Automotive Testing Technology International Dec 2010

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010
I. V. Rao, Maruti Suzuki

MSILs head of engineering
reveals the companys bold
plans for the future
Proving grounds
Where to go, timesaving tips,
and an exclusive tour of Fords
3,880-acre Michigan facility
USA focus
Vehicle development business
is booming in the USA, as we
discovered at Automotive
Testing Expo North America
Secret
formula
Could Toyotas F1-spec test facilities
be the solution to your road car project?
Mercedes-Benz CLS
The car that launched a
niche has been extensively
re-engineered to stay on top
Ford C-Max
Ford needs a sound platform
from which to launch a whole
host of new models
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnology International.com
And the winner is

The Automotive Testing
Technology International Awards
2010 winners are announced
When NVH quality counts
NVH and acoustic simulation

Acoustic testing
Structural testing
Rotating machinery testing
Vibration control
Analyzer-based testing
References on www.lmsintl.com/testlab
CONTENTS
COVER STORY
056
Site visit: Toyota Motorsport

Many dream of using a test facility built
when cost just wasnt an issue. Now you can
024
056
WHATS NEW
004
Mercedes-Benz CLS
Not every part of the CLS is new, but it was
still subjected to a top-notch test program
008
Ford C-Max
One of the most signicant cars of 2010,
the C-Max sits atop the new Focus chassis
020
Proving grounds
Keith Read brings you the latest proving
ground news from around the world
FEATURES
024
Ford Michigan Proving Ground

Explore all 3,880 acres of Fords testing
kingdom, which can be make any test
engineers wishes come true
030
Proving grounds
World events have had a positive effect on
the worlds proving grounds, as youll see
038
Track time
Testing at tracks and proving grounds
is expensive, so dont waste your time
042
Interview: I.M. Rao

Maruti Suzukis engineering chief discusses
the companys exciting R&D plans for
the future
048
Awards results
Its that time of year again: the Automotive
Testing Technology International Awards
2010 winners are announced!
064
Automotive Testing Expo

North America 2010
Technology and announcements from North
Americas foremost automotive testing event
042
November/December 2010 www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com
001
CONTENTS
REGULARS
010
Theodore
Crawl, walk, run
012
Read
We have the technology
014
10 questions
Fords Rainer Geschwentner discusses his
proudest achievements at the blue oval
016
Ask the experts

Our panel discuss their favorite test locations
018
Ask Alex
Our resident automotive lawyer
considers names and shames
018
Recall roundup
The latest vehicle roundup news
from the nal quarter of 2010
092
Testbed legends
A tribute to the Ford Seattle-ite, a 1962
concept that is still ahead of our time
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

074
076
077
078
080
082
084
087
Proving ground optimization

Multipurpose evaluation toolbox
A growing and open proving ground
A new spark in innovation
New line of NVH instruments from China
A bright future
Analyzing vehicle driving behavior
Products and services directory
Editors note
FREE reader enquiry service available at

www.ukipme.com/recard/temcard_mag.html
Honestly, it was a force too

great to resist. When youre
in Detroit and the lady at the car
rental desk offers to upgrade you,
from something rather appealingly
called an economy subcompact to
a hulk of Detroit muscle, what can
you do? For a limey in town, this
was a chance to feel a part of those
seminal lms like Vanishing Point,
Two Lane Blacktop, Bullitt, Smokey
and the Bandit not that I have
ever enjoyed that last title, of
course. Anyway, the car was a
Dodge Challenger and it looked
amazing sitting squat atop a special
plinth out front, specially to lure
in over-excitable British punters.
On the road, the car really felt
like a product of Motor City as we
prowled the streets, each green
signal on the hanging trafc lights
warranting a roar of engine and a
squeal of rubber (and driver). In the
right car, you really get a different
perspective of Detroit. Its motoring
soul is palpable, its passion just as
strong despite the citys decline.
I lost count of the cars that revved
alongside the Challenger at
red lights, a universal form of
invitation. Somehow in Detroit
though this is not an aggressive
Editor
Adam Gavine
Editorial assistant
Bunny Richards
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Alex Bradley
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William Baker
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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
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002
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November/December 2010
act, a hooligans taunt; in Detroit

it is assumed that you will be
a petrolhead or a gearhead in the
local lingo and interested in some
friendly engineering comparisons.
And when in Detroit
Naturally I declined such
invitations (mostly), not due to the
stiffness of my nations upper lip,
but because I was about to get
a massive engineering x. Yes, the
reason for my trip was Automotive
Testing Expo North America. Just
as exciting as seeing condent
suppliers launch new technologies
and announce multimillion-dollar
investments was the way the
visitors were so obviously excited
by these opportunities. And given
how many of these visitors were
from the Big Three as well as the
rest of the massive Detroit auto
scene, this has to be great news.
If the durability these products
and services can offer is combined
with some of the great domestic
design I saw on the roads from the
likes of Ford, Chevy and Cadillac,
we could see the renaissance of
Renaissance City. I have a feeling
Detroits going to do just ne.
Adam Gavine
Proofreaders
Aubrey Jacobs-Tyson,
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, Satnam Singh,
Dean Slavnich, Richard Stobart,
Chris Theodore, Adam Towler
CEO
Tony Robinson
Managing director
Graham Johnson
Sales and marketing director
Dominic Cundy
Publication manager
Jason Sullivan
International sales
Rob Knight
Circulation manager
Suzie Matthews
The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are

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WHATS NEW
Mercedes-Benz
There is substance behind the style

of the new-generation CLS
WORDS BY ADAM GAVINE
When the svelte CLS appeared in 2004, it created

quite a stir. Some loved the way its lines meant
that buying a family car didnt mean sacricing
style, while others were confused why anyone would choose
a sedan that offered compromised rear accommodation.
However, few dissented about its looks.
Notable among its fans were Volkswagen (which soon
launched a lookalike Passat CC), Audi (which is launching
a me-too A7), Jaguar (with its sleek XJ), and BMW (its svelte
Gran Coupe is due in 2012). Dont listen to those who say
the latest generation CLS is simply an E-Class in a party
frock, though, as it is a work of engineering in its own right.
For sure, some elements, such as the rear axle, are from the
E-Class, while others are sourced from the S-Class and CL
004
models. However, only high-end components are selected,

and elements bespoke to the CLS, such as the three-link
front axle, are added.
We use the crme de la crme in the CLS, says head of
testing, Joachim Lindau. Its a good foundation for starting
testing, as we have experience of the parts. But with the
complete car its the rst time we have brought the parts
together, so we tested the CLS as thoroughly as all our other
cars.
So Lindaus task was not made much easier. There was
still a three-year test program, including the many loops
involved in the new full LED headlamps, and very intensive
development of the electromechanical steering. These tests
included some very customer-focused programs.
WHATS NEW
005
WHATS NEW
Change of direction
A major highlight of the CLS is its electromechanical
steering, the rst application of this system.
There are a lot of benets in combining electronics
and hydraulics, explains Lindau. With hydraulic steering
you have only two or three levels to bring special feeling
to it. With electromechanical steering, you can optimize
it for driving at high speed, low speed, and driving with
side winds.
We can bring in double the parameters of a hydraulic
system. But it is complicated so you need a lot of time to
optimize it. You have to get the right feeling you want to
feel the weight of the car through the steering, and have
a light feeling in the city. It took two years to create this
special feeling.
The electromechanical steering also boosts the CLSs
efciency, as the support system uses energy only during
steering inputs, cutting fuel consumption by up to 0.3 liters
or 7g of CO2 compared with the previous model.
Coming soon
When the Shooting Brake
concept debuted at Auto China
2010, it was considered by many
to be just another fanciful display
of design. However, Frank Bracke,
head of global communications for
Mercedes-Benz, told us at the CLS
launch: You can speculate, and
LEFT: The Shooting

Brake carries over the
new, separate grille
design of the CLS,
a design cue from the
SLS AMG supercar.
After a sneak preview
of a prototype, we
can reveal that the
forthcoming SLK will
also sport this design
if you speculate Im sure youll be

right. And we were.
We can now conrm that this sleek
tourer will be gracing our roads in
2012. The model will be built on the
same production line as the CLS and
E-Class sedan at the companys
Sindelngen plant in Germany.
ABOVE AND LEFT:

The CLSs traction
control and steering
systems were
rigorously tested
at the companys
Papenburg Proving
Ground in Germany
Its the rst time we have put this steering system in

a car so we carried out more durability tests, says
Lindau. We looked at how customers drive the car
whether they drive with one or two hands, whether they
drive off the road, perhaps over stones or through mud
and use all this information in the program.
One seemingly innocuous factor that occupied a lot of
Lindaus time was the pillarless doors, and specically their
role in keeping passengers dry.
Not all rain is the same, he says. Different sorts of rain
affect vehicles in different ways. Rain tests were carried out
in the basement of the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre
in Sindelngen, Germany. These tests were particularly
critical, given the cars main market of the USA, where
carwashes operate at unusually high pressures.
We were getting feedback about this from customers, so
we changed our vehicles and test program, explains Lindau.
Thats the exciting thing about my job: there is an
opportunity to do something even better every day.
Further new tests were carried out at 10 different public

carwashes. Then prototypes were lashed with up to 20 liters
of water per minute and square meter. In the chamber, the
CLSs wheels were hydraulically raised to simulate the car
being parked on an incline or a curb, and a fan was used to
simulate traveling at speed.
At times like this, the laws of physics and gravity no
longer seem to apply, and water ows uphill, says Lindau.
NVH was another focus, with the bending resistance of
the bodywork improved by 28% compared to its predecessor,
and torsional stiffness improved by 6%. The vibrational
excitations passing from the chassis into the bodywork
could be improved by 100% in some cases, according to Dr
Bernd Pletschen, head of NVH and aerodynamics. Much
ne-tuning went into minimizing noise.
In the same way as the skillful application of make-up
can be used to delicately enhance a womans beauty, we use
carefully selected insulation measures to enhance the
overall comfort characteristics of a new car, explains a
sensitive Pletschen.
We built this car for the whole world, from Japan to
Alaska. Customers will drive the car in these areas, so we
went to these areas. But we go to special places to test the
car, and we know if there are no problems in these areas,
the car will have no problems anywhere in the world.
Other destinations on Lindaus world tour included
engine testing in South Africa, various air-conditioning
tests in Arizona and northern Scandinavia, body and
interior testing in Texas, and intensive chassis-development
work at the Nrburgring. In all, the team of test drivers
covered a gruelling 21 million miles in more than 1,400
prototypes and pre-production models. h
VISIT www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com FOR MORE DETAILS AND NEWS
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OPINION
CRAWL, WALK, RUN

It was in about 1980 at the SAE
World Congress that I attended
a session on the potentially explosive growth
of the Indian auto market. The explosion
never came, but some 30 years later, this
emerging markets time may have arrived.
Automobile sales are projected to be 2.5
million this year.
Indias population is 1.15 billion, and
by 2030 is projected to be the largest in the
world at more than 1.5 billion! Only 40% of
households own a bicycle, and around 10%
of households own a motorcycle or moped.
How will the other 90% be able to satisfy
mans innate need for mobility, and how
will this affect the nations infrastructure
and environment?
Ratan Tata took the rst bold step
to address this growing issue with the
introduction of the Tata Nano, whose price
has risen to about US$2,500. Some 15 years
ago, I had the good fortune of meeting Mr
Tata. He is extremely bright, well educated,
and a true visionary. With Jaguar and Land
Rover now under the Tata Group umbrella,
it controls both ends of Indias automotive
spectrum. Nano sales, however, have been
falling not because of the vehicle, but
rather because of the inability of potential
customers to nance their purchase.
I cant help but wonder if there isnt

a better solution to bridge the chasm
between a US$2,500 car and a US$50
bicycle or even a US$500-1,000 scooter/
motorcycle. Is there a way to simultaneously
address this market need, and raise the
standard of living of the masses?
History may light the way, and may
also help identify some pitfalls that need
to be avoided. At the turn of the last century,
automobiles were a luxury item for the
wealthy. In 1909, Henry Ford announced,
I will build a motor car for the great
multitude, and introduced the Model T. More
than 15 million Model Ts were manufactured
by the time production ceased in 1927.
His US$5 a day wage helped create a new
burgeoning middle class, where employees
could own what they manufactured.
In todays emerging markets, it seems
that most governments want to skip the
growth step between emergence and global
leadership. I fear that they risk creating
a society of haves and have nots, with all
the risks that such societies entail. Trickle
down may not come fast enough to raise
the economic standard of living as a whole.
That is not to say that the pace of growth
cannot be accelerated, but rather that it
needs to be planned.
We need to walk before we run.

I believe it is possible to break our
paradigms regarding automobile design and
develop a vehicle that can transport two or
more people for as little as US$500-1,000.
Explosive growth in this segment could
provide employment that fuels the economy.
Moreover, with a little forethought, we
could address the infrastructure and
environmental issues that a country with
hundreds of millions of vehicles would
create. Motorways and cities could be
designed to safely handle the different
means of transportation and avoid
congestion and gridlock. The environmental
impact of all these vehicles on pollution
and consumption of natural resources
could be minimized. Sustainability could
be designed in.
India offers an almost clean sheet
opportunity to design such a transportation
infrastructure that can raise the standard
of living for its people and avoid the current
environmental problems experienced by
developed nations. I have my own thoughts
on how to achieve this, but more importantly:
what are yours? h
Chris Theodore has more than 30 years experience in automotive
development, including stints at each of the Big Three in the USA
I believe it is possible to break

our paradigms regarding
automobile design and develop
a vehicle that can transport
two or more people for as
little as US$500-1,000
010
OPINION
WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY

It was pure ction in the mid-1970s
when the TV thriller series The Six
Million Dollar Man opened on our screens
with the words: Gentlemen, we can rebuild
him we have the technology Today, some
of the programs far-fetched techniques used
to reconstruct the injured astronaut, Steve
Austin, into a man stronger and better than
before or, at least, medical procedures
very close to what television had imagined
possible back then are happening in
hospital operating theaters around the world.
This is not because the TV show was
good at predicting or was blessed with
visionary powers. It wasnt even a lucky
guess on behalf of the scriptwriters. I believe
it was a case of stretching the imagination
and then, over time, seeing technology
actually catch up.
So, as we seek to make our roads safer,
our cars and trucks less likely to kill or
maim, and to reduce the horrendous
nancial costs of accidents and stolen
vehicles, surely its time for R&D engineers
to take advantage of technology? Because
the technology that has advanced rapidly
over the past few decades could be readily
brought to bear on the imagination that the
auto industry likes to call blue-sky thinking.
Take something as simple as auto-theft,
for instance. It increases what every
motorist has to pay in insurance by
considerable amounts. Yet there are systems
already in use that can effectively track
stolen vehicles. The problem is, you have to
buy them. And, as any car salesman will tell

you, even when the economy is buoyant, its
difcult to get buyers to part with additional
money. During economic decline its damned
near impossible
However, if OEMs linked up with those
who offer tracker-type systems and then
tted them as standard, its conceivable that
vehicle theft would all but disappear. Yes,
motorists would still have to pay for the
device. But insurance premiums could be
cut and, over a number of years, far more
could be saved on lower insurance than
was paid for the vehicle tracking device.
This has almost happened in one sector
of the UKs vehicle industry. The nations
100 New Holland tractor dealers are now
offering tracking devices in a move to halt
the wholesale theft of farm machinery. Every
year in the UK, an estimated US$100 million
worth of plant and agricultural machinery
is stolen. Only 5% is ever recovered.
Now, lets take that technology a little
further. Ive just been talking to a distributor
of niche-market cars who has had to do
a stock check not an uncommon ritual
for distributors and OEMs. Imagine how
easy that stock check would have been if
every one of his vehicles had come off the
assembly line with a small tracking device
built in. It could be used to keep an eye on
the vehicles locations in the factory yard,
during shipment to dealers, and when they
were standing in the dealers new-vehicle
parking lot ahead of buyers taking delivery.
Were not talking futuristic

technology here. It exists. Many
new cars come with GPS equipment
that, with the addition of tracking
devices, would combine to offer
many valuable benets
012
Already in the UK, some insurance

companies are offering younger drivers
lower premiums if they agree not to drive
after a certain time at night or before a
certain time in the morning. It keeps them
off the roads during the hazardous hours
of darkness and when alcohol is likely to be
consumed. To ensure these drivers stick to
the rules, a tracking device is tted to the car.
But if a tracking device had been tted
when the car was built, how much easier
it would be for this system to be employed.
There would be no need for extra cost for
the device or for labor charges for tting it.
Were not talking futuristic technology
here. It exists. Many new cars come with
GPS equipment that, with the addition of
tracking devices the cost of which would
fall dramatically with greatly increased
production for wide-scale application would
combine to offer many valuable benets.
Safety is probably the most valuable. More
than a decade ago, I drove a car tted with
equipment that would not let me break the
speed limit. Irrespective of where I drove
the car, I could not go faster than the limit.
Like many skeptics, I was dubious about
its value. Until I drove the car, that is. Within
a very short space of time I was won over.
Such technology would mean drivers no
longer feared being ned for excessive
speed. The chances of excessive speed
being the cause of accidents would be greatly
reduced, as would the ultimate penalty some
pay for the privilege of being a motorist:
death as a result of a crash.
I could go on. There are many examples
of how technology harnessed in a joined-up
way can lead to a better deal for everyone
on the roads. But the imagining and the
innovation and the harnessing is surely
down to you, the architects of future
motoring. So go to it.
Gentlemen we have the technology! h
Keith Read spent many years as communications manager
at MIRA before becoming an industry commentator
Geschwentner
program manager,
Ford Europe
I was always into motorsport and vehicles, and

when I went to university I wanted a very broad
experience, so I studied the practical side, and also the
program management side. The course I took was called
International Project Management, based on an engineering
course. During this study I had the opportunity to work at
Volkswagen and Ford, where I started my working career.
02
What is your favorite part of your job?
As program manager, you get insight into all

aspects of the vehicle, not just concentrating on
one system or one part. You get the complete overview and
therefore you are responsible for the coordination of the whole
program in order to not lose focus and go in the right direction.
This is what really motivates me in this job.
And your least favorite?
The maximum I could imagine

removing from total program
development times is another
four to six months
03
04
Paperwork is a substantial part of the job. The

preparation of papers in order to go through major
gateways is also one of my responsibilities, but every time you
pass through a gateway it is absolutely worth the effort.
What is your proudest career

achievement to date?
Denitely the C-Max program. I have been

working on this program for the past four years and have
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10 QUESTIONS
01
Rainer
How did you end up working with cars?
What are your goals for the next

ve years?
05
06
That is not something I can answer right now!
What could legislators do to make

your working life easier?
Legislation changes bring new challenges to

engine and safety teams. The development of solutions to
these challenges is one of the very interesting parts of the job;
otherwise we wouldnt have developed to the point were at now.
What are the trends in your eld?
07
08
Ford and most of its competitors are trying to

signicantly raise quality. We are also moving
in the direction of more versatility of the vehicles, and also
improved fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions.
How condent would you feel about

developing a car purely in the lab?
I dont see an opportunity to completely get rid

of physical prototypes. We have already gone a big step further
with the new C-Max program. We had in the earlier stages
much more focus on virtual development of the vehicle, and

I was actually very proud of how far we got. But to get rid of
all physical testing is a completely different thing because you
simply cannot simulate every day-to-day driving condition.
09
What is the biggest recent advance

in virtual testing at Ford?
In the C-Max program we worked very closely,

right from the beginning, with manufacturing, which meant
every new system we developed virtually went into the virtual
car, and the manufacturing team took the parts and put them
into a virtual plant to simulate assembly and also do virtual
ergonomic investigations and so on. That attention to detail
has never been seen in Ford before. It was a huge up-front
workload of course, with much more coordination between
the different parties, but it really paid off when we built the rst
physical prototype because there wasnt a single part which
couldnt be tted. By introducing these new virtual methods
we reduced the number of physical prototypes by about 40%
compared to previous programs a signicant cost benet.
10
Will test programs be shorter in 2020?
The maximum I could imagine removing from total

program development times is another four to six
months. Systems are getting more complex, and the number
of electrical modules and electrical distribution systems are
bringing more features that need to communicate with each
other. This just takes time.
10 QUESTIONS
seen it grow from the very rst design sketches, and evolve
into a real vehicle. The rst time I sat behind the steering wheel
I felt it was really a wonderful achievement.
POLL
WHATS NEW
ask the experts

Where is your favorite place to test a vehicle?
Martyn Anderson, chief engineer, vehicle dynamics
Lotus Engineering
My favorite test has to be a week-long trip to
Luxembourg, tire testing for the Series 4 Lotus
Esprit. It comprised two days of assessing tires
on a combination of fast sweeping roads and lots
of different gradients, with such amazing views
it transformed the experience of working into
a sight-seeing tour of the breathtaking Luxembourg countryside.
We utilized sections of autobahn for motorway driving and
conducted wet and dry handling tests on the fantastic
Goodyear circuit, which has a combination of fast sweeping
curves, banked bends, and tight twisting sections. Finally, there
was a short trip to the Nrburgring to verify the performance
of the chosen tire on the most challenging circuit that the world
has to offer. Every testers dream week!
week!
Rainer Geschwentner, program manager

Ford
Lommel clearly is a very nice test facility because it
offers a completely wide range of opportunities to simulate
certain driving conditions. This is my favorite, except
for the weather!
Dominic Gardener, group leader, performance engineering

Toyota Motorsport
My favorite F1 testing venue has to be Monza. Its
a fantastic venue with unique circuit characteristics
very high speed, heavy braking, and big curbs. The
atmosphere there is always brilliant it draws a real
crowd, the closest testing ever comes to racing. And of
course the food is fantastic.
Joachim Lindau, head of testing
Mercedes-Benz
The best proving ground in the world for all things is the
Nrburgring. If a car goes round the Nrburgring without
a problem, the car has no problem! Its the green hell!
$URABILITYAND0ERFORMANCE
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ALEX GEISLER
ASK ALEX
Whats in a name?
recall round-up
The latest automotive recall news for Europe and
North America during the fourth quarter of 2010
Until recently it was widely believed that the multitude

of obvious litigation hazards arising from marketing had
been recognized and well cataloged. Then along came Zoe.
Accounts vary as to why Renault decided to call its
upcoming all-electric car Zoe. Some have suggested that it
is a play on the letters ZE, as in Zer0 Emissions. Others have
speculated that it is because Zoe means life in Greek. Either
way, no one at Renault could be blamed for failing to avert
the litigation in the French courts, which was about the name
itself. Thats right. Not the airbags, not the ride and handling,
and not even the emissions. Just the name.
Question: What sort of a litigant would assert that naming
a car Renault Zoe was a violation of human dignity and
privacy? Answer? Someone called Zoe Renault. In fact, two
persons called Zoe Renault presumably not related to each
other or to Louis Renault brought this case. They did so on
behalf of themselves and, with great gallantry, people called
Zoe all across France. They argued that Renault would bring
ridicule on everyone with the name Zoe.
One of the two Zoe Renaults I bet that was a confusing
court room to be in told Le Parisien that she could not bear
to be associated with a car for the rest of her life. It would
be intolerable to hear that Zoes broken down or We need
to get Zoe overhauled. But surely, I hear you say, Clio and
Mgane are both French names. So they are. Perhaps the
Clios and Mganes of that era were equally violated or at
least outraged. If they were, then they doubtless took the
enlightened path and simply got over it.
The judgment was delivered this week. Zoe Renault failed,
the other Zoe Renault also failed, and Renault succeeded.
The judge held that there was no evidence that certain,
direct, and current harm had been caused to the plaintiffs.
Now, excuse me for sounding cynical, but just maybe the
plaintiffs were hoping for a settlement. If not cash, then
maybe a complimentary car. Which model? Perhaps the new
Renault Zoe, complete with spa-like aromatherapy ventilation
and a light therapy function. Just because it is never too late
to think about settlement, doesnt mean it is the right thing
to do. Renault defended its product, and rightly so.
Finally, excuse me also for declaring a personal bias.
My initials are AMG and I have never felt remotely stripped
of dignity by the sight of an AMG derivative Mercedes.
Neither would I be offended to hear that the AMG is high
maintenance or even that the AMG has gone into
limp-home mode.
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
amgeisler@duanemorris.com, +44 207 786 2111
(London) and +1 215 979 1000 (Philadelphia).
018
Make
Model(s)
Concern
Toyota
Lexus GS450h,
GS460, LS460,
LS600h/hL
Engine may fail
Ford
Focus, Focus Wagon

(1.6 diesel and 1.8/2L
petrol)
Risk of re
Citron
C8 and Dispatch III
Braking efciency may

be compromised
Volkswagen
T5
Hood (bonnet) may open
Toyota
Land Cruiser Amazon
Loss of steering control
Mitsubishi
L200
Top suspension ball joint

may detach
Fiat
Doblo, Cargo,
Panorama, Combi
Vehicle stability may be affected
Jaguar
XK, XF
Engine may cut out
MercedesBenz
Vario
Directional control may be lost
Subaru
Outback and Legacy
CVT gearbox oil may leak
Kia
Soul Burner,
Sorento KX3
Risk of re
Fiat
500, Abarth 500,

Panda
Loss of steering control
Jeep
Wrangler
Braking efciency may be affected
Hyundai
Santa Fe, Trajet
Suspension may fail
Bentley
Arnage, Azure,
Brooklands
Potential pedestrian injury
Fiat
500, Punto Grande,

Evo, Abarth variants
Wrong airbag may deploy

in a collision
Aston
Martin
DB9, V8 Vantage,
DBS
Steering may be affected
RollsRoyce
Phantom
Possible reduction in brake

servo assistance
Toyota
Yaris
Airbag may endanger passenger
Honda
Civic coupe, Stream
Airbag may endanger passenger
Volvo
C30, S40, V50
Engine may overheat
MercedesBenz
A Class, B Class
Fuel may leak
Renault
Trucks
Master
Seatbelt may not perform correctly
Dodge
Caliber
Accelerator pedal may not return

to idle
Citron
C2, C3, C3 Pluriel,

C8, Dispatch III
Lights may fail without warning
The most important dates for

your diary in 2011
Die wichtigsten Termine fr

Ihren Kalender 2011
I am impressed with the Expo.

There are a lot of good ideas here.
We have to look at the ideas of suppliers
and other OEMs. We want to be the best
so we have to think about everything
Dr Gerrit Kiesgen,
general manager, BMW
Bigger and better

than ever before
Noch grer,
noch besser
There are many manufacturers of machinery and parts,

and it is very interesting. I didnt think it would be so
large. It is such an interesting place
Bernd Eberle,
project manager,
BMW M GmbH
Europes leading automotive testing, evaluation

and quality engineering trade fair
N RU
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DB ES TT
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May 17, 18 and 19, 2011

Stuttgart Messe, Stuttgart, Germany
Register for your FREE entry pass/badge NOW online at
www.testing-expo.com
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO EUROPE 2011
Abinger House, Church Street,
Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743744
Fax: +44 (0) 1306 877411
email: expo@ukintpress.com
www.testing-expo.com
Focused Relevant
Unmissable
Zielgenau Relevant
Ein Muss
It is useful, with a lot of exhibitors.

It gives us some ideas
Vincent Jacquier,
mechanical chief engineer,
PSA Peugeot Citron
SITE VISIT
The 40-acre vehicle

dynamics area
features a diamondshaped asphalt
surface with a highspeed parabolic
entrance
024
SITE VISIT
So, you want to test a vehicle? Simple: buy a couple

of thousand acres of land, get the zoning and
environmental clearances, design and build
facilities for every test element, install maintenance and
safety teams, and youre all set. The snag? Well, only the
stratospheric costs involved. The alternative? Find a
company with a proving ground capable of fullling every
need, and ask to use it. The snag? Lets see
Since 1956, every US Ford model has run durability and
corrosion tests at the companys Michigan Proving Ground
(MPG) in Romeo, a 90-minute drive north of Detroit. The
3,880-acre site has bred automotive history, and has for the
past ve years been open to external business.
At this point in time we have excess capacity, partly
because of increased lab work, so we want to exploit that.
No one likes to have excess capacity, explains Mike
Stoeckle, manager of the facility, and a Ford veteran of 21
years. Visiting the site, one cannot help but imagine the
Thunderbirds and Mustangs that have pounded its 250 miles
of roads. Its automotive heritage goes even deeper, as the
site was previously the country estate of the Fisher family
Fisher as in Fisher Body, Detroit royalty. The estate and its
mansion were never occupied, and the land was bought by
Ford in 1956 to create a proving ground.
Over the years, every test need that has arisen has been
designed into the plentiful space. Before we begin the tour
though, let one thing be made clear: only the facilities can
be hired, not Fords know-how. If people are interested in
testing full vehicles, they can create their own routes, their
own speeds, how many times they want to hit certain events
and things like that, and we help them out with the logistics.
Because of this locations infrastructure to support Ford, it
When in
Romeo...
Mike Stoeckle, facility manager of Michigan Proving
Ground, reveals how excess capacity means that when
in Romeo, you can do as Ford does
025
SITE VISIT
Condentiality
One level of secrecy is provided
by the 12ft fence surrounding
the facility, and its high tree line,
as well as the security staff that
carry out perimeter checks 24/7
(although Stoeckle still advises
the use of camouage, as Ford
uses at all times at the facility).
Another level is the obligatory
condentiality agreements
between Ford and the client.
These cover everything from the

obvious secrecy clauses, to a
strictly enforced no camera policy,
which requires that any pictures
are pre-arranged, and checked
to ensure that no photographs
can leak another companys
proprietary information.
Further privacy can be ensured
by specifying clearly designated
work areas, if required.
Hill routes range

from a leisurely 7%
to a demanding 60%
ABOVE: The velane, ve mile highspeed oval is kept

in pristine condition
ABOVE RIGHT:
It may look like
Michigan, but many
of the precision
steering roads
replicate surfaces
in places such as
Scotland, Germany,
Mexico, and Lommel
Proving Ground
BELOW: The area

within the ve-mile
oval is a mere quarter
of the entire site
026
is a great leg-up in terms that customers dont have to buy

and build on their own land, construct their own events,
etc. Thats what we offer, explains Stoeckle.
Customers cannot run our Ford CETPs [Corporate
Engineering Test Procedures], because they are our secret
sauce, our proprietary tests. Were more than happy to work
with the customer and show them what events we have, and
if we dont have an event, tell me what you want and maybe
Ill build it. We have done that on occasion for customers.
Starting with the basics required to use the facility, a
large building houses ofces, a canteen, a tire changing
area, and several work bays. Hoists are available for vehicles
weighing up to 20,000 lb per axle (also the maximum
weight permitted on the tracks), and a range of equipment
including towing dynos is also available for use. It isnt free,
but its there. Depending on Stoeckles workload, an area the
size of a soccer eld can be hired, if needed.
For customers who like to pack light, there is an

instrumentation lab. In conjunction with Link Engineering,
anything from accelerometers to data acquisition systems
can be hired.
There are also several dyno chambers with different
capabilities, some semi-environmental, some environmental.
Id rather not specify how many we have, but I have enough
to help you, I have excess capacity, says Stoeckle. If you
just want mileage accumulation without drivers I can do
that, I can run them all the time. If you want load proles or
a at trac, I can do that. We can conrm that four of the
dynos are enclosed though, and there is a climate-controlled
dyno in a separate building.
Setting off in a Super Duty, for reasons that will soon
become clear, the rst thing you come across is a gas station,
which offers most types of fuel including E100 and CNG,
and specialty fuels can be ordered in if required all charged
at cost plus 10%.
Next up is a small covered area containing a concrete
slope at a 17% grade with rollers at either side to simulate
split + surfaces. Moving on, we see a truck wading through
water this is an 18in-deep water ingestion pit, which is
complemented by a boat launch simulating area, so any
potential embarrassments at public marinas are avoided.
One of the main events follows, the ve-mile, ve-lane,
high-speed oval. The track was resurfaced and rebuilt
about two-and-a-half years ago. It is in beautiful condition
and is one of the best tracks youll ever be on, says Stoeckle,
and I have to agree about its condition.
Top speed at the oval is 180mph, but if you feel the need
for speed, Stoeckle can raise the limit, provided proper
safety checks are carried out, and spotters and emergency
rescue staff are put in place. Given the size of the oval,
a convenient design feature is that braking pads, turnouts,
and a calibration pad complete with power are all provided
within, so valuable test time is not wasted driving to other
parts of the facility. As Stoeckle says, If you want to do
SITE VISIT
Safety
Stringent leak tests

ensure that the
Testing
multiple
joins can
on a be dangerous, so
Ford has
procedures in place
retractable
hardtop
mechanism
do not
to protect
its staff, and yours.
allow
watereverything
ingress
First,
brought on to
the facility has to be checked so

