Crash testing and simulation

KIMAB is internationally renowned for its competency in the technological properties of materials, including extensive experimental resources and advanced calculation techniques. In order to produce basic calculation data and design methods for the car industry under crash loading conditions, it has to be possible to study material properties at high deformation speed.

Equipment developed in-house
A new piece of equipment has been developed in-house at KIMAB, in which the advantages of a diminishing weight or hydraulically-controlled equipment have been taken into account. The principle is to accelerate a weight/mass using hydraulic test equipment (see Fig 1).

Performance and capability
The test machine can be operated at speeds up to 20 m/s or 70 km/h. The test object is accelerated to the intended speed in approximately half a millisecond, (Fig 2). The machine has shown very good reproducibility in repeated experiments (Fig 3).

Services
Considerable experience has been gained on the following types of test specimen and testing services are offered to customers on these:

a) Tensile test specimens that can be tested up to extension speeds of around 300/s.
b) Shear tests for joints that can be tested up to speeds of approximately 15 m/s (55 km/h).
c) Splitting tests for joints that can be tested up to speeds of approximately 15 m/s.

Measurement
High speed testing demands special measurement techniques due to the high speeds involved and the dynamic phenomena arising. Force is measured by using pairs of extension sensors which are glued firmly to each test specimen. First these sensors are calibrated in a low speed machine. Then they are used for force calculations in the high speed test. The status is evaluated using accelerometers.

Contact: Arne Melander, +46 8 440 48 70