Jim Dunne
Famously Bob Lutzs archenemy,
and the proud owner of property
adjacent to Chryslers Arizona
Proving Ground, this Detroit-based
photographer and journalist is a
true legend. Since his rst spy shot
of a 1965 Chevy Corvair, he has
become possibly the most feared
and revered car spy in the USA
spurred on by his favorite pastime
of Corvette hunting.
CAMOUFLAGE
There are hundreds of photographers lurking
around proving grounds and test facilities the world
over. And with the development of cell phone technology,
many people now carry a camera with them at all times,
giving them the potential to take a snap at will. However,
there are only three true legends in the eld.
BELOW: One of
the most coveted
prototype photos of
late has been of the
Mercedes-Benz SLS
Although camouaging is expensive
and creates some additional problems for
development engineers, rjan Sterner,
program chief designer at Volvo Cars, says
it is a necessity for several reasons. It
enables us to control what is seen, and
when, he says. We can reveal the new
car at the right time. There is also the
commercial element, of course we dont
want our competitors knowing what we
are doing.
The camouage king at Opel/Vauxhall
GMs European division, which is
currently up for sale is so secretive that
his name is never disclosed and his face,
when pictured, is disguised. But he is not
too shy to explain GM Europes reasons
for using camouaging: The automobile
industry lives and breathes new cars, and
this is of great interest to competitors and
the media, the secret engineer explains.
Competitors want to be able to react to
new products as quickly as possible with
their own designs, and for the media,
news of any innovations is a valuable
means of attracting readers or viewers.
Denitely one of the most important
characteristics of a new car is its exterior
design, he continues. It is a customers
rst impression of the car and often lets
judgments be made about what possible
technological innovations are concealed
beneath the car bodywork. That is why
shielding new body styling from prying
eyes has become so important.
The automotive prototype paparazzi
photographers who make a living out of
stalking development vehicles to capture
scoop images through telescopic lenses
are, says Volvos Sterner, the nemesis of
camouage experts.
CAMOUFLAGE
ABOVE: One of Dan
Hossacks creations.
Can you guess what
model is concealed?
RIGHT: GM Europe
was especially coy
when testing its
recent major model,
the Insignia
Event: Automotive Testing North America 2009
Venue: The Rock Financial Showplace, Detroit, MI, USA
Date: October 27-29, 2009
WORDS BY BUNNY RICHARDS
The seventh Automotive Testing Expo
North America 2009 takes place at
The Rock Financial Showplace, Novi,
Michigan, on October 27-29, 2009. Visitors will
be able to see the very latest test technologies
and services that cover the entire automotive
production process. From the initial prototype
analysis through to end-of-line inspection
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Its nally here! Its nally here!
060
061
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A&D Technology supplies
worlds largest battery test lab
Visit A&D Technologys
stand to discuss the
companys latest big
project: supplying 64
data acquisition and
control systems for
GMs battery test lab.
The 33,000ft
2
Global
Battery Systems Lab will
be used to develop and
test Ni-MH and lithium-
ion technologies. The
A&D test automation
system coordinates
thermal chambers, power
process systems and
conditioning units, and
interfaces with battery
control modules and
lab safety systems.
The systems supplied
by A&D are based on
iTest, its most advanced
control software. The
solution also includes
A&Ds iCentral, which
facilitates the overall lab
management function.
A&D Technology
is proud to be a part of
this project, says Kevin
Kemp, director of sales
and marketing. Not only
is it an opportunity to
play an important role in
an emerging technology,
but our success at
GM will enable us to
provide battery and
EV development tools
to other locations
around the globe.
ABD reaches SPMM milestone
Exhibitor Anthony Best
Dynamics (ABD) is
celebrating a decade of
Suspension Parameter
Measurement Machine
(SPMM) technology.
The reliable and robust
design of the system has
been proved by users
such as Mark Gijbels
of Ford of Europe, who
says, Our ABD SPMM at
Lommel Proving Ground
has just tested its 2,000
th

vehicle. For 10 years,
the rig has been used
to check the build quality
of prototypes, to validate
our CAE models, and to
characterize suspensions
of competitor vehicles.
Even external companies
regularly request
measurements
on this K&C rig.
Although a lot of the
K&C development has
shifted from test lab to
simulation, the SPMM
remains important to us.
This is emphasized by
the number of vehicles
tested, and also by the
investment weve recently
done to bring the rig back
up to current industry
standards, given the
borders set by the
available hardware.
and quality assurance, and every procedure
in between, more than 200 exhibitors will
convene under one roof to display the very
latest products designed to improve vehicle
reliability, durability, safety, and quality.
These are just a few of the technologies
and announcements that exhibitors will
be talking about
Its nally here! Its nally here!
A popular port of call for Expo
visitors will be the American
Association for Laboratory
Accreditation (A2LA), the largest
multidiscipline accreditation
body in the USA, and the second-
largest in the world.
A2LA has recently expanded
its lab accreditation requirements
to encompass the United States
Department of Defense (DoD)
Environmental Laboratory
Accreditation Program (ELAP).
The DoD ELAP is relying on
the International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
to implement the DoD ELAP lab
accreditations. US-based ILAC-
recognized accreditation bodies
were invited to apply for this
special recognition. A2LA has
been recognized by the DoD
ELAP, to provide accreditation
for environmental testing labs that
perform testing in support of the
DoD environmental restoration
(ER) programs at DoD operations,
activities, and installations,
including government-owned,
contractor-operated facilities.
Environmental test lab accreditation
Innovate with
Simulation-Based Design
www.esi-group.com | [email protected]
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Build it Right
Virtual manufacturing from
composites to casting, sheet metal
forming, and welding.
Test it Right
Virtual performance from safety
to impact, crash and passenger comfort.
Deliver it Right
Decision support system to effectively
manage your simulation data and teams
and get your prototype right the rst time.
C
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TV SD Auto CZ s. r. o. Novodvorsk 994, 142 21 Prague 4, Czech Republic Tel: +420 239 046 900 Fax: + 420 239 046 905 e-mail: [email protected]
Vehicle certication and testing
TYPE APPROVALS
International type approvals:
EC Type approval (EU, e8 mark) ECE/UN Type approval (E8 mark)
Testing for foreign states regional/national approvals (USA/FMVSS, Australia/ADR, Russian Federation/GOST, etc.)
Czech national type approval of vehicle and accessories
Distribution of integrated international EC and ECE technical regulation
PASSIVE SAFETY ACTIVE SAFETY NOISE, ELECTRONICS ENGINES
Event: Automotive Testing North America 2009
Venue: The Rock Financial Showplace, Detroit, MI, USA
Date: October 27-29, 2009
WORDS BY BUNNY RICHARDS
The seventh Automotive Testing Expo
North America 2009 takes places at
The Rock Financial Showplace, Novi,
Michigan, on October 27-29, 2009. Visitors will
be able to see the very latest test technologies
and services that cover the entire automotive
production process. From the initial prototype
analysis through to end-of-line inspection
E
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P
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Its nally here! y
060
061
E
X
P
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P
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V
I
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A&D Technology supplies
worlds largest battery test lab
Visit A&D Technologys
stand to discuss the
companys latest big
project: supplying 64
control systems for
GMs battery test lab.
The 33,000ft
2
Global
Battery Systems Lab will
be used to develop and
test Ni-MH and lithium-
ion technologies. The
A&D test automation
system coordinates
thermal chambers, power
process systems and
conditioning units, and
interfaces with battery
control modules and
lab safety systems.
The systems supplied
by A&D are based on
iTest, its most advanced
control software. The
solution also includes
A&Ds iCentral, which
facilitates the overall lab
management function.
A&D Technology
is proud to be a part of
this project, says Kevin
Kemp, director of sales
and marketing. Not only
is it an opportunity to
play an important role in
an emerging technology,
but our success at
GM will enable us to
provide battery and
EV development tools
to other locations
around the globe.
ABD reaches SPMM milestone
Exhibitor Anthony Best
Dynamics (ABD) is
celebrating a decade of
Suspension Parameter
Measurement Machine
(SPMM) technology.
The reliable and robust
design of the system has
been proved by users
such as Mark Gijbels
of Ford of Europe, who
says, Our ABD SPMM at
Lommel Proving Ground
has just tested its 2,000
th
vehicle. For 10 years,
the rig has been used
to check the build quality
of prototypes, to validate
our CAE models, and to
characterize suspensions
of competitor vehicles.
Even external companies
regularly request
measurements
on this K&C rig.
Although a lot of the
K&C development has
shifted from test lab to
simulation, the SPMM
remains important to us.
This is emphasized by
the number of vehicles
tested, and also by the
investment weve recently
done to bring the rig back
up to current industry
standards, given the
borders set by the
available hardware.
and quality assurance, and every procedure
in between, more than 320 exhibitors will
convene under one roof to display the very
latest products designed to improve vehicle
reliability, durability, safety, and quality.
These are just a few of the technologies
and announcements that exhibitors will
be talking about
A popular port of call for Expo
visitors will be the American
Association for Laboratory
Accreditation (A2LA), the largest
multidiscipline accreditation
body in the USA, and the second-
largest in the world.
A2LA has recently expanded
its lab accreditation requirements
to encompass the United States
Department of Defense (DoD)
Environmental Laboratory
Accreditation Program (ELAP).
The DoD ELAP is relying on
the International Laboratory
Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)
to implement the DoD ELAP lab
accreditations. US-based ILAC-
recognized accreditation bodies
were invited to apply for this
special recognition. A2LA has
been recognized by the DoD
ELAP, to provide accreditation
for environmental testing labs that
perform testing in support of the
DoD environmental restoration
(ER) programs at DoD operations,
activities, and installations,
including government-owned,
contractor-operated facilities.
Environmental test lab accreditation
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Campbell Scientic will be presenting the
GPS16X-HVS and GPS16X-HVS-PW GPS
receivers, which are updates to the GPS16-
HVS. They consist of a receiver and an
integrated antenna. This sensor receives
signals from orbiting GPS satellites, then uses
the signals to calculate position and velocity.
The GPS16X-HVS-PW can provide one-pulse-
per-second output for precise timing.
The GPS16X-HVS-PW sensor is made by
Garmin International. Campbell Scientic
congures the sensor and modies its
cable. The modied cable terminates
in a connector compatible with PWENC
pre-wired enclosures, that then attach
directly to the control ports of a CR800,
CR850, CR1000, or CR3000 datalogger.
The unit processes data from up to
12 satellites, supports real-time WAAS
or RTCM corrections for accuracy of 3-5m,
allows the datalogger time to be set to the
GPS time or local time with the accuracy
of the GPS signal, and provides a timing
pulse at one-second intervals.
GPS receivers
Bosch North America on the move
The big news at Boschs
stand is that to enhance
efciencies and
synergies, the company
has relocated its Chassis
Systems Control North
America division from
Farmington Hills to
its technical center
in Plymouth Township,
Michigan. The facility
now centrally houses
sales, quality, and
engineering teams
among four Bosch
Automotive Technology
divisions. The Chassis
Systems division joins
around 320 associates
from automotive
electronics, starter
motors and generators,
and electrical drives
divisions.
The move enables
Bosch to increase use
of the technical center
and decrease leased
space in Farmington Hills
by almost 100,000ft
2
.
The move enables further
collaboration between
co-located divisions,
which is especially
important as vehicle
safety advances
increasingly rely on
advanced electronics.
The divisions physical
proximity and sharing of
the 70,000ft
2
test lab will
help Bosch to optimize
the development of
technologies such as
adaptive cruise control.
Leading companies LDS
and Brel & Kjr have
announced the release
of Version 8 of the
Random Vibration
Control Software for the
LDS Laser USB Vibration
Controller. This new
Kurtosis Parameter
Control option greatly
improves laboratory
simulation of real-life
vibration when testing
components, enabling
manufacturers to reduce
costs and cut test times.
Traditional Gaussian
random test signals do
not accurately represent
the peaked vibration
signals seen in the
in-service use of many
products. For example,
audio components in
an automobile traveling
on a bumpy road will
experience high
acceleration levels more
frequently than would
be simulated in a typical
lab test using Gaussian
random.
The consequence of
not using the right type
of test signal is higher
eld failure rates and
added warranty costs.
The new Kurtosis
Parameter Control
option gives the test
lab the capability to
use a non-Gaussian
signal, with the kurtosis
characteristics set to
match the peakedness
of real-world data,
resulting in better
lab qualication.
Non-Gaussian
excitation is also
important as a means to
accelerate fatigue tests.
Discounted replacement
sensor program
Endevco Corporation
is launching the -R
Replacement Sensors
program, a new global
aftermarket sales
initiative designed to
provide customers with
cost-effective options for
updating or upgrading
their existing test xtures
with Endevco sensors
and instrumentation.
With more than 25
sensor models from
which to choose, the
-R Replacement
Sensors program
enables existing Endevco
customers to order
discounted sensors from
stock, without having
to order additional
cables or accessories.
Included in the
program are all Endevco
models of the piezoelec-
tric (both Isotron/IEPE-
type and charge output),
variable capacitive,
piezoresistive, and
MEMS accelerometers
with detachable cables.
Advanced research technology
for sound and vibration
ArtemiS is a recording,
analysis and playback
software, which was
developed to deal with
tasks in the eld of sound
and vibration quickly and
efciently. Simultaneous
listening, analyzing, and
interactive ltering is of
vital importance when
using ArtemiS, because
only then can sound
problems be detected,
or target sounds dened.
ArtemiS consists of
a basic software and
several optional modules,
enabling individual
ArtemiS systems to
be congured in a
cost-effective manner.
ArtemiSs intuitive
interface enables
a quick test conguration
and analysis. Visit the
Head Acoustics stand
to learn more.
We will be showing a broad range of AVL
powertrain testing products and engineering
services at the Expo. The products will include
those for emissions testing, battery testing,
combustion analysis, and data acquisition and
control. We will be displaying a vehicle fully
equipped with onboard combustion analysis
and emissions testing instrumentation.
The AVL powertrain engineering group
will demonstrate the latest developments in
heavy-duty diesel engine design, range extender
technology for hybrid vehicles, and the latest
in vehicle/powertrain simulation technology.
Automotive Testing Expo is one of the best
venues in North America for AVL to reach the
most diverse group of current and potential
customers for our test and development offerings.
INTERVIEW
Random vibration
control software release
Chris Barecki
AVL North America
063
For more information on Cold Weather Testing in
Fairbanks visit: www.coldweathertest.com
Or contact Fairbanks Economic
Development Corporation directly.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-907-452-2185 or
1-888-476-FEDC
Booth # 14000
Visit us at
Fairbanks, Alaska
Chrissy Fanslau 2009
Yeah.
It's that COLD!
Automotive Load Testing
DC Sources and ISO Compliant Software
Nine source models and DC transient simulation software that test:
1 Starting profle
2 Reset behavior at voltage drop
3 Momentary drop in supply voltage
4 Slow decrease and increase of voltage
Designed for testing automotive load devices
during production, R&D, and quality assurance test stages.
Chromas newest
62000P series DC sources
provide DC transient simulation
software compliant to ISO16750-2
automotive electronic load testing.
wiper motors gps systems electronic ctrl unit Vehicle lighting / led
Nine models up to 5000W/120A /600V.
power windows audio airbag battery power
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Detroit Testing Laboratory
to open Florida testing facility
Leading automotive and
industrial testing and
development lab, Detroit
Testing Laboratory Inc
(DTL), is opening
a new lab in Melbourne,
Florida. The new facility,
named DTL Melbourne,
will begin operations by
the fourth quarter of
2009. DTL Melbourne,
which is a partnership
between DTL and
Rubicom, a division of
Advanced Compliance
Solutions Inc (ACS), will
offer environmental and
vibration/shock testing
in addition to the EMC
testing services offered
by Rubicom.
DTL Melbourne will be
housed within a 12,000ft
2
shared facility with
Rubicom. ACS has been
pursuing the additional
testing capability this
partnership brings for
several years. Our EMC
testing for military and
aerospace customers
goes hand in hand
with environmental and
dynamics testing, and
weve been anxious
to provide a more fully
rounded service under
one roof, says ACS
president Scott Proftt.
It was important to
us and our clients that
our partner in this effort
is of the same caliber of
professionalism, integrity,
and measurement
accuracy as Rubicom.
Weve found that DTL,
which has more than
100 years experience
in testing, exceeds our
expectations and we are
condent the synergies
of this partnership will
be a great benet to
our clients.
DTLs CEO Alfredo
Apolloni adds, This
partnership will enable
DTL to achieve its goal
to expand its market
presence into southern
USA. As a company with
a history of testing for
military and aerospace
in the USA, we felt it
was the right time to
bring our industry-
leading experience and
expertise to this region.
New design for product
safety and quality
certication marks
Intertek is to unveil
a new design for its
family of product safety
and quality certication
marks at the Expo. The
new designs prominently
position Intertek as the
platform underpinning
the worlds most
recognized and widely
used product safety
certication marks.
Manufacturers rely
on Interteks certication
marks and on products
and packaging to
demonstrate third-party
compliance to prescribed
industry standards and
of ongoing follow-up
inspections. Intertek has
more than a century of
product testing expertise
and helps manufacturers
to navigate through
complex regulatory
requirements, making
product certication
faster, simpler, and
more efcient. With each
certication mark now
prominently supported
by the Intertek brand,
clients products will
benet from greater
recognition and market
acceptance in the worlds
most thriving economies.
Gregg Tiemann, chief
executive of Interteks
Commercial and
Electrical division says,
We appreciate the trust
manufacturers, code
ofcials, authorities,
and consumers place in
Intertek, and we want to
ensure our compliance
marks are consistent,
have impact, and are
easily recognizable
around the world.
Horiba is preparing to launch the SZ-100
desktop-size nanoparticle analyzer for
nanomaterial particle size and surface
potential measurement.
The SZ-100 is capable of measuring
low-concentrations of ultrane particles
in the subnano size range that are used
by advanced laboratories. It is a state-
of-the-art analysis tool that enables easy
desktop analysis of nanoparticle behavior,
dispersivity, and dispersion stability.
Featuring an innovative optical system,
the SZ-100 analyzer is claimed to achieve
the industrys best measurement performance
and the widest measurement range (0.3-8m).
This enables the instrument to meet not only
the laboratories needs but also production
facilities quality control needs.
The SZ-100 analyzer uses the principle
of photon correlation spectroscopy. It is
intended for subnanometer measurement
with the same level of performance as
a laboratory analyzer.
It accomplishes this with a desktop size
suitable for use at a production site. Due
to the setup of the algorithm, the analyzer
has the widest measurement range in the
industry. It is 10-times that of the companys
current instrumentation, and 100-times
as sensitive as current technology in the
marketplace.
The instrument is capable of measuring
not only particle size, but also zeta potential.
The latter property indicates particle
dispersivity, cohesion, etc.
Measurement nanoparticle analyzer
FPGA capabilities
for distributed I/O
National Instruments (NI)
is announcing new eld-
programmable gate array
(FPGA) capabilities for
the NI 9144 expansion
chassis. By downloading
the NI-Industrial
Communications for
EtherCAT 1.1 driver,
engineers and scientists
can now run National
Instruments LabVIEW
FPGA code directly
on the NI 9144 chassis
to execute custom
triggering, inline
processing, and control
within an application.
By embedding
hardware-level FPGA
logic directly on
expansion I/O, engineers
and scientists can ofoad
processing power from
the controller and reduce
response time by making
decisions directly at the
node. With these new
capabilities, the NI 9144
chassis is ideal for
providing intelligent,
synchronized extension
I/O to NI CompactRIO, NI
industrial controllers, and
NI PXI real-time systems.
The
National
Instruments
graphical
system design
approach
using FPGA
technology
can far
exceed the
performance
capabilities
of current distributed
machine control and
industrial embedded
systems, says John
Hanks, vice president of
industrial and embedded
product lines at NI. By
leveraging the continuous
advances in commercial
technologies such as
FPGAs, engineers are
building solutions that
only a few years ago
were the domain of
embedded and control
design experts.
The NI 9144 enables
the creation of highly
distributed real-time
systems that need
synchronized control
across many machines,
high-speed waveform
measurements and
processing at the node,
and HIL simulations
and feedback. Each
expansion chassis has
a 2M gate Xilinx Spartan
FPGA that can react
to measurement data,
conduct high-speed
analysis, and pass the
nal results back to
the programmable
automation controller via
EtherCAT, an open real-
time Ethernet protocol.
Additionally, the FPGA
and I/O data can be
synchronized across
multiple distributed
NI 9144 chassis with
less than 100ns of jitter
for highly deterministic
performance in time-
critical tasks.
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D2T has been involved with the
Automotive Testing Expo dating back
to the rst show that was organized
in Europe many years ago. D2T has
remained a strong supporter of this
expo, and has expanded its presence
at the show to include all Automotive
Testing Expos in Europe, North
America and China, says Guilbert.
At this years show, D2T America is
again proud to participate and present
several new products and services
available for powertrain design and
development. We will have no fewer
than three active demonstrations in
our booth.
Firstly, we will be showing visitors
how they are now able to utilize the
advantages of EtherCAT such as short
data update times, low communication
jitter and low hardware costs with the
test automation system, MORPHEE 2,
on a test bed.
Secondly, we will show how
MORPHEE 2 controls the physical
engine on the test bed and runs models
in real time for the components, along
with the simulations which provide the
driving conditions such as the driver
and road.
Thirdly, D2T now offers an ignition
coil emulator, Smart Coil as the next
tool to further improve combustion
results, concludes Guilbert.
Route-based data collector
The latest CoCo-80 hardware
platform being shown by
Crystal Instruments now
supports two different
software working modes:
dynamic signal analyzer
(DSA) and vibration data
collector (VDC). Each
working mode has its own
user interface and operation
navigation structure. DSA
working mode is designed
for mechanical structure
analysis, testing, and
optimization, or for electrical
and other applications. VDC
is dedicated to route-based
machine vibration data
collection and trending. The
user will select one of the
working modes to execute.
The VDC mode is a
specialized user interface
designed to be used in
the vibration and machine
condition monitoring
industry. It includes route
setup and measurement
tools, standard vibration data
collection measurements
such as rms, true rms, overall
rms, and peak, and waveform,
spectrum, and demodulation
measurements. Routes are
set up on a PC and then
uploaded to the CoCo. The
PC software makes setting
up any combination of routes,
factories, machines, and
measurement points simple,
and includes tools for
managing and backing up
data. After the routes are
uploaded, the CoCo acts
as a portable device for
data collection. Once the
eld measurements have
been collected, the data is
downloaded from the CoCo
to a PC, where reporting and
trending tools are available.
Dynamic signal
analyzer
IOtech is
releasing the
USB-based
672u, the newest
addition to the
600 Series of dynamic signal analyzers.
The 20-channel 672u is ideal for high
channel count applications, including
machine condition monitoring, rotating
machine analysis, modal analysis, etc.
The 672u includes 20 input channels
with direct integrated electronic piezo-
electric support. Each of the 20 analog
inputs features a dedicated 24bit delta
sigma ADC for superior resolution and
accuracy. The 655u offers a 40V input
range and can accommodate a variety
of analog inputs, including accelerometer,
velomiter, proximity probe, microphone,
tachometer, or other voltage input.
The 672u is compatible with eZ-Series
software: eZ-TOMAS and eZ-TOMAS
Remote for rotating machine analysis,
eZ-Analyst for real-time vibration and
acoustic analysis, and eZ-Balance for
machine balancing.
INTERVIEW
William Guilbert
D2T
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Automotive research
today relies on more
than just the engines
ability to produce data and the
capability to measure within
a given set of parameters. The
process of collecting timely
and accurate data starts
with the test-facility support
systems, such as combustion,
air, and engine cooling.
The facility systems
provide a controlled
environment within which
repeatable data is attained.
Being competitive in todays
market poses the challenge
of having a facility and
testing equipment capable
of consistently maintaining
a controlled and stable
environment for producing
repeatable results. Therefore,
it is imperative to have
a complete understanding
of the facility and the testing
equipment throughout any
facility construction or
renovation project.
Recognizing data as the
desired output of a research
and development, or testing
facility, has given the ACS
team the ability to use test
article and measurement-
protocol knowledge to
properly design and integrate
the necessary supporting
systems.
Often there are budget,
schedule, and space
limitations placed on facility
upgrade projects. Through the
utilization of a Total Facility
Integration Delivery Process,
the ACS team is able to
deliver complete turnkey
test facilities. One key
component of this is the
system-integration team and
its process. Responsible for
integrating the test equipment
with the facility, the system-
integration team plays a vital
role throughout the design,
construction, and
commissioning phases.
At ACS, the system-
integration process begins
with the initial client meeting
where the basis of the project
is dened by the owner. Then,
using the ACS concept and
budget report (CBR) model,
a series of subsequent owners
meetings and user-group
interviews are utilized to
form a clear understanding
of the client requirements
for the ACS integration team.
Critical components that
need to be identied early
in the project include:
identication of the testing
application, data requirement,
and acceptance criteria.
Through the scope-
denition process, ACS, with
input from the owner, will
prepare an acceptance-test
criterion document. The
intention of this document is
two-fold. First, the document
provides ACS and the owner
with a denition of the nal
project scope. Secondly, the
acceptance criterion identies
how the individual equipment
and the functional systems
will be tested at the
completion of construction.
The acceptance-test denition
varies by application and can
include audit, performance,
and certication test.
Armed with an
understanding of the desired
outcomes, the test-equipment
specications are written,
reviewed, conrmed per the
application requirements,
and distributed to vendors for
proposals. Prior to selecting
and purchasing the test
equipment, ACS and the client
review the vendor proposals
and drawings with respect
to the facility and regulatory
requirements. Considerations
made during the review
process include, but are not
limited to, power, uid, and
ventilation compliance. Upon
reviewing vendor proposals,
ACSs integration team, in
agreement with the owner,
will procure the equipment
while considering the overall
project budget and schedule.
Once a vendor is under
contract, the ACS integration
team begins coordinating the
test-system requirement with
the facility drawings, ensuring
all facets of the design are
considered. Working with the
068
Facility integration
ACS delivers turnkey test facilities utilizing
its total facility integration delivery process
Tel: +1 608 663 1590 (USA)
+44 7815 714845 (UK)
Web: www.acscm.com
ACS
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LEFT: Diesel
emissions test
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construction and
integration services
provided by ACS
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vendor, the integration team
is able to coordinate details
such as wire schedules, detail
drawings, and installation
packages, incorporating all
specications and special
instructions.
At this time, the prepared
documents are sent out to bid
for installation services. Again,
the integration team reviews
proposals with the owner to
select the contractor proposal
that best meets the budget
and schedule.
During the construction
phase of a project, the system
integrators are available to
answer and clarify questions.
Additionally, the integrators
actively coordinate contractors
to allow as many tasks to
be completed in parallel as
logically possible. After the
construction and installation
are complete, the system
integration team will
undertake a four-step, test-
cell commissioning plan.
This includes: device check,
calibration, local- and
remote-device start-up, and
shakedown testing to comply
with the acceptance-test
criterion developed at the
beginning of the project.
Upon completing the
start-up and testing, the
collected data is post-
processed and assembled
into a report and delivered to
the owner by the integration
team as part of the nal-
acceptance testing sign-off.
This process ensures certainty
of the nal outcome for the
owner. Additionally, the nal
report provides certainty
that the test application and
commissioning process were
started and executed in an
organized and deliberate
manner by illustrating that
the functional requirements
have been met.
Through the use of the
Total Facility Integration
Delivery Process model, the
client will recognize a number
of benets. Firstly, a time
saving is realized by allowing
items to occur in parallel,
thereby, accelerating the
schedule.
Secondly, a single source
of responsibility for facility
design and integration
adds value by providing
an undivided responsibility
for scope, budget, schedule,
and quality of workmanship.
Thirdly, an early
identication of scope
and cost is possible, in turn,
reducing the possibility
for orders to change.
Finally, a cost saving can
be realized as the design
and construction work are
overseen by a single team.
ACS is vertically integrated
specically for the delivery
of engine and vehicle-test
systems and facilities by
utilizing knowledge of
industry regulations, testing
technology and facility
requirements. Projects
include the complete design,
construction and integration
of corporate technology
centers, laboratory relocations
and consolidations, and single
test cell upgrades.
Renovations of active
plants are executed in phases.
This allows the facility to
continue operating while
construction is completed.
The ACS manufacturing
facility provides the design,
fabrication, installation and
commissioning of custom test
equipment and industrial
controls.
Product independence,
industry expertise, and
excellent team-building
skills are the companys
greatest assets. ACS provides
the resources for complete
project responsibility
from planning, design,
construction, integration and
commissioning to ongoing
operations and maintenance
support. ACS delivers.
069
ABOVE: Hemi-
anechoic test
chamber with design,
construction and
integration services
provided by ACS
LEFT: Production
engine test cell with
design, construction
and integration
services provided
by ACS
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Brake boosters are
among the most
critical safety
components in a vehicle.
Thomas Magnete, a company
based in Herdorf, Germany,
that specializes in actuator
systems, relies on HBMs
QuantumX data acquisition
(DAQ) system for testing
electromagnetic actuators
for brake assistants.
If a critical situation arises
in trafc, the drivers ability
to react and the force required
to actuate the brake pedal
are often insufcient to stop
the vehicle in time to avoid
an accident. In such cases,
a switching magnet activates
the brake booster, which
decreases the braking distance
by up to 40%, thereby
substantially reducing
the risk of collision.
Thomas Magnete
manufactures high-quality
magnets that provide
extremely short response
times an essential
characteristic for enhancing
passenger safety. For a
customer in the automotive
sector, the company developed
and built a test rig that is used
in mass production for testing
electromagnetic actuators for
brake assistants. The system
uses HBM measurement
technology comprising
transducers and DAQ
instrumentation.
The test involves the
measurement of force,
introduced by means of
a servo drive, acting on an
S2/200N force transducer. The
directly coupled K-WA-L100W
070
A data acquisition system
for testing actuators
Electromagnetic actuators for brake assistants are being
tested using a trusted data acquisition system
Tel: +49 6151 8030
Web: www.hbm.com/quantumX
HBM
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ABOVE: Measurement of force and displacement signals: the QuantumX MX840 universal amplier automatically recognizes
each and every connected transducer by means of HBMs exclusive Advanced Plug & Measure (APM) technology
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displacement transducer with
plunger is used to measure
the traverse path. LabVIEW
software enables force-
displacement characteristics
to be generated from the
measured force and
displacement signals for
evaluating force values
at specic points of the
characteristic curve. In
addition, the difference
(hysteresis) between the two
arms of the characteristic
curve is determined, as well
as the maximum value of the
071
ABOVE: A single QuantumX MX840 universal amplier simultaneously measuring
forces, displacement and current on three of its eight separate channels
calculated difference. Another
test criterion is to determine
the slope between two points
of force measurement. The
limit values of the testing
current are also monitored.
The MX840 universal
amplier from the QuantumX
family is used for amplication
and further analysis of
measurement signals;
it supports all common
transducer technologies.
In addition to high
measurement accuracy
and stability alongside
compactness our focus
has been on easy integration
and control of the system,
says Michael Bender, project
manager at Thomas Magnete,
explaining the selection
criteria.
Due to the QuantumXs
universality we could, for
example, use standard
components and easily
integrate the amplier into
our system via the Ethernet
interface. Parameterization
and checking of the
measurement channels
were very easy.
HBMs APM [Advanced
Plug & Measure] technology
reliably identied the
connected transducers and
therefore ensured extremely
short setup times. Because we
use LabVIEW data acquisition
software, we also needed
a data acquisition system
with the corresponding driver.
HBMs MX840 module has
been able to offer all this
a perfect complete solution.
ABOVE LEFT: A test rig supplied to an automotive client by Thomas Magnete for testing electromagnetic actuators for brake assistants; ABOVE CENTER: Close-up
of an electromagnetic actuator. This image was taken during a test sequence. The measurement equipment is housed below the console; ABOVE RIGHT: An HBM
S2 force transducer is used, together with a displacement sensor, for measuring applied forces and traverse paths during the testing of electromagnetic actuators
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The TOK 155 achieves
a clear increase in service
life by up to 300%, with less
maintenance and substantially
more meaningful test results.
The duration of maintenance
outages could also be reduced
as the exible element of the
TOK coupling system can be
exchanged very efciently,
without major effort (the
clamping mechanisms have
a changing device that is
easy to handle and enables
rapid joining).
The cooperation between
the manufacturer, the local
agency and the customer
has brought about a mutual
solution that is more than
satisfactory. The additional
advantage is that, as a result of
this experience, the company
is now also geared up for new
and future challenges.
KTM-Sportmotorcycle
AG, the world-
renowned Austrian
sports motorcycle
manufacturer, contacted ATP
(Antriebstechnik Peissl
GmbH, the Austrian agency
of Reich-Kupplungen) in 2003
with a difcult problem.
The company was bench-
testing one-cylinder and
V2-cylinder (two- and four-
stroke engines) with ratings
up to 125kW and speeds
up to 10,000rpm. However,
the engines under test were
increasingly lighter in weight,
which caused the rubber-
disc coupling being used
at that time to be only
partially satisfactory. In
addition, the radial offsets
occurring during acceleration
were leading to cardan shaft
fractures and bearing
problems.
The V2, in particular,
was causing the existing
test-bench rig great problems,
especially at idling speed.
Torque peaks at the coupling
were eight times the 100Nm
experienced during normal
operation. The problem
was made even more
complicated by the fact
that length compensation
via the cardan shaft was
not a desired solution.
Reich-Kupplungen,
which has more than 60
years experience in coupling
construction, was able to
devise a customized solution.
This was achieved through
the cooperation of the
companys in-house
specialists. All departments
helped to research a solution,
including: the designers,
with many years of experience
in 2- and n-mass vibration
calculations; the mold-
construction specialists; and
the production facility for
mechanical machining and
the manufacture of internally
formulated elastomer
products.
The solution was a carefully
matched TOK coupling
system. This satised the
general requirements and
also introduced further
advantages.
The TOKs torsional
stiffness resulted in a
reduction of vibration in
the drive system, enabling
improved and more precise
test results to be obtained.
The large axial tolerance
of the coupling also enabled
a much more gentle treatment
of the test bench components.
072
Coupling challenges
Reich-Kupplungen has more than 60 years experience
in coupling construction, and uses its expertise to devise
tailored customer solutions
Tel: +49 234 95916-0
Web: www.reich-kupplungen.de
Dipl.-Ing Herwarth Reich GmbH
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LEFT: The TOK coupling system
helped solve KTMs bench-testing
problems
BELOW: Engineers can now test
the V2-engined models with less
maintenance and more accuracy.
Photograph courtesy of KTM
073
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In a world where
people are used to
being told what they
need and what to buy, Signal
Group decided to do things
differently. No two customers
are the same and so Signal
believes no two emissions-
analysis systems should be the
same. Since 1977 Signal has
been dedicated to providing
a tailor-made solution when
a standard off-the-shelf system
is not good enough.
Signal is the only specialist
manufacturer dedicated
to supplying tailor-made
solutions to an application.
Buying bespoke means that
all the customer gets is what
is needed, so there are no
expensive and unnecessary
additions. Large or small,
raw or dilute, CO
2
EGR or
ammonia; if the customer
wants a bit of this and a bit
of that, Signal can build it.
The company also has
a lot of experience in engine
emissions, having supplied
analysis equipment for
passenger cars, trucks,
motorcycles, off-road
construction equipment,
ships and aeroplanes.
Engines are now cleaner
and emissions standards lower
than ever before, so accurate
measurement at low
concentrations is vital for any
measuring system. There are
a range of techniques available
and they are all appropriate
for different situations.
Gases such as ammonia
and nitrogen dioxide are
highly soluble and care must
be taken to ensure that sample
concentration isnt lost
between the sampling point
and the analyzer
measurement. Signal systems
are designed with these
potential issues in mind using
the latest technology to ensure
that readings are correct.
For example, the
development of denox after-
treatment in heavy-duty diesel
applications has given rise
to a demand for ammonia
measurement along with
the standard regulated gases.
Signal has designed a triple
detector arrangement
particularly for this type
of application.
This new technology allows
NO, NO
2
and NH
3
to be
measured simultaneously in
one analyzer, giving a fast
response time and lower cost.
It uses a chemiluminescent
type detector, so the sample
can be accurately measured
either hot and wet, raw from
the exhaust, or cold and dry
for CVS applications.
Another example of the
selection of the most
appropriate technology is the
design of the Signal analyzers
used for CO, CO
2
and SO
2
.
There are various types of
infrared detector available on
the market, but Signal prefers
to use the non-dispersive gas
lter correlation type.
In simple terms, these
lters use a rotating wheel
with gas-lled windows to
provide a reference for the
detector. The gas used in the
wheel is selected according to
the gas you are measuring
to remove any interference.
The advantage of this method
is that the reference and
measuring signals are both
measured with reference to
sample. Other techniques
comparing a sample and
reference cell, such as dual-
beam infrared technology,
are prone to degrade with time
as the sample cell becomes
clouded with dirt, leading
to drift in the readings.
A bespoke emissions
system is not a simple matter
of picking from a catalog.
That is why Signal Group
offers full project
management, installation,
training, and service and
spare parts with every order.
Signal, sometimes working
with local partners, has
installed emissions equipment
in engine design houses,
manufacturers, governmental
laboratories and universities
all over the world. With every
system the customer also gets
a local network that, together
with support from the factory,
provides service and spare
parts support for the lifetime
of the system.
A combination of the
most sophisticated technology,
bespoke design, and more
than 30 years experience
make Signal an excellent
partner for engine-emissions
measurement projects. Clients
can benet from a tailor-made
solution with appropriate
measurement techniques,
cutting-edge system design,
and no unnecessary standard
additions.
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ABOVE: The MaxSys 900 Advanced Emissions Raw Analysis System from Signal
is a highly sophisticated and innovative raw exhaust gas measurement device
Web: www.signal-group.com
Signal Group
Taking a fresh approach to every emissions-analysis system
is one companys way of ensuring each solution is tailor-
made, without unwanted and unnecessary additions
Emissions analysis
equipment
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GPS-based
instruments have
become the norm
for speed and distance
measurements in automotive
testing and benchmarking,
and have largely replaced
optical technology and fth
wheel sensors.
The very high accuracy,
ease of use and portability
of GPS speed measurement
systems are all desirable
benets to vehicle
manufacturers and test
houses. Taking high accuracy
GPS data and combining
this with high-specication
inertial data gives even greater
accuracy and robustness than
is achievable by GPS alone.
This is the method now
favored for high-end GPS
speed-measurement devices.
There are circumstances,
however, where even this
type of system can be
compromised, the classic
example being marginal/no
satellite coverage and vehicle
traveling on a gradient. The
situation then becomes even
worse if satellites close to the
horizon are not in view as
these are the most useful for
determining vehicle speed
and position. In order to
achieve maximum accuracy
you must detect the attitude
of the vehicle independently of
the GPS system. The solution
to this is to combine data from
an Inertial Measurement Unit
(IMU) with the accelerometer
and GPS data.
Race Technology has
recently developed such
a solution as a new option
for its highly successful
Speedbox speed sensor,
which is used in a wide
range of automotive and
transportation applications.
This new option now
available with the Speedbox-
IMU is an integrated inertial
measurement unit to
compensate for changes in
gradient and/or vehicle
attitude using a pitch gyro.
This upgrade gives a very
signicant improvement in
speed measurement accuracy
where gradient is changing
and GPS reception is poor or
non-existent. This new option
also gives the Speedbox-IMU
the ability to detect the
direction of vehicle travel,
giving a negative speed output
when traveling backwards.
The Speedbox-IMU
provides a very low-latency,
non-interpolated speed
signal comprised of GPS data
combined with accelerometer
data using an adaptive
Kalmann lter for exceptional
performance, even in
challenging GPS
environments. The GPS uses
a 20Hz PurePhase solution
which was developed in house
at Race Technology and has
been optimized specically
for speed measurement
applications, thus
outperforming survey-grade
receivers in this respect.
Acceleration data is
supplied by the latest digital
accelerometer technology
and is sampled and output
at 200Hz. This combination
of GPS and accelerometer
data eliminates the gradual
drift characteristics of
integrated acceleration with
time and achieves a true
speed output of 200Hz
with no interpolation and
is extremely resistant to the
signal noise and drop outs
that are commonplace in GPS-
only speed sensors. Combine
these features with the new
IMU capabilities and the
Speedbox-IMU gives you a
powerful speed measurement
system that can be applied to
a wide range of applications
and retains its accuracy during
GPS outages, where GPS-only
sensors fail.
The Speedbox is currently
used worldwide by car, truck
and heavy machinery
manufacturers and has proven
to be an extremely useful
device in automotive testing.
074
High-accuracy speed
measurement
The Speedbox-IMU increases robustness and real world
accuracy, particularly where GPS outages are common
Tel: +44 1773 537620
Web: www.race-technology.com
Race Technology
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The Speedbox-IMU
increases robustness
and real world
accuracy, particularly
where GPS outages
are common
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It started as a
company offering
FFT analyzers used
in noise and vibration
measurements, and digital
vibration controllers used
in vibration testing, then
Data Physics Corporations
business grew to include
high-performance test and
measurement solutions
for noise and vibration.
Now, with the acquisition
of a number of shaker
manufacturers, the company
has a new prole as a supplier
of a more complete range
of test and measurement
instruments a one-stop shop
where users get a complete
solution for their applications.
In July 2009 Data Physics
acquired the assets of Ling
Electronics, one of the
best-known names in
electromagnetic shakers,
and ACG dynamics, a long-
standing shaker service
company on the east coast
of the USA. These moves
completed a strategic
consolidation of shaker
technology that began in
2005 with the acquisition
of Gearing & Watson, a UK-
based shaker manufacturer.
Prior to its move to the
US east coast with a former
owner, Ling Electronics
was for a long time based in
Anaheim, California, and was
the largest electromagnetic
shaker company in the world.
Its acquisition of Kimball
Industries, which developed
the technology for slip tables
used with shakers, solidied
Ling Electronics position as
a leading supplier of vibration
test systems. In bringing Ling
Electronics back to California,
Data Physics is recreating
history and giving a home
to professionals who worked
at Ling at Anaheim, creating
shaker systems.
The combined expertise of
Gearing & Watson, which has
been operating in the UK for
almost 40 years (the last four
of which have been within
Data Physics), and over 200
man years of shaker
experience among the former
Ling Electronics staff now
employed in Corona puts
Data Physics in an incredibly
strong position among shaker
companies. Data Physics is
also one of the largest service
and maintenance operations
in the world, with service
personnel located in the
UK, on the US west and east
coasts, and has the expertise
to service shakers built by
virtually every manufacturer.
The SignalForce shaker
range includes inertial, modal,
air-cooled and water-cooled
shakers (up to 50,000 lb or
222kN), matching power
ampliers (up to 480kVA),
slip tables, head expanders,
and xtures.
In addition to SignalForce
shaker systems, Data Physics
also supplies SignalCalc
dynamic signal analyzers,
SignalStar vibration control
systems, SubTrack underwater
acoustic transducers, signal
generators, and sonar
measurement systems.
All intellectual property
formerly associated with
Gearing & Watson, Ling
Electronics, Kimball
Industries, ACG Dynamics
and Derritron Vibration
Products is now combined
in electromagnetic shaker
systems and service supplied
by Data Physics under its
SignalForce product line.
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Tel: +1 408 437 0100
Web: www.dataphysics.com
Data Physics
A California-based company that specializes in test and measurement
instruments has celebrated its 25
th
anniversary by strengthening
its market position with a number of acquisitions
Complete solutions
for shaker testing
075
ABOVE: A SignalForce
Model 22260 shaker
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New applications
enabled by micro-
electromechanical
systems (MEMS) have
spawned a large growth in the
MEMS industry. One of the
highest growth areas is in
inertial sensors such as
accelerometers, gyroscopes,
and magnetometers, driven
largely by new automotive
safety applications such as
electronic stability control.
There is a clear trend in the
MEMS industry toward fabless
companies and outsourcing.
Being mainly evident in the
fabrication steps, this trend
is growing into all aspects of
MEMS design, development
and testing. While
conventional semiconductor
devices are tested electrically,
MEMS devices require
a physical stimulus - in the
case of inertial sensors this
is a precise movement.
Functional testing for
MEMS devices is obviously
very specic. Each class of
device not only needs a test
system capable of providing
the required stimuli, but the
test equipment designer
should also understand the
physics of the stimulus, how
it affects the tested device,
and how to interpret the
resulting measurements.
It is a great challenge to
perform dynamic testing.
For many MEMS companies,
this expertise either does not
exist in-house, or the company
cannot afford to dedicate
scarce resources to the design
and maintenance of test
equipment.
Acutronic has identied
this market need for MEMS
inertial testing equipment,
expertise, and services, and
has addressed it with a two-
fold approach: a test facility
dedicated to the testing of
inertial devices, and turnkey
inertial test equipment for
in-house development and
production.
Acutronic recently
launched its inertial testing
service facility, which will
contain an AC277 two-axis
rate table, an AC130 single-
axis rate table, and an AC150
angular-vibration table. The
more traditional shake and
bake test equipment will also
be included at a later date.
Initially the facility and
equipment will be available on
a daily rental basis. In the near
future, Acutronic will also
offer a suite of turnkey inertial
tests, based on IEEE test
standards as well as tests
developed by Acutronic.
These standard tests can be
modied, or complete custom
tests can be provided.
This approach offers
several benets to companies
developing inertial sensors
and modules. Companies
can avoid the large capital
investment to build and staff
their own test facility.
MEMS device designs
typically go through
a time-consuming iterative
design/fabricate/test/revise
process. More accurate and
comprehensive data in each
iteration can reduce the total
number of cycles, resulting
in faster time-to-market and
lower development costs.
The new services also
enable companies to focus
their limited resources on
design and development of
the device itself, rather than
designing, building, and
debugging test equipment.
Finally, independent device
testing provides credibility
to device manufacturers with
their customers.
Acutronic recognizes that
customers are concerned
about maintaining the security
of their proprietary test data.
Customers have complete
control over their data and are
provided with a dedicated
hard drive that they can either
lock up on site, or take with
them. An internal test data
network, separate from the
main facility network, ensures
data isolation.
A separate customer
entrance isolates the facility
and makes it available 24/7.
A test technician is assigned
to be on call to assist
customers during their
engagement, and electrical,
mechanical, and software
engineering support are
available as needed.
Acutronics vision is to
become the worlds leading
center of excellence for testing
of inertial devices, and to
make this expertise available
and affordable to inertial
sensor companies.
076
Fresh approach for
MEMS inertial testing
A new inertial testing service enables more accurate and
comprehensive testing of inertial devices and modules
while reducing the total cost of testing
Tel: +1 412 963 9400
Web: www.acutronic.com
Acutronic
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ABOVE: An AC150 angular-vibration
table in the inertial testing service facility
LEFT: The AC277 two-axis rate table
provides stimuli in the form of angular
rates, accelerations and positions to
angular sensors such as gyroscopes,
IMUs and accelerometers
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GPS is the most
accurate way to
measure velocity, as
long as the view to the sky
is clear. Under bridges, near
trees, or through built-up
areas, the quality of satellite
signals degrades, causing
noisy measurements. In
order to keep high GPS
accuracy even where sky
visibility is less than perfect,
Racelogic has released IMU
(Inertial Measurement Unit)
integration with the Vbox 3i
GPS datalogger.
By blending GPS with
data from an IMU that
houses three gyros and three
accelerometers, smoother,
more reliable data is
produced. The solution
can deal with GPS dropouts
lasting several seconds at
a time, with high accuracy.
IMU integration realizes
the high accuracies that Vbox
3i can achieve, even when
external conditions are
compromised, meaning that
data has now become more
reliable and easier to
interpret.
Racelogic VBOX 3i with
IMU integration uses a real-
time Kalman Filter, which
seamlessly blends GPS signals
with data from an IMU.
This setup produces
a smoother velocity trace
with even higher dynamic
capabilities than GPS alone,
due to the mutual corrections
occurring between the two
data sources.
The system can deal with
GPS dropouts lasting several
seconds at a time, with high
accuracy. The setup also
realizes the high accuracies
that Vbox 3i can achieve, even
when external conditions are
compromised, meaning that
data has now become more
reliable and easier to
interpret.
The system uses separate
modules, allowing for
exibility in vehicle
placement with a number of
mounting options, and its
compact size offers the ability
to swap equipment between
vehicles easily, meaning more
time on the test track and less
time setting up gear.
So how does IMU
integration actually improve
the already accurate GPS
data? The graph (above right)
illustrates GPS noise followed
by dropouts lasting several
seconds, incurred when
driving on a section of road
with very heavy tree cover.
The IMU integration (the blue
line) reduces the noise for
a more accurate reading, and
maintains a precise velocity
measurement throughout
the GPS dropouts.
The heading reading is
very consistent due to IMU
integration, providing more
accurate results than the GPS-
only data, which exhibits
some noise. Despite the low
speed, the IMU integration
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VBOX USA
Tel: +1 248 655 0557
Web: www.vboxusa.com
IMU integration signals
end to noisy GPS data
Data has become more reliable and easier to interpret, even
where sky visibility is less than perfect and GPS dropouts
last several seconds at a time
provides accurate, noiseless
heading measurements.
Mapping vehicle position
along the heavily tree-lined
road, the GPS signal incurs
some dropouts and
reections, producing noisy
position readings. However,
IMU integration corrects
the position measurements,
creating smoother, more
accurate data.
The Vbox 3i datalogger integrates with the Inertial Measurement Unit to ensure high GPS accuracy, even with poor sky visibility
ABOVE: Graph illustrating GPS noise followed by dropouts lasting several seconds
077
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Today, combustion
analysis is typically
carried out on engine
test stands for both steady-
state and transient engine
speed and load points. In
addition, combustion analysis
is extremely useful in on-road
testing for validating the
calibration of the engine
management system and for
troubleshooting purposes.
Only combustion analysis
makes it possible to observe
and quantify precisely the
effects that the highly complex
control processes of the
complete engine system have
on the actual combustion
under all real operating
conditions. Thus, combustion
analysis helps to improve our
mastery of complex modern
engine control units, to carry
out system optimization under
everyday driving conditions,
and to shorten the overall
development process.
The new combustion
analysis system from Kistler
Instrumente AG, KiBox, is
dedicated to in-vehicle
operation. Under real driving
conditions, the system enables
combustion analysis in real
time, and provides accurate
combustion analysis data.
The compact design
of the housing ensures
easy installation. Specially
designed handles not only
help to fasten the unit on
or behind seats, but also x
cables and protect connectors
from being bent or stretched.
The user-friendly graphical
user interface provides
a convenient and intuitive
setup and helps to prepare
for measurements in a very
short period of time.
The use of measuring
spark plugs and glow plug
adaptors permits high-
precision combustion pressure
sensors to be mounted in the
engine without the need for
additional preparation work.
Fully integrated PiezoSmart
sensor identication with
transducer electronic data
sheet (TEDS) permits
automatic parameterization
of the whole measuring chain.
The sensor characteristics
stored on an integrated
memory are transmitted to
the amplier modules and
all the relevant parameters
are set automatically. Further
functions of the TEDS can
also be used, such as the
acquisition of the sensor
operating hours for purposes
of quality assurance and
resource management.
Because of the use of
the engine-mounted crank
angle position device
and interpolation of the
intermediate crank angle
values, the crank angle
information is presented
with high precision and
low mounting costs.
The integration of KiBox
into the ETAS INCA
calibration system ensures
that the combustion analysis
result values can be displayed
and analyzed simultaneously
with other engine control
parameters.
As well as its innovative
data acquisition concept and
easy integration into the INCA
calibration system, KiBox
comes with many new features
that enable combustion
analysis values to be displayed
in real time and to be analyzed
simultaneously with other
control variables of the engine
management system.
078
In-vehicle combustion
analysis system
The greatly increased engine performance levels of
downsizing concepts have made accurate in-vehicle
combustion analysis even more important
Tel: +41 52 224 1111
Web: www.kistler.com
Kistler Instrumente AG
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BELOW: Interfacing of
the combustion analysis
and engine calibration
system
ABOVE: KiBox combustion analysis
system for in-vehicle operation
ABOVE: Measuring
spark plug and glow plug
adaptor with sensor for
the measurement of
combustion pressure
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SEPTEMBER 2009
A
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otiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com
Septem
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UKIP M
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How Spanish engineers h
developed a sports car w
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SEPTEMBER 2009
A
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UKIP M
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How Spanish engineers hav
developed a sports car with
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lrdusLrie AuLomaLisierurgsgeseschaL m.L.H.

lrdusLriesLrasse z [ z;zz Weikersdor [ AusLria
MONITOR
CARRIER
ADR02
MTS03
high-quality 22 screen
4 meter operating range
pneumatically locked pivots
pneumatically supported lifting column
extremely stif system - no vibrations
with diferent power supplies on the housing
BNC plugs also integrated in the housing
durable piston pressure controller
low-priced built-in device (see picture)
also available with housing
continuously heated at up to 200C
either as overpressure controller (normally open)
or vacuum controller (normally closed)
self-regulating by way of diferential pressure
for up to 10 bar gas inlet pressure
PRESSURE
CONTROLLER
Dipl.-Ing. Herwarth Reich GmbH
Phone: +49 ( 0) 234 9 59 16-0
torque range from 100 - 35 000 Nm
speed range up to 10 000 rpm
highly torsionally exible
double element version
single element version in combi-
nation with a constant velocity shaft
version in lightweight construction
e.g. with CFRP or aluminum
special types according
to customer request
A
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-Kupplungen.de www.
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further product range examples:
Stuttgart - Stand1835 Shanghai - Stand2058
16.-18.06.2009 15.-17.09.2009
Detroit - Stand18019 Hyderabad - Stand2030
27.-29.10.2009 02.-04.02.2010
T O K
Coupling System
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511
Atlas Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH (AFT)
is a new member of the working
committee for the logger application
programming interface (LAPI) project. The aim of
the members is the establishment of a universal
interface for dataloggers and measurement
modules. At the Automotive Testing Expo Europe
in June, MBtech introduced the project initiated
by Daimler, BMW and Porsche. The two
demonstration vehicles on display also applied
AFTs measurement modules 4Temp and 4Sens.
In live operation, Daimler AG and MBtech
showed the visitors how simply a measurement
task can be transferred to measurement modules
from different manufacturers via the
LAPI. The basis for this is the
software modules developed
by the working committee
members. These modules contain the device-
independent information for a measurement
task and all device-relevant descriptions for the
parameterization of the measurement system.
Their conguration is carried out via XCP on
CAN, either using the logger or a computer
with the necessary GDI drivers from the
manufacturers. The new interface provides the
user with all the essential information on the
LAPI measurement systems, which makes
their integration into the existing measuring
environment much easier. Due to the LAPI,
an engineer can concentrate on measuring
and not on the equipments qualities.
A&D Technology
Tel: +1 734 973 1111; email: [email protected]; web: www.aanddtech.com
Simulation technology
510
As the complexity of the powertrain
increases, so do development and
testing requirements, often leading
to more expensive and time-consuming tests
to be performed with different component
congurations or on the road, using eet
vehicles. These same tests could be performed
in an existing test cell using advanced simulation
technology saving precious time and money.
A&D offers the Andromeda system, a real-time
vehicle simulation and test-cell controller to
address these challenges. Andromeda is a high-
speed and powerful dyno-control platform that
can be congured to simulate virtually any
hardware-in-the-loop conguration, making the
unit under test perform as if it were in a vehicle.
Andromeda integrates seamlessly into the test
cells data acquisition and control system, such
as iTest, ADAPT and many third-party tools, or
can be operated as a standalone embedded
device with the AD-VirtualConsole software.
With Andromeda, Simulink serves as the
modeling environment, providing the ability
to modify, expand, or replace the virtual driver
and vehicle, including all components and
AFT Atlas Fahrzeugtechnik
Tel: +49 2392 809 0; web: www.AFT-Werdohl.de/4Measure_E or www.lapi-ak.de (only in German)
Conguring measurement systems
subsystems. Simulink is a de facto standard
so Andromeda can run models from multiple
departments within an organization, or
customers, suppliers, or third-party modeling
tools such as CarSim or GT-POWER. With
Andromeda, testing with different vehicles,
driving conditions, transmissions or other
subsystems becomes a straightforward software
switch instead of a lengthy, labor-intensive
hardware change.
Operating and evaluating a unit under test
across multiple end-customer applications,
performing FTP cycles prior to emissions testing,
or looking for more exibility and performance
from an existing test cell, Andromeda reduces
testing times and extends testing capabilities.
ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg
Tel: +49 49 61 975 0;
email: [email protected];
web: www.atp-papenburg.com
Corrosion durability
testing
512
In the past the lifetime of a car often
ended with a corroded body in white.
Nowadays most of the vehicles have
an effective protection against corrosion. Zinc-
coated sheets and cavity sealing are usual
methods in the ght against rust.
But especially in those countries that
use road salt, rust is still a serious problem
and a major reason for customer complaints.
Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) offers
a variety of corrosion simulation programs
on the proving ground. A full vehicle durability
program consists of salt spray simulation,
a conditioning in a climatic chamber and
a number of driving circles on different test
tracks. A salt water passage, a gravel road and
a washboard as well as the high-speed oval,
the durability track and the banked road are
used to simulate the entrainment of salt water
in the vehicles gaps.
This program enables a vehicles lifetime
prediction regarding rust damages in about
12 weeks, where not only body parts but also
chassis, driveline and other components are
monitored.
At the end of the program a nal appraisal of
all relevant components is carried out to identify
critical parts and their risk of corrosion.
080
EXHIBITOR
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AOS Technologies
Tel: +41 56 483 3488; email: [email protected]; web: www.aostechnologies.com
Light-sensitive, high-speed camera
081
513
Digital high-speed cameras have
become a standard in automotive
safety testing, but to date their lack
of light sensitivity has had to be compensated
by powerful illumination of the scene. Now AOS
Technologies has introduced a breakthrough in
digital high-speed photography with the launch
of its new S-VIT LS camera. The light sensitivity
of the compact, modular and extremely reliable
camera is about 4-5 f-stop higher than that
seen in most existing systems.
Due to the high light sensitivity of the new
sensor, only one small light head is needed to
produce the same image brightness as before
with much bigger light sources, resulting in
reduced weight and space of the light source.
Faster shutter speeds reduce motion blur, and
an extended depth of eld gives the user the
ability to see more detail since the iris can be
stopped further.
The S-VIT LS high-speed camera shares
the same features that made the previous AOS
camera the mainstay of automotive safety
testing, including a similar compact size, robust
quality, built-in battery and image memory, as
well as a wide range of options and extensions.
The ruggedized, compact high-speed camera
S-VIT LS is particularly suited for all applications
where a compact and portable yet robust camera
is essential, such as automotive safety testing.
Its clearly dedicated to on-board full-size crash
vehicles or sled body structures where the
camera is tted into tight areas such as door
panels or the pedal area.
Application Engineering
Tel: +1 269 639 7229; fax: +1 269 639 7306;
web: www.appenginc.com
Back-pressure
regulator
514
Application Engineering Inc (AEI)
is expanding its capability in fuel
delivery systems for the test market.
Working on the success of its line of vapor
and level tanks, AEI has developed its own back-
pressure regulator. The model operates between
5-110psi and ows 40gph. This development
allows AEIs fuel systems to have very precise
control of the fuel pressure to the engine and
enlarges the range of pressures that can be
used. AEI is exploring the possibility of
connecting the air source for the back-pressure
regulator to an electronically controlled pressure
regulator. With this combination the fuel pressure
to the engine can be modulated from the control
room and be programmed in as part of a test
sequence. AEI will market the back-pressure
regulator as a separate product outside of its
normal fuel systems.
AEI has built many fuel systems in an array
of congurations from simply supplying fuel
to the engine with the level tank to sophisticated
systems that control the pressure and
temperature of the fuel to the engine, and
measure the fuel to and from the engine.
Chroma Systems Solutions
Contact: Steve Grodt; tel: +1 949 600 6400 ext 232;
web: www.chromausa.com
Electronic device R&D testing
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Chromas 62000P DC power supplies
and software provide excellent
electronic load testing for automotive
devices. The softwares built-in ISO16750-2
standards address starting prole, reset behavior
at voltage drop, momentary drop in supply
voltage, and slow decrease and increase of
voltage. This combination of hardware and
software makes the 62000P preferable for
testing LED headlights, electronic control unit
(ECU), wiper motors, electronic window, car
stereo, global positioning system (GPS), battery
chargers, and other devices during R&D and
quality assurance stages.
Capabilities to create complex DC transient
waveforms set the 62000P series of
programmable DC power supplies apart from the
others. Transients are ideal for automotive
devices as they expose behavior
during dropouts, spikes, and
other voltage interruptions. The
62000P delivers additional
advantages including a constant
power operating envelope
enabling one instrument to
take the place of multiple
conventional supplies,
precise read-back of
output current and voltage,
and output-trigger signals.
Ten models range from 600W
to 5,000W, up to 120A, and 600V.
The 62000P series features 16bit
read-back for accurate voltage and current
readings, eliminating the need for complex
shunt/multiplexers to read the UUTs input
parameters. For battery charge and discharge-
testing solutions, add a Chroma DC electronic
load and software.
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Tel: +34 948 292900; email: [email protected];
web: www.citean.com
Lightweight
connectors
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Automotive Technological Innovation
Centre of Navarra (CITEAN) has
installed an electrohydraulic vibration
system, comprising a linear servohydraulic
exciter and an expansion table. This system
enables the conducting of tests in high frequency
ranges, without losing force and displacement
capacity. Vibration tests have to be performed
on a large number of components.
These tests, among others, can be performed:
frequency scanning (identication of specic
modes); tests for dynamic characterization in
components; vibration fatigue tests; shock tests;
and shock-and-bump tests for packaging (EN-
60068-2-27: shock; EN-60068-2-29: bump).
CITEAN is a technological center specialized
in applied research focused on automotive and
railroad sectors including cars, vans and trucks,
agricultural and civil works machinery and
off-road vehicles, and heavy trucks.
Focused on experimental mechanics,
computational mechanics and manufacturing
processes, CITEANs testing range extends
from characterization tests on components, to
complete vehicles, up to modules and systems.
Among its facilities, it can highlight a road
simulator (two corners, 12 of freedom, two
wheel transducers) to reproduce the behavior
on the road of a complete vehicle and its
components (chassis and suspension), several
multipurpose benches for linear actuation tests
in one or multiple axes as well as variable speed
dynamometer benches, a rotary actuator bench
and climatic chambers.
TUV SUD
Contact Jiri Sneberk; tel: +420 326 397 636; email: [email protected]; web: www.tuv-sud.cz
On-board high-speed imaging in conned
locations
517
Shots taken from high-speed imaging
systems placed on board vehicles
are essential for state-of-the art
development and testing of automotive safety
systems. However, the area of passengers
legs is problematic for onboard video capture
since there is very little space for positioning of
a camera and a lighting system. In addition, the
supporting function of a vehicle oor makes it
impossible to simply attach the imaging system.
When it comes to lming, it is necessary to
illuminate and capture a shot that is 600mm-
high at a distance of no more than 400mm.
TV SD Auto CZ takes advantage of Fermats
principle using a mirror that is placed in a section
of a shot. For a pre-exposure of a shot lights are
used that utilize modern technologies with
reection planes constructed especially
for this. Intensive and uniform illumination
inuences the quality of the complete shot
and of the important details the most. Due to
this illumination it is possible to record with a
frequency of 1,000fps and achieve an exposure
time of 400s. These are rates that guarantee
high-quality images. Overloads during a crash
cause deformations of the mirror but do not
inuence the image.
The valuable reward for the entire effort is
seeing the deployment of knee airbags, the
displacement of steering columns, or the effect
of deformations.
D&V Electronics
Tel: +1 905 264 7646; email: [email protected]; web: www.dvelectronics.com
EV system dynos and component testers
518
In 2009 D&V has again broken new ground in the eld of hybrid vehicle component
testing. A number of hybrid vehicle systems manufactured around the world in current
and future production now utilize test systems from D&V.
D&V is a leader in the design and manufacturing of turnkey automated test equipment and
dynamometers for a variety of applications from micro to full hybrid electrical systems. D&V has
designed and manufactured dynos optimized for endurance, laboratory, and end-of-line production
testing of integrated motor-generators and control systems. The company is expert in the design
and integration of mechanical, electronics, data acquisition systems, and software applications
to produce test machines of the highest level
of functionality and value.
Several laboratory models offer
simultaneous testing of integrated
motor-generators and/or their
controllers (variable-frequency
motor-drives). An engine
simulation is also available to
test the motor-generator with
the pulsation of the engines
compression stroke. Endurance
testing inside a thermal chamber is
also offered. New products include
a high-power DC-DC converter
battery simulator tester also with
energy recuperation, a resolver
simulator measuring module.
D&V specializes in the testing of
automotive rotating electrical and hybrid
vehicle electronics and mechatronics.
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LDS
Tel: +44 1763 242424; web: www.lds-group.com
Random vibration controller software
519
Bringing together the expertise
of two world-leading companies,
LDS and Brel & Kjr announce
the release of the Random Vibration Control
Software, Version 8, for the popular LDS
LASERUSB Vibration Controller. Version 8 adds
a Kurtosis Parameter Control option that greatly
improves laboratory simulation of real-life
vibration and helps manufacturers reduce
product warranty costs and cut test times.
The Kurtosis Parameter Control gives your
test lab the capability to use a non-Gaussian
signal with the kurtosis characteristics set
to match the peakedness of real-world
data. Setting the kurtosis characteristics
of the test signal provides better simulation
of real-world vibration environments.
The ability to tailor kurtosis provides for
accelerated fatigue tests and saves test time.
For a durability test lasting many hours, a high
kurtosis test delivers signicantly more fatigue
damage than a Gaussian random test.
VCS Version 8 also features the Fatigue
Monitor, which detects the onset of product
fatigue and initiates a rapid test shutdown
to protect expensive and/or sensitive products
from damage or catastrophic failure.
This unique monitoring function can
also be used to detect looseness in the xture
or mounting, or even degradation of the
shaker itself.
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Seoul Industry Engineering
Tel: +82 31 576 9520; email: [email protected];
web: www.seoulcorea.com
Engine exhaust gas simulation
520
The major components of test
equipment for EGRC testing consist
of systems for supplying constant
hot gas, simulated by engine exhaust gas and
supplying systems for coolant to the vehicle.
The hot gas supplying system should
supply the hot gas at approximately
900C and at a stable ow rate.
The coolant supply system
should supply the xed
temperature, ow rate and
coolant controlled by pressure
in a stable manner; and the
hot gas and coolant must be
controlled in the desired pattern.
The EGRC test rig is a complicated facility
consisting of various devices. One of the hardest
issues to settle is exhaust discharging hot gas
coming out of the hot gas supply system.
Seoul Industry Engineering has accumulated
sufcient experience and data through the start-
up operations for test equipment supplied to
customers that it can supply an optimal system.
This equipment could not be made to normal
designs and manufacturing methods. Customers
who placed an order might be concerned
about the failure of equipment ordered.
But as the company is an Authorized Solution
of Approved Test Equipments provider, its staff
are convinced that they can supply the test
equipment for parts development of vehicles
in line with customers expected schedules.
In addition, the company can supply custom-
made equipment including desired functions
specially required by the customer, and has
the advantage of being able to supply custom-
designed exclusive software for the end user,
developed by experienced professional engineers
in test and programming.
EXHIBITOR
dSpace
Tel: +1 248 295 4700; web: www.dspaceinc.com
Model-based development tool chain
Endevco
Tel: +1 800 ENDEVCO; web: www.endevco.com
High-temperature triaxial piezoelectric
accelerometer
Piezoelectric accelerometers with
integral electronics (IEPE) are
widely used today on a variety of
applications demanding the measurement of
low-level vibration signals. Their advantages
include low-noise wide dynamic frequency
range, low-output impedance, high
sensitivity, and small form factor. But due
to the onboard electronics, the operating
temperature is usually restricted. During the
last few years, not many high-temperature
IEPE accelerometers were introduced and
these mostly do not operate beyond 150C
with sensitivity no higher than 10mV/g.
Today, silicon-based electronics
technology is still preferred for the design
of the high-temperature IEPE accelerometers.
Although there are other technologies that
can operate at temperatures of up to 300C,
such as the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and
silicon carbide, usually such accelerometers
are not without several drawbacks. They are
larger in size, parts are not readily available,
there are longer turnaround times and they
are much more expensive than silicon-based
electronic sensors. In some applications,
such as some automotive, aircraft, and
deep wells applications where the operating
temperature is no higher than 175C, the
silicon-based electronic accelerometers
are preferred by virtue of their inherent
advantages.
The new Endevco model 67 miniature
triaxial accelerometer provides the answer
to this need with enough sensitivity to
accommodate low-level vibrations. The
Model 67 triaxial accelerometer has silicon-
based electronics, is a small 15mm cube,
and is lightweight, weighing 14g, 175C
temperature and 100mV/g in sensitivity. It is
designed for laboratory testing, automotive,
aircraft, deep well, modal analysis data
acquisition and other functions that require
a high-temperature and high-sensitivity
specication. It is comprised of a welded
titanium construction, hermetically sealed.
Its weight of less than 14g effectively
minimizes mass-loading effects.
The Model 67-XXX features a Piezite type
P-8 crystal element operating in the annular
shear mode for low-base strain sensitivity
and excellent output stability over time. This
accelerometer features high-temperature
internal hybrid signal conditioners for low-
impedance output and a respectable 450g
rms broadband (1Hz-10Khz) residual noise.
521
The auto industry is under
pressure to produce unique
and innovative products that will
improve vehicle efciency and function, while
minimizing environmental impacts. OEMs are
exploring a variety of green vehicle solutions
including: electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and
fuel cell powertrains. Electronic controls are
vital to all these green vehicle technologies,
and the development process begins with
model-based control design.
At Automotive Testing Expo 2009, October
27-29, at The Rock Financial Showplace,
Novi, Michigan, USA, dSPACE (Stand 15000),
a pioneer in the development of electronic
control units (ECUs), will feature model-based
development tools for hybrid and electric
vehicle applications. This complete and
integrated tool suite includes: dSPACE
prototyping systems; ECU autocoding
software; hardware-in-the-loop testing
systems with specialized software and
hardware for electrical drive simulation;
real-time ASM models for simulating electric
components (battery, loads, electric motors,
controllers, and inverters); ECU calibration
systems; engineering consulting services,
and more.
Headquartered in Paderborn, Germany,
with ofces in the USA (Wixom, Michigan),
France, the UK, Japan and China, and
distributors worldwide, dSPACE is the worlds
leading producer of engineering tools for
embedded controls development and testing.
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ESI Group
Email: [email protected]; web: www.esi-group.com
End-to-end virtual prototyping
523
Development teams of mechanically
engineered products increasingly
rely on simulation-based design to
meet market requirements. Quality results for
simulation-based design mean correct physics,
requiring simulation of all performance domains
in as-built condition, taken into account
affordably and on time. Affordable on-time
results require team efforts that are well
orchestrated, with engineers spending most
of their time on tasks that need their expertise.
ESIs End-to-End (E2E) engineering platform
is uniquely able to help product-development
teams produce quality results: accurate, for
the right cost and at the right time.
Todays complex products with challenging performance
requirements need ever-more accurate simulations to avoid
failures in the eld. ESIs E2E platform enables the simulation
of manufacturing effects such as stamping, welding and casting,
which are important not just for manufacturability information,
but to improve performance of simulation models in the eld
of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), crashworthiness,
and occupant safety. The engineering platform also includes
a shared work environment that ensures teams, veriably and
efciently, follow well-planned processes that cover all facets
of simulation-based design.
The E2E platforms unique breadth of physics, content
management, project management, team workows, and task
automation in a shared environment greatly improves the way
new products are developed. Indeed, whether in the automotive,
aerospace, defense, or energy industries, with a need to
simulate multiscale, structural, uid, thermal, chemical,
biological, electrical, or mechanical phenomena, ESIs unique
end-to-end virtual prototyping platform enables engineering
teams to develop better products more quickly, thus making
it an excellent choice for real-world simulation.
Visit us at Automotive Testing Expo North America - Stand 12024
Automotive Testing Technology International October 2009
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Hnchen
Tel: +49 711 441 39 0; email: [email protected];
web: www.haenchen.de
Ratio tests
Fairbanks
Contact Cassie Pinkel; tel: +1 907 452 2185 or +1 888 476 FEDC; email: [email protected];
web: www.coldweathertest.com
Cold-weather testing
524
Fairbanks, Alaska, its colder than you
think! If you are looking for longer
test periods, consistent temperatures
and extreme cold weather Fairbanks, Alaska
is the place.
Fairbanks is the hub for all cold-weather
testing needs, boasting multiple test facilities
that offer everything from a 5.1km (3.2 mile) oval
track, heated warehouses and storage space, to
on-site ofces not to mention our experienced
and knowledgeable staff ready to make the test
a success. All our facilities give prompt attention,
and offer 24-hour security, on-site fueling,
vehicle lifts, basic tool needs, and appropriate
cold-weather attire for testers.
Dont sit around and wait for the cold weather
that might not come test in Fairbanks, where
six-plus months of winter wont fail to provide
just the conditions you are looking for.
525
Hnchens series 326 hydraulic
cylinders are distinguished by
extraordinary variability in the
periphery and low additional costs. They are
suitable, in particular, for precisely vibrating
movements of heavy masses and in the test
and inspection sector, allowing design versions
that were previously only possible by means
of expensive special designs. Piston diameters
and stroke can be varied in mm steps and enable
application-specic dimensioning. This allows
the required volumetric ow to be reduced and
enables much smaller designs of some
components of the uid circuit. Other advantages
of these high-end cylinders are their smaller
length and their potential for length reduction,
owing to the variable stroke. This gives
substantially smaller installation dimensions
in some cases.
The MAHA-AIP company uses these
advantages of the series 326, for example, in
its street-simulation test benches for leading
automobile manufacturers. Hnchens hydraulic
cylinders use four pistons to simulate highly
dynamic loads on the Z axis. This makes it
possible to test the entire vehicle for wear or
acoustic behavior: the chassis, the elements
of the underbody from the prototype to the series
product. Previously, a piston diameter of 100mm
at a force of 79kN had been necessary for this.
The precise dimensioning capability of the series
326 now gives a piston 92mm in diameter. It will
reduce the volumetric ow at 8Hz from 682.2
liters/min to 391.1 liters/min, thus drastically
lowering construction and operating costs.
World-leading research
AND DEVELOPMENT
Millbrook is one of the worlds leading
transport research, development
and demonstration facilities for
every type of land vehicle.
With a focus on areas such as hybrid, powertrain and fuel
cell systems, its a driving force in the automotive industrys
continuing shift to sustainable solutions.
Working across all modes of transport and backed by a
comprehensive portfolio of laboratories and iconic test tracks,
Millbrooks experts lead the industry in areas such as safety
performance and durability - supported by world class
manufacturing, homologation and conversion capabilities.
So if youre serious about sustainability, then its time
to talk to Millbrook.
For further information:
contact Business Development on
+44 (0)1525 408408
[email protected]
www.millbrook.co.uk
Fairbanks is always excited to help facilitate
site visits at various test locations and will strive
to provide whatever is needed. Complete tests,
in natural conditions under the aurora borealis,
enhanced by extreme cold winter temperatures.
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GIF
Email: [email protected]; web: www.gif.net
Enlarged test facilities
526
Gesellschaft fr Industrieforschung
mbH (GIF) is a well-known
engineering services provider in
the eld of powertrain development and testing.
The company was established in 1986 and
employs nearly 500 people. At the locations
in Alsdorf, Aachen, Wolfsburg, Suzhou (China)
and Alexandria (USA) GIF operates 120
powertrain test benches in total.
In 2008 and 2009 GIF has enlarged the
development centre by 16 highly dynamic
and powerful powertrain test benches. Thus
the test benches cover the performance range
from passenger cars and powerful sport cars
to commercial and construction vehicles.
The main aim of todays vehicle development
programs is to reduce the emissions and the fuel
consumption. New drive concepts and efciency-
improved systems are realised in shorter
development processes. GIF enlarged the
technical capability of its test facilities such
that complete hybrid powertrains and hybrid
components can be tested. For that purpose
battery simulators and special measurement
equipment for the evaluation of electric machines
was installed.
For further reduction of the development time
an all-wheel powertrain test bench has been
realised, which can take complete vehicles
without major vehicle adaptation. The low-inertia
electric machines allow a realistic simulation
of road conditions, enabling, for example,
calibration work for automatic transmissions.
GIFs exible test bench concept enables the
use of combustion engines as well as electric
machines as the power unit for all test benches.
GIF is in the position to perform testing and the
function analysis of the complete powertrain,
and to investigate particular components on
every test bench.
HBM
Web: www.hbm.com/QuantumX
Measurement data-acquisition system
527
With QuantumX, measurement
projects are in the fast lane, reaching
accurate results rapidly without
cutting corners in the accuracy and reliability of
measurement data.
This innovative product family is suitable for
numerous different applications. The modules
can record various physical quantities such as
force, torque, pressure, temperature, distance,
position, speed, voltage, current, resistance and
even CANbus reliably and time-synchronously. All
current transducer technologies are supported.
HBM has now launched the new MX410
module to enhance the QuantumX data
acquisition (DAQ) system. MX410 is a four-
channel universal amplier, which is suitable
for numerous different transducer types. The
MX410 module has four individually congurable
inputs, each electrically isolated and each with
an analog output. Digitalization is implemented
with a high resolution of 24bit. A sampling
rate of up to 96kHz/channel enables the
acquisition of very dynamic quantities with
high measurement quality.
Moreover, the MX460 four-channel frequency
measuring amplier expands the capabilities of
its QuantumX universal measurement DAQ
system. The new module can acquire up to four
frequency signals with sampling rates of up to
96,000 signals/s and bandwidths of up to 38kHz.
The MX460 is ideally suited for acquiring
torque from HBM torque transducers, pulse
width modulated signals and speeds, for
example the angular synchronous measurement
of physical quantities. The MX460 module
measures digital signals with a precision of
up to 1MHz.
All input channels in a module are electrically
isolated and can be individually congured
for sampling rate, lter, transducer excitation,
transducer type, TEDS treatment, or
even as signal adaptation through scaling.
Digitalization is implemented with a high
resolution of 24bit. The comprehensive support
by TEDS technology provides enormous time
savings. The high accuracy and reliability in
measurement data acquisition provide accurate
measured data.
Lemo
Tel: +41 21 695 16 00; email: [email protected];
web: www.lemo.com
Rugged connectors
528
Lemo is an acknowledged leader
in the design and manufacture
of precision custom-connection
solutions. Lemo has been manufacturing
precision push-pull connectors for six decades.
Lemo offers a range of rugged connectors that
are used in crash-test dummies, transducers or
data-acquisition units. Lemo connectors can also
be ideally used for HIL (hardware-in-the-loop)
setups, for vehicle electronic development,
crash-test setups, for ECU calibration and test,
and in battery status diagnosis. The connectors
have full EMC screening and offer secure push-
pull connections for Flexray, CANbus or USB
protocol, PWM (pulse width modulation), digital
I/O and power supply.
In addition to the Lemo B and K series
connectors, a new product, the M series, is
being introduced this year for motorsport
applications. Made of high-strength aluminum,
this is one of the lightest and most compact
Lemo connectors. A ratchet-screw mechanism
enables quick and secure coupling of the
connectors. The mechanism makes it easier
to tighten the plug in the socket than to
untighten, ensuring, therefore, a rm connection.
The connector is environmentally sealed with
ingress protection to IP68. A sealing gasket
made of uororubber (Viton) ensures resistance
against hydrocarbons. The series is produced
in various sizes (nominal diameter 13-34mm)
and offers a high-density pin count with up
to 114 contacts.
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2, 3, 4, February 2010
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO INDIA 2010, Abinger House, Church Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743744 Fax: +44 (0) 1306 877411 email: [email protected]
www.testing-expo.com
Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, India
Indias ONLY Automotive Testing, Evaluation
and Quality Engineering Trade Fair
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Millbrook
Tel: +44 1525 408408; email: [email protected];
web: www.millbrook.co.uk
A positive charge
530
Tony Soper, principal engineer for
homologation and type approval
at Millbrook Proving Ground, one
of the worlds leading transport research and
development facilities, takes a look at new
European requirements for the construction,
safety and hydrogen emissions of battery-
powered electric vehicles:
ECE R100 is the United Nations regulation
looking at specific safety requirements for
battery-powered electric vehicles. The
standard applies to most battery-powered
electric road vehicles with a speed exceeding
25km/h and is required by many countries
before an electric vehicle can be road
registered. Indeed, it is also a requirement
before European Community Whole Vehicle
Type Approval (ECWVTA) accreditation can
be issued.
The tests ensure the safety of those in
and around an electric vehicle, and include
examination of its construction, protection
against electric shocks, insulation resistance
of high-voltage systems (above 60V DC or
25V AC), as well as trials of its recharging,
running, stopping and functional override
systems.
In addition, assessment for ECE R100
may be witnessed by the Vehicle Certification
Agency (VCA). With on-site VCA offices and
facilities, Millbrook is ideally placed to
provide a total solution for clients looking
towards electric vehicle validation and,
presently, it is the only facility in the UK
to do so.
mm-lab
Tel: +49 7154 827 300; email: [email protected]; web: www.mmlab.de
Driver guidance system
529
mm-lab successfully demonstrated
its driver guidance system (DGS)
at Automotive Testing Expo 2009.
The DGS is the central application of the test
automation platform, which allows the customer
to manage its test-vehicle eets and to monitor
vehicle tests during testing procedures.
mm-labs DGS provides many substantial
benets: it reduces testing expenses as DGS
guides through the test procedures, saving the
cost of an additional engineer accompanying
the test driver; it generates test procedures
with standard UML tools and the graphical DGS
editor enables easy test-procedure denition;
it manages the order of test steps automatically,
making paper checklists belong to the past;
it logs test results and generates informative
and conclusive XML test reports, making it easy
to deliver proof of test execution to clients; it
supports regression testing and mitigation
with model-based (XML) test denitions,
guaranteeing reproducible tests; and it minimizes
the distraction of test drivers by clearly arranged
test-command announcements, supported
by the corresponding speech output.
Besides the automated testing solutions,
mm-lab also offers a proving ground
management system (PGMS), which was
presented at Automotive Testing Expo 2009
as well. It allows the provider to manage the
business more efciently and to substantially
increase safety for the test drivers.
Renk Test System GmbH
Tel: +49 821 5700 408;
web: www.renk-testsystem.eu
Progress for EVs
531
Gear manufacturer Renk AG a
company of the MAN group is well
known for its highly sophisticated
transmissions and drive components. After more
than 50 years of research and development
on transmissions using in-house test systems,
this extensive experience in testing was offered
on the market beginning in 1986.
Today, customized Renk test systems are
highly acknowledged for their innovation and
reliability by all well-known OEMs and their
suppliers. Main products for the automotive
industry are chassis dynamometers and test
systems for drivetrain components for research
and development as well as end-of-line
applications. Furthermore, RTS also engineers
and builds turnkey test systems for the
aviation, railway and, most recently, for
the wind-energy industry.
This strategic focus on several industry
sectors is one successful factor to counter
todays economic situation with fewer demands
coming from the automotive industry. Especially
noticeable is the increased number of requests
for test systems for the aviation industry, which
account for the latest new orders. Harbin
Dongan, a Chinese helicopter manufacturer, has
placed a contract for a main-transmission test
stand. This mechanical closed-loop test system
will be used for acceptance testing and quality
assurance of several drivetrain components.
Europes leading automotive testing, evaluation
and quality engineering trade fair
22, 23, 24 June 2010
Stuttgart Messe, Stuttgart, Germany
www.testing-expo.com
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO EUROPE 2010
Abinger House, Church Street,
Dorking, Surrey RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743744
Fax: +44 (0) 1306 877411
email: [email protected]
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Moog
Email: [email protected];
web: www.moog.com/industrial
Support services
533
Moogs Industrial Group has launched
a suite of after-sales service
programs designed to provide
ongoing stability and security of equipment
performance to its customers in Europe.
There are three core service programs
for customers to choose from. The rst is the
remanufacturing program. This service is an
enhancement of Moogs repair services, which
includes restoration of older and obsolete Moog
servovalves, radial piston pumps and actuators
to as-new performance levels with an extended
warranty of two years that applies to the entire
product, not only the repaired element.
The second is the full service program that
is a comprehensive service contract ensuring
that there are no unplanned additional drains on
maintenance budgets. Service features include
temporary replacement of servovalves and three-
day fast-track priority or super-fast one-day
service. The full service program covers Moog
and non-Moog products and ensures an all-
inclusive service with a pre-dened fee.
Third, there is the preventive maintenance
program. This preventive maintenance and
priority repair program keeps all Moog products
in prime condition. The plan provides an annual
inspection of equipment and thorough testing
of Moog products.
We recognize that times are tough, and these
new service programs are all about providing
greater operational stability and security of
service to our customers, to help them focus
on their business priorities, says Giuseppe
Paladino, market manager for service, Europe.
STL
Tel: +1 330 833 8548; email: [email protected]; web: www.stllabs.com
Tire fuel efciency
532
Standards Testing Labs is ready for
the new tire fuel efciency consumer
information program rule proposed
by DOT, NHTSA. This new proposed rule includes
testing rolling resistance of replacement tires
to ISO 28580. STL can do that. The rule also
proposes to use peak and slide values on
concrete and asphalt taken from the UTQG
testing to relate to tire safety. STL can do that.
The rule also proposes to specify the UTQG
treadwear procedure to rate tires for durability.
STL can do that, too.
Rolling resistance continues to be important
as fuel prices rise. The US EPA introduced the
SmartWay program, a voluntary partnership
between various industry sectors and the EPA.
This organization establishes incentives for fuel
efciency improvements and greenhouse gas
emissions reductions. STL uses established SAE
J1269/J1270 methods to evaluate truck tires of
all sizes, as well as ISO 28580. STL has added
the capability of running smaller wide-base tires
as well, including the 445/50R22.5 size.
STL is also ready for the new ECE Regulation
No. 117. This regulation provides uniform
provisions concerning the approval of tires
with regard to rolling sound emissions and to
adhesion on wet surfaces. STL is the only
independent lab in the USA approved to do ECE
testing, and this accreditation will be added to its
scope. Right now we are accredited to perform
testing to ECE regulations 30, 54, 75 and 106.
www.himmelstein.com 800-632-7873
S. HIMMELSTEIN AND COMPANY
0.05% accuracy*, 200% & 400% overload
No manual adjustments and no hoops or calipers needed to install
Operates with 1" axial, 0.3" radial misalignment whether static, temperature,
vibration or runout induced
Temperature data and max/min capture
Analog, digital and FM outputs simultaneously available
*NIST traceable calibration performed in our accredited laboratory (NVLAP Code 200487-O)
Model:
MCRT
86000V
Highest overload and overrange assure safety and accuracy
Best installed dynamic response
Immune to ISM, EMI interference
Bearingless Digital Torquemeters
Visit Booth #9028
Automotive Testing
Expo 2009 Desi gni ng and Maki ng t he Wor l d' s Best Tor que I nst r ument s Si nce 1960
Innovators Only
Exclusive Exhibit Opportunity
Hosted by:
Tier 1 Strategic Partner:
Ford Motor Company
April 13-15, 2010
Cobo Center
Detroit, Michigan USA
www.sae.org/congress
P91098
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Ipetronik
Web: www.ipetronik.com
Eight-channel universal measuring module
534
With the Mc-Thermo K8, Ipetronik
now offers an ultra-compact
measurement module with eight
electrically isolated analog measurement
inputs for connection to type K (NiCr/NiAl)
thermocouples, and for measurement of voltages
up to 30V. The temperature measurement
range is -60C to +1,370C, and is digitized
by means of a 24-bit analog/digital converter.
Mc-Thermo K8 is designed for sophisticated
uses in mobile metrics applications in motor
vehicles, and can be employed directly
in the engine compartment. Enclosed in
a 105 x 50 x 24mm (w x d x h) anodized-
aluminum housing conforming to protection
type IP65, the miniature measuring unit works
in a temperature range of -40C to +125C.
The power supply covers a voltage range
from 6-36V DC, and is electrically completely
isolated from the measurement electronics.
The power consumption is typically in the
region of 1.1W.
The measurement module has an electrically
isolated 2.0B CAN output. Data output takes
place via the CANbus as dened in ISO 11898-2
at up to 1mbps. All measurement-conguration
settings can be made conveniently via the
IPEmotion measurement-data acquisition
software.
OxTS
Tel: +44 1869 238 015; email: [email protected]; web: www.oxts.com
RT-range software improvements
537
With OxTS innovative RT-Range
measurement system, verifying
advanced driver assistance systems
has now become even more accurate, reliable
and time saving. The latest software update
enhances the RT-Range system with many
invaluable features such as an interface to ABDs
in-vehicle robots. This combination of RT-Range
measurement systems and in-vehicle robots
makes dynamic ADAS tests highly accurate
and extremely repeatable.
The RT-Range software now also includes
a useful birds-eye-view window, giving a clear
graphical presentation of the positions of the
hunter and target vehicles. The birds-eye view
enables drivers to quickly check
that the vehicles are in the expected
positions before starting a test. Using
the birds-eye view, drivers in the
leading vehicles can check what other
drivers are doing behind them without
having to look back. This is particularly
useful since many tests will involve
having cars in the drivers blind spots.
These new software improvements, as well
as many other unique features, make the
RT-Range the preferred tool for validating and
testing forward-collision warning, lane-departure
warning, ACC and other collision-avoidance
systems. With the RT-Range, OxTS presents
a turnkey solution that allows car manufacturers
to test driver-assistance systems with ease,
high accuracy and impressive repeatability.
PCB
PCB Automotive Sensors Division; tel: +1 716 684 0001; email: [email protected];
web: www.pcb.com/auto
Torque-sensing system for powertrain
development
535
The new PCB Series 5300D Torkdisc
in-line rotary torque sensor system
is designed for test applications
requiring a robust rotary torque transducer
where axial space is at a premium. Series 5300D
incorporates dual high-level analog outputs, AC
and DC coupled, providing both static and dynamic
torque measurement capability that can be
recorded separately and independently scaled. The
systems also feature industry-leading bandwidth
from DC to 8,500Hz, resulting in increased
dynamic response characteristics. The DC coupled
output features an eight-pole low-pass elliptical
lter with user selectable frequencies for minimal
roll-off at each lter selection. A two-pole
Butterworth high-pass lter with a wide range of
user-selectable cut-off frequencies is included
with the AC coupled output.
With capacities from 28 to 25.4kN-m full-
scale, Series 5300D Torkdisc units are ideal
for engine, powertrain, and chassis dynamometer
testing and rotational dynamic testing of
components such as transfer cases, axles,
differentials, pumps, fans, and electric motors.
Re-Sol
Tel: +1 248 219 5256; email: [email protected];
web: www.re-sol.com
Fuel-ow
measurement
536
Re-Sol LLC is committed to
providing customers with the
latest technology in fuel-flow
measurement by using its highly skilled
engineering team and listening to the
customers requirements. As a result Re-Sol
is enriching its current product line with
new options and product enhancements.
During Automotive Testing Expo North
America, Re-Sol will show the RS514 flow
measurement system as the latest example
of the RS500 series of systems for a wide
range of gasoline and diesel applications.
Several choices of data formats for
communication to the host computer and
also local user interfaces are available
to ease test-cell integration.
Re-Sol will also demonstrate its RS816
mobile calibration system for minimizing
the downtime of the test cell.
093
EXHIBITOR
EXHIBITOR EXHIBITOR
EXHIBITOR
Virginia Panel Corporation
Tel: +1 540 932 3300; email: [email protected]; web: www.vpc.com/i1
Innovative connector
538
Virginia Panel Corporation (VPC)s
newest connector solution, i1T,
is ideal for small connector needs.
Following the success of VPCs popular rack
and panel connector, iCon, i1 was developed to
satisfy the need for an even smaller connector.
The i1 holds a single iCon module in each
connector, making it the perfect solution for
low I/O applications.
i1 has a 30 U-shaped cable clamp to provide
strain relief and reduce height requirements. It
offers a polarization feature to ensure correct
alignment, and captive hardware to prevent lost
screws. Its half-turn quick cam ensures easy
engagement of the ITA and receiver, guaranteeing
10,000 cycles. Optional keying and guide pin
congurations protect contacts from damage
when using multiple connectors, and contacts
have been recessed for added pin protection.
Rugged durability allows the i1 to withstand drop
and vibration testing conditions. The removable
backshell and engaging mechanism enables
easy access to wiring and pins. i1 will operate
in temperatures from -55C to +105C.
A + D Technology Inc ................................. IBC
ABB Oy ....................................................... 56
Afliated Construction Services................... 17
AFT Atlas Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH................ 66
AOS Technologies ....................................... 52
Application Engineering Inc ......................... 42
Expo Europe 2010 .................................. 90
Expo India 2010 ...................................... 88
Expo North America ......................... 27, 28
Online Reader Enquiry Service .......... 94, 96
AVL List GmbH ......................................... OBC
Bitrode Corporation ..................................... 92
Chroma Systems Solutions ......................... 64
Corrsys-Datron Sensorsysteme GmbH ........ 20
D&V Electronics Ltd .................................... 32
Data Physics ............................................... 95
dSpace Inc .................................................. 48
Dytran Instruments Inc ................................ 85
Endevco ...................................................... 36
ESI UK Ltd ................................................... 59
Fairbanks Economic Development .............. 64
FEV Test Systems, Inc ................................. 13
Fundacion CETENA-CITEAN ......................... 37
Gantner Instruments ................................... 49
GIF .............................................................. 58
Group D-2-T ............................................... 15
HBM - Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik Gmbh 9
Herbert Hanchen & Co KG ........................... 40
IMTECH Deutschland GmbH & Co KG .......... 21
Industrie Automatisierungsgesellschaft
mbH ....................................................... 19
Kistler ......................................................... 37
KMT - Kraus Messtechnik & Telemetrie ....... 84
LDS Test + Measurement............................ 34
LEMO SA .................................................... 79
LMS International....................................... IFC
MAHA-AIP GmbH & Co KG ........................... 19
Millbrook Proving Ground ............................ 86
MKS Instruments ........................................ 67
mm-lab GmbH ............................................ 32
MOOG ......................................................... 11
Mustang Dynamometer............................... 23
nCode ......................................................... 46
Oxford Technical Solutions .......................... 23
PCB Piezotronics, Inc. Automotive
Sensors Division .................................... 52
Race Technology Ltd ................................... 22
Reich Kupplungen ....................................... 79
Renk Test Systems GmbH ........................... 43
Re-Sol LLC ................................................. 43
S Himmelstein & Co .................................... 91
SAE International ........................................ 92
Seoul Industry Engineering Co .................... 54
Signal Group ................................................. 3
Standards Testing Labs ............................... 54
TUV SUD Auto CZ ........................................ 59
Unico JAPAN Co Ltd .................................... 90
VBOX USA ................................................... 62
Virginia Panel Corp...................................... 46
Weiss Technik ............................................. 25
To request a free subscription
to Automotive Testing Technology
International go online to:
www.ukipme.com/recard/temcard.html
FREE ONLINE READER
ENQUIRY SERVICE
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SEPTEMBER 2009
A
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Septem
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UKIP M
edia &
Events Ltd
Big Three focus
Giugiaro special
Expo time
BMW X6M
SHOW ISSUE
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Camouflage
IFR Aspid
SEPTEMBER 2009
w
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S e p t e m
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U K
How Spanish engineers have developed a sports car with the power-to-weight ratio of a Veyron
Big Three focus Ford, GM, and Chrysler are changing their test regimes to meet the changing times
Giugiaro special Spend some time with the legendary Giugiaros, and take a tour of their facility
The baby Rolls-Royce is the marques most powerful, most driver-focused model yet
I want to help Cadillac achieve a market position in which luxury consumers acknowledge that our cars are equal to or better than the nest European and Japanese competitors
Your guide to the technologies on show at North Americas best automotive testing event
Expo time BMWs M division has created a monster: a twin-turbo, four-wheel- drive SAV with track aspirations
BMW X6M
SHOW ISSUE
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Tips from the worlds experts to help keep your prototype a secret
IFR Aspid
SEPTEMBER 2009
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Expo time
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EXHIBITOR
IAG
Tel: +43 2622 21734 607; web: www.iag.at
Test-cell equipment
539
IAG test-cell equipment offers an
entire innovative product line for
automotive emission testing. Various
modules for hot gas sample drawing such as
various lter-pressure regulator units, high-
temperature lines, multiplexers and a new
generation of gas pumps are offered. Providing
a number of PNS devices to condition gases for
sensitive analyzers, the IAG product line allocates
a total solution to any test arrangement. IAG also
offers a range of gas analyzer systems. FTIR
analyzers are integrated into smart solutions.
New are IAGs limited component systems with
one or two fully equipped lines and EGR. Many
peripheral devices, such as the new monitor
carrier system, complete the product line.
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
Now there is one trusted name you can turn to for
proven test and measurement solutions. For over 25
years, Data Physics has been driven by its customer
needs to develop, internally and through acquisition,
a full range of powerful technologies for noise and
vibration applications.
Corporation
Ling Electronics
L
E
Gearing & Watson
(Electronics) Ltd.
SignalCalc
Dynamic Signal Analyzers
SignalStar
Vibration Control Systems
SignalForce
Shakers & Amplifiers
Solutions to Test and Measurement challenges from people
who are driven by them.
Powered by
Best of breed solutions from a trusted coop
of
25
Test & Measurement
INNOVATION
Y
E
A
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1984 - 2009
TESTBED LEGENDS
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Lincoln Futura
The Lincoln Futura was surely one of the
most striking concept cars ever made. It no
doubt looks oddly familiar to many people, almost
embarrassed to say what it reminds them of
Yes, the Futura concept became the Batmobile.
The Futura was hand-built by Ghia in Turin,
Italy, at a cost of US$250,000 and joined the auto
show circuit in 1955.
Futuras styling was extravagant even by 1950s
standards, with a double-bubble canopy top,
exaggerated headlight pods, and very large ns at
both ends. The Futura was fully operable, powered
by a 368in
3
Lincoln engine and powertrain, with
a modied Lincoln Mark II chassis.
Designed by Lincolns stylists and engineers to
serve as a laboratory on wheels, the car had many
innovations adaptable for production vehicles
and went on to develop some features that were
rather ahead of their time.
Reality check
Many show cars are sadly
forgotten or destroyed, but
the Futura concept was sold
to George Barris, a famous
auto customizer, who made
the car into a TV icon.
As the car was never titled
and therefore uninsurable,
it sat idle at Barriss shop
for several years, and slowly
deteriorated.
In 1966 Barris was asked
to design a theme car for
the Batman television series.
Work began, using a 1959
Cadillac, but Barris then
thought the Futura might
Making Gotham safer
workwell, and that its
unusual winged shape would
be an ideal starting point for
the Batmobile. Barris went
on to build ve duplicates
for the show circuit.
For the lming of the
Batman series, Barris later
replaced the Lincoln frame
and engine with 1966 Ford
Galaxie parts for greater
performance.
Push-button control of the
Turbo-Drive automatic
transmission eliminated
the need for a gear lever.
Chrome push buttons for
reverse and park, and
neutral and the forward
gears, were located in the
functional pedestal dividing
the two front seats. Similar
systems can now be seen in
Ferraris and Aston Martins,
among other models.
The Futuras headlight and
tailn motifs would appear
on production Lincolns for
1956 and 1957, albeit in a
much more subdued form.
The cars original color
was white, and was one of
the rst pearlescent color
treatments. Actual ground
pearls were used to achieve
the paint effect.
A special Lincoln
experimental chassis added
to the ground-hugging
appearance. Ground
clearance was 6in at the
center of the frame and
7.2in at the side rails. The
cowl and the rear deck
were less than 35in from
the ground at their highest
points. The car measured
only 52.8in from the top of
its double-domed Plexiglas
canopy to the ground.
In order to preserve the
clean, uncluttered lines
of the instrument panel,
controls were contained
in separate compartments
in the lower half of the
panel, and each
compartment had its own
exible roll-down door.
Toggle switches were set
into the chrome interior
of these compartments.
Such minimal cockpit
styling is still something
manufacturers strive for.
A superb safety feature that
is yet to make its way from
Bat concept to Bat reality
is an anti-re theft control
system featuring swivelling
ve-way nozzles that
eliminate any re
throughout the vehicle.
Sadly, the triple rocket
tubes, 360 emergency Bat
turn feature, the Batscope
with revolving closed-
circuit antennae for optimal
vision, the 450W laser
beams, and the famous
Detect-a-scope owner
tracker have yet to become
a production reality.
Atomic power is also yet
to nd a home, although
one of the TV cars featured
a 429 Ford Full Race engine,
and nitrous oxide.
ABOVE: Rocket
tubes and lasers
aside, the
Batmobile looks
surprisingly similar
to the bold Futura
concept
LEFT: The futura
was a popular
star at 1950s auto
shows, especially
with its authentic
pearlescent paint
To request a free subscription to Automotive Testing Technology
International go online to: www.ukipme.com/recard/temcard.html
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AVL ELECTRI C MOTOR TESTBED
DRI VI NG ELECTRI FI CATI ON. FAST AND EFFI CI ENT

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SEPTEMBER 2009

Site Planning and Permitting

Code Interpretation and Design Approvals

Equipment Optimization and Sizing Calculations

Fuel Farm, Process Systems and Electrical Design

Site Preparation and Construction Services

Turnkey Systems Integration

Facility Operation and Test Engineering Services

Reciprocating Engine Cells

Turbine Engine Test Beds

Full Powertrain Congurations

Hot Test Production Cells

Gas Bottle Storage Rooms

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