Stoeckle can be sure no hazardous
equipment has been brought in.
Next is a risk assessment. Ford
needs to know what areas you
want to use, at what speeds, etc,
and off-road areas are limited
to daylight hours initially. When
driving around the facility and
appreciating the sheer scale of it,
the need for such measures soon
becomes clear. Track control must
be contacted whenever entering or
exiting a facility, as if a client gets

into trouble, they would not be
easy to nd otherwise. To help,
every user of the facility is given
an orientation.
In addition, a quick inspection
of the vehicles being tested is
required purely to check they
are safe and roadworthy and
wont damage any road surfaces
and drivers must be appraised
to ensure they can drive safely.
On Stoeckles part, he ensures
that the local population of deer
and turkey is kept under control
to minimize unplanned avoidance
maneuvers during testing.
Drivers
While Fords facilities
mean that customers
can just bring a small
engineering team, they
will have to bring their
own drivers.
Stoeckle discusses
why he wont provide
test drivers, I dont like
to do that because if
a customer thinks our
driver ran the test
wrong, whose fault is
that? Is that my fault?
And who eats the cost
of re-running the test?
What if we hit a deer

during a test? Is that my
fault? Do I have to pay
for the prototype? I dont
want that responsibility.
Id love to have you
rent the test facility and
have your own liability
for all that. So we work
with our own general
counsel to work on what
the liability is because
I dont want to be
responsible for
customers vehicles.
Thats not why Im here.
mileage accumulations, braking evaluations, etc, on an oval

track that is always maintained, I have one.
The facility also features a 2.5-mile straightaway, which
is three lanes wide, widening to ve at the end. The track is
due for repaving shortly as part of Stoeckles constant
maintenance of the grounds. Theres never a dull moment
with a proving ground, he says. But its not glamorous
Im constantly xing culverts, dams, cracks in the road, etc.
We need good discipline and maintenance to stay on top of
all the events and to not let the track get away from us.
Maintenance is a full-time job here for many people. I also
skim the tracks so I know what the coefcient is of every
surface, and ensure it is maintained.
Going from speed to handling, there are various precision
and steering evaluation ride roads with undulations and
known-radius turns, and a selection of noise and NVH
surfaces, including an ISO-certied half-mile loop for passby sound tests.
There is also a 40-acre vehicle dynamics area with low
Theres never a dull moment with a

proving ground, but its not glamorous
Im constantly xing culverts, dams,
cracks in the road, etc.
coefcient surfaces, which can be specied as dry (weather
permitting) or wet, and the entire area can be partly or
completely ooded, if need be. Adjacent to this zone is a
secure area with four hoist bays, ofce space and restrooms
that Ford rarely uses, which can be leased. This creates
a useful private area separate from the main work areas. If
more space is required, trailers can be leased.
We also have a unique gravel vehicle dynamics area,
says Stoeckle. This eight-acre gravel area has a sublayer
under it so it can be graded and predictable.
A weighing area is available, complete with secure
weights for those wanting to test with ballast (Stoeckle
doesnt appreciate clients running cars full of pig iron on his
tracks), as well as dust and salt corrosion lanes, and a tented
mud bath that can be run all year without freezing.
Moving on, I appreciate the need for the Super Duty: the
off-road facilities are as tough as they are extensive. Bumping
along the 12 miles of off-road trails and a ve-mile gravel
route, we come across one of the newest additions to the
ABOVE: A client
project in progress
at the high-speed oval
027
SITE VISIT
ABOVE: There is no
shortage of off-road
events. And if you
dont see what you
need, Stoeckle can
make it for you
028
facility, a 250-acre high-speed off-road course. In order to

help preserve prototypes during such trials, the area has
very few trees.
Less kind on prototypes, however, is the range of offroad events available. There is a selection of stonewashes,
railroad crossings, chatter bumps, body twists, chuckholes,
and rough inclines, as well as sand hills and a log walk. To
give you an idea of just how tough some of the stages are,
Stoeckle is marketing some of its capabilities quite
successfully to military vehicle manufacturers. One
boulder-strewn incline in particular was way beyond even
the capabilities of the Super Duty.
Some customers want to simulate driving on crushedup roads, so I have some cement from past projects that
customers can use to simulate war-torn Afghanistan. Others
want to get a little bit more severe and do rock crawling, so
we made Boulder Canyon. This was built eight months ago,
and is designed for military vehicles and projects like the
F-150 SVT Raptor, says Stoeckle.
The mud pit area was full of earthmovers, graders and
backhoes, making an event to a specic design. Whether
this event was for Ford or for a customer is unknown, but
Stoeckle says, If you want an off-road course developed
and we dont have anything suitable, I can build it for you.
For example, I had a customer that needed to do downhill
tests over a cliff for hill descent control, and we made an
event for them. Ive got a lot of off-road courses I can offer,
and if you dont see what you like, Ive got a lot of earthmoving
equipment. Will I charge you for the work? Yes, but youre
not going to get this anywhere else. I can bring in a tankerfull of water and make it wet. You tell me what to do, and I
Options
When signing up to
MPG, you can also sign
up for Fords other North
American proving
grounds, one in nearby
Dearborn, and one in
Phoenix, Arizona. Harsh
Michigan winters mean
that not all tests can be
run year-round at MPG,
but if need be, the test
program can
de-camp to Arizona
at no extra charge.
Our pricing structure
applies to Michigan and
Arizona. You dont need
a new contract, its
the same contract in
a different location.
I can even help
structure where
you want to do your
testing, says Stoeckle.
can do it. Ford is also willing for customers who have a test
event made to their specication, to have it for their exclusive
use, whether for a specied period of time, or forever.
We move on to one of the most eye-catching parts of the
facility, the hill routes, passing some available garages that
can be accessed directly from an external road if a client
wants something really private. There are a variety of grades
available, including 7%, 15%, 17%, 29%, 45% and 60%, all
leading up to the 1,150ft (350m) summit of Trombley
Mountain, the highest point in the county. Fittingly, there is
a great view of Motor City from up here.
It is also a great place for an overview of the facility,
which seems to offer everything one might want from a
proving ground, whether testing a road car or a military
vehicle. There are only two limitations: Stoeckle wont allow
tests on ice and your imagination. h
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Temperature & climatic environmental chambers
Exhaust emission test chambers, SHEDs
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Vi w
PROVING GROUNDS
Big changes at proving grounds the world over

make this an exciting time to test a vehicle
Ground
A growing and open proving ground

Colmis AB was founded
in 1985 and is now one of
the major players in Arjeplog,
northern Sweden. The company
offers a full service concept
regarding accommodation,
tracks on land and lake,
workshops, and ofces and
related services for the car
testing industry.
The thinking behind the
company is to help customers
focus on their testing by taking
care of tasks that might distract
from the job in hand. This has
been the major thing for us: to
listen to customers and
understand their needs, and to
improve in order to meet those
needs, says Harald Fjellstrm,
managing director of Colmis AB.
The company is certied
according to ISO 9001, ISO
030
14001 and OHSAS 18001. That

process for certication was
a very important step for us,
and we have made it an integral
part of our organization. It
also facilitates our discussions
with present and potential
customers.
The certications mean
that we ful ll the framework
for various general demands,
without question. Furthermore,
continuous improvement of
our operation is part of our
daily work, which for us means
a commitment to our customers
to always deliver at least
what we have promised, to
keep a customer focus, and
to be service oriented,
says Fjellstrm.
The 18 land tracks vary from
handling tracks, to a spectacular
10km forest track, to a big,

at circle with a diameter of
1,000m. Colmis AB has a lot
of land available for further
expansion, if needed.
One advantage of the proving
ground is its direct access to
the lake. This means it is not
necessary to leave the grounds
to use the lake tracks, which
is a very positive thing from
a customer perspective. Lake
tracks are made to customer
specications.
Within the area there
are workshops, ofces and
cold chambers. Recently,
a new workshop was built for
spot customers customers
looking to do a short test
during the season.
Part of the concept is also to
offer accommodation. Colmis
AB has 38 well-equipped ats

for rent, and is also working
with other hotels to offer
accommodation as part
of a complete package.
For the future, Fjellstrm
explains that being an open
proving ground means that
no one has any exclusive rights
to it. This opens possibilities to
broaden the proving grounds
customer base and to offer more
services. I believe that with
a continued close cooperation
with our present and potential
customers, there are areas
where we could mutually
develop more services that are
benecial for our customers
and that increase the efciency
in the testing work. This will be
our main focus, to upgrade our
offer in that respect.
PROVING GROUNDS
force
In the current world climate of renewed nancial

optimism, proving grounds around the globe are
basking in the aftermath of some major new
developments. Many facilities that suffered during the
economic downturn have diversied to create new business
opportunities, while others are simply enjoying the upturn
and enhancing their facilities. One thing is sure: there has
been no better time to book a proving ground. To nd out
more, we spoke to some of the companies that have made
big changes of late.
Fowlerville Proving Ground (FPG) has been open since
2005, but has only been available to customers from outside
the Aisin group (the owners of the facility) for the past six
months. The rst many potential customers heard about the
facility was at Automotive Testing Expo North America, as
Mike Benjamin, manager of operations at FPG, explained at
the event: Most people coming to our stand say theyve
never heard of us, and thats why were here.
The 870-acre site is located in Fowlerville, about halfway
between Detroit and Lansing in Michigan, USA. Its a pretty
good distance from a lot of customers in Ann Arbor, Detroit,
Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and a lot
of manufacturing and engineering companies, explained
Benjamin.
Such companies can now benet from four test tracks,
which comprise a 4,500ft (1,371m) straightaway with
turning loops at both ends and a friction coefcient of
0.95+/-0.05; a low-U 700ft x 31ft (213m x 9.5m) ceramic
tiled area with a coefcient of 0.09-0.12 and a 700 x 51ft
(213 x 15.5m) middle-U basalt tiled area with a coefcient
of 0.25-0.35, both supplied by a sprinkler system; a 1,000ft
(305m) asphalt dynamics pad with a friction coefcient of
0.95+/-0.05 and three separate 1,350ft (411m) approach/
departure lanes; and a three-mile asphalt oval with two,
12ft-wide lanes with a friction coefcient of 0.95+/-0.05,
and a 7 grade.
031
PROVING GROUNDS
BELOW: Phase
one at Aldenhoven
a dynamics surface
has opened, with
construction of
phase two currently
underway
As well as the usual development work, Fowlerville feels

its facility is ideal for testing lane departure warning
systems, active safety systems, etc. On-track safety is aided
by a GPS-monitored Trafc Control System.
So what makes Fowlerville unique? Were the only
Japanese-owned supplier to have a proving ground in the
area, with most proving grounds in Michigan owned by the
large US manufacturers. Companies that cant get the access
they need, the availability, or the space, can come here. Its
a world-class facility and everything is brand new. You can
basically get the place to yourself, and we get a lot of

suppliers in. Were a small company so we deal very
personally with every customer. We make sure the place is
set up how they need it. It is a personal service, explains
Benjamin.
Another impressive set of resources now available is
Scientic Labs & Proving Grounds. If the name isnt familiar
to you, the owners name will be: Chrysler. As you can
imagine, every element of vehicle testing is catered for here,
between its extensive labs, 15 different garages, its 3,840acre Arizona Proving Grounds, its 3,850 Chelsea Proving
Grounds in Michigan (including a newly refurbished vemile oval), and its Auburn Hills Technology Center and
Windsor Ontario Automotive Research Center. The facilities
are extensive, and include specialized electric and hybrid
vehicle capabilities.
Business operations manager Paul LaCroix explained at
Automotive Testing Expo North America: We realized that
Scientic Labs has a lot of very high dollar assets that a lot
Arctic conditions
Arctic Falls opened in 1988 as
the rst permanent proving
ground for winter testing in
Sweden. It is a locally based private
company with a strong customer
focus, totally independent from the
motor industry. Today, Arctic Falls
has four winter test proving
grounds, one for vehicle and
vehicle systems, and three for
testing winter tires. Arctic Falls has
very favorable climate conditions,
with ve months of natural winter
each year. This means the company
can offer perfect test conditions
and a 50% longer winter season,
especially as most of its test
tracks are on land.
The Vitberget proving ground
covers 200ha of land. The general
public is not admitted to the area
and the proving ground is protected
from outside view. Various security
systems and an industrial fence,
with double entrance gates
enclosing the proving ground,
guarantee privacy. The proving
ground is open and staffed 24/7.
Five workshops in different sizes

are located close to the tracks
within the proving ground. The
workshops are well equipped and
are all tted with alarms, and the
vehicle parking places are shielded
by fencing. The proving ground has
an internet-based telemetry system,
where real-time information can
be transmitted using wireless
technology from the vehicle to
engineers anywhere in the world.
There are also 27 cold chambers
with the capacity to cool down
a car to -40C, and infrastructure
for testing electric vehicles.
Arctic Falls tire testing proving
grounds are specially designed for
tire development and evaluation.
The company has more than 20
years experience of producing
snow and ice tracks, with test
facilities including workshops,
ofces, storage, and different
tracks on land and lake specially
made for tire testing. Arctic Falls
also offers skilled tire tters and
experienced durability drivers.
New track for NVH cold tests

This winter, Swedish
IceMakers is opening
a brand new type of test track,
designed to identify NVH
problems in cold climates.
The unique frequency
sweep excitation test track
helps to identify both the
altered dynamic behavior
of vehicles, and the affect
on acoustic properties.
IceMakers is one of the
leading suppliers of winter
test related services to the
vehicle industry, based in
032
Arjeplog, Swedish Lapland.

With nearly 40 years of
experience, it is a pioneer
company in the region and
an independent one-stop
shop service provider,
with solutions for all kinds
of questions and problems
involved in the winter
test planning process.
In cooperation with Lule
University of Technology,
IceMakers has developed
the frequency sweep
excitation test track, which
helps to efciently identify

NVH problems such as
squeak and rattle, which
are pronounced in cold
climates.
The basic idea is that
a vehicle traveling along the
test track at a constant speed
will be exposed to a constant
force, created by obstacles
mounted on the test track
with a changing frequency.
Because the frequency
varies in a controlled manner,
various noise sources inside
the vehicle can be detected,

located, and identied in
a systematic way.
The track provides a better
opportunity for repeatability,
and the ability to control both
the amplitude and frequency
of the force compared with
existing alternatives. It also
assures that a given frequency
range is excited during the test.
Due to the varying frequency, a
noise source can be attributed
to a certain frequency, which
facilitates nding a solution.
PROVING GROUNDS
of suppliers and smaller OEMs could never afford, but need
to use for testing. Depending on our internal demand we
can sometimes offer our services, and thats why were here.
In all fairness why shouldnt we share our experience with
anyone else, why shouldnt we share some of our high-end
assets like our proving grounds? Our stuff is state-of-theart, like our full-scale wind tunnel, which we still own three
current patents for. Smaller companies need these tests and
thats why were here. We just want to help people out.
Many customers will make use of the cold winter
conditions at the Chelsea Proving Grounds, but for those
seeking something a little more extreme and predictably
so Alaska may provide the solution. Fairbanks may not be
a top vacation destination (though the aurora borealis can
be a draw), but its six-plus months of extremely cold winters
make it a popular destination for test engineers, due to its
range of test facilities that now offer everything from a 3.2mile (5.1km) oval track, heated warehouses and storage
space, to on-site ofces and experienced and knowledgeable
Stringent leak tests

ensure that the
multiple joins on a
retractable hardtop
mechanism do not
allow water ingress
staff. All the facilities offer 24-hour security, on-site fueling,

vehicle lifts, basic tool needs, and appropriate cold weather
attire for testers.
Across the Atlantic, MIRA in the UK has been focusing on
adding value to its proving ground offerings. The companys
advanced vehicle engineering operations now make up
more than 50% of the companys business interests. Access
to state-of-the-art facilities and expertise is set to improve
still further, with MIRA having recently announced a 250
ABOVE LEFT: The

proposed MIRA
Technology Park
ABOVE: Testing
the latest Electric
Dynamic Control
prototype for
improved hybrid
electric vehicle
handling at MIRA
Testing at its Best
The 11-acre off-road

site at Bruntingthorpe
is now available
for wider use
BELOW: A CV
paint shop oven
can double as a hot
climate chamber
because we have
very steep and fast curves
extremely long and wide straights
and many sophisticated tracks
as well as
competent and hospitable staff
a great service
and the highest possible safety standards
These are the unique advantages

that Testing Technology International
magazine testified.
The result: The first five star rating
for a proving ground.
Test (with) us!
ATP
Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH
Johann-Bunte-Strae 176
26871 Papenburg
Germany
Tel.: ++49 (0) 49 61 / 9 75-315
Fax: ++49 (0) 49 61 / 9 75-453
www.atp-papenburg.de
W I N T E R T E S T I N G I N J U N E - J U LY - A U G U S T
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE PROVING GROUNDS (SHPG) in New Zealand, offers an
array of real world winter testing facilities located on over 400Ha of privately owned,
secluded mountain top snow elds. SHPG is well equipped to meet your counter-seasonal winter testing requirements and project demands.
Facilities include over 30km of sub zero ice and compacted snow roads plus:
13 stand alone test facilities each consisting of a combination of surfaces.
All facilities are reserved for your exclusive use including:
Snow surfaces of varying area and compaction including high speed and snow circles
Ice surfaces, straightways and circles
Undulating Ride and Handling Tracks of varying lengths
Flat Split surfaces ice and heated asphalt
A variety of Split gradients
Covered Split (Indoor ice tunnel 200m x 20m)
Each facility has a large, well equipped workshop and ofce
Other tracks unpaved roads/mud/4wd/dry asphalt access (public roads)
Refrigerated containers
In addition to its core services, SHPG offers testing services capable

of co-ordinating entire test programmes from establishment and
planning, through to logistics and staff management, to test conduct
and reporting using highly experienced industry trained engineers,
test drivers and technicians.
For more information on SHPGs services and opportunities

visit our website www.shpg.co.nz
Customized ice tracks since 1973.

Ultimate surface preparation. Prime security standards.
Cold chamber availability. Solitude arctic location.
One stop shop for winter testing
in Arjeplog, Swedish Lapland.
www.icemakers.se
Your winter test partner
PROVING GROUNDS
ABOVE, LEFT AND

RIGHT: Fowlerville
Proving Grounds
offers a personal
service at its pristine
test facilities
million investment in a new Engineering Centre and an

improved Technology Park, set within the existing 750-acre
site in Warwickshire.
Commercial director of MIRA Technology Park, Terry
Spall, explains: Whilst our work is at the cutting edge of
what is possible using technology, we have many buildings,
including our main ofce block, that date back to the 1950s,
and despite improvements over the years they are
environmentally inefcient and far from ideal.
We have achieved 30% growth over the past year,
recruited 70 new staff, and our current Technology Park
which is home to 32 world-class companies has reached
capacity, Spall continues. We are now in danger of missing
business opportunities as a result, which places a serious
constraint on our ability to grow further.
MIRA has also signed an agreement to collaborate on
providing turnkey NVH testing solutions and consultancy
to optimize vehicle development, with the deal including
the purchase of a range of equipment, including two 24channel PULSE data acquisition and analysis systems and
a desktop NVH Vehicle Simulator.
Another UK facility with a new offering is Bruntingthorpe
in Leicestershire. An 11-acre test facility within the site has
recently been vacated by Caterpillar following its decision
to consolidate testing at its three test sites in the USA.
This is a golden opportunity for companies in the plant,
construction equipment and military vehicle sectors to take
advantage of a ready-to-go test and development facility that
would cost a seven-gure sum to build at todays prices,
says Paul Atkin, general manager of business development
at Bruntingthorpe. The site offers almost everything they
could wish for. And the beauty of the 11 acres previously
occupied by Caterpillar is that with its own security, its
open spaces and with ample room to spare, we can readily
construct anything thats not currently available, should a
customer require it.
In another move to expand its offering, Bruntingthorpe
has adapted an existing CV paint shop oven on its site so

that it can double-up as a hot climate chamber. The 18m x
8m x 5m gas-red oven has a specially reinforced grid oor
able to carry a battle tank or the largest truck, while underoor air extraction ensures even heat distribution and
prevents hot spots.
As a hot-climate test chamber it can raise temperatures
from ambient to 85C with an accuracy of 1C, adds
Atkin. Thats much hotter than most of the purpose-built
climatic chambers available today. Our chamber doesnt
have solar simulation and it is specically a hot chamber
because theres no facility for taking temperatures lower
than ambient. But it is able to cover elements of Defence
Standard 0035 and, as a development tool, it is extremely
ABOVE LEFT: Highspeed testing on the

4.7-mile oval at
Chelsea Proving
Grounds in Michigan
ABOVE: If you like
long, cold winters,
youll love Fairbanks
This is a golden opportunity to

take advantage of a ready-to-go test
and development facility that would
cost a seven-gure sum to build
035
PROVING GROUNDS
ABOVE: Even
competitor OEMs
can now take
advantage of
Chryslