DURABILITY TESTING
Simplified and accelerated lifecycle testing
Project leader: Koen Vanden Boer
In the heavy goods vehicle sector, weight is a major challenge. For some vehicles, the maximum allowable limit has already been reached. As a result, the quest for weight reduction is increasing. And one does not want to save on weight alone, but also on materials and costs, without such having a negative impact on the vehicle’s durability. However, the heavy goods vehicle industry does not have the same technical and financial resources as the car industry and therefore needs a specific approach to test the durability of (lightweight) constructions and promote their introduction.
Project leader: Koen Vanden Boer
In the heavy goods vehicle sector, weight is a major challenge. For some vehicles, the maximum allowable limit has already been reached. As a result, the quest for weight reduction is increasing. And one does not want to save on weight alone, but also on materials and costs, without such having a negative impact on the vehicle’s durability. However, the heavy goods vehicle industry does not have the same technical and financial resources as the car industry and therefore needs a specific approach to test the durability of (lightweight) constructions and promote their introduction.
Goals
The purpose of this project is to enable suppliers and vehicle manufacturers with smaller production runs, such as trailers, buses and agricultural machinery, to assess the durability of their products. By indicating methods that are economically and technically feasible for the target group, this project paves the way to lighter constructions and lightweight materials.
Methodology
Pre-established methodologies indicate which uniform steps we can take to establish the expected lifecycle for a wide range of products. Based on practical examples, we will show how lifecycle issues can be tackled in a simplified and/or accelerated way. For every example, the representative nature and the cost/time savings will be assessed.
Phases
- Simplified lifecycle tests focussing on cost saving
- Accelerated lifecycle tests focussing on time saving
Results
- Measuring of both static and dynamic operational loads on vehicle components
- Simplified lifecycle tests at component level
- Accelerated lifecycle tests using multi-axis and compressed loads
- Highly Accelerated Lifecycle Test on mechanical systems using a combination of loads
- Assessment of material parameters for combined alternating bending and torsion loads
Project Duration
01/09/2007 - 31/03/2010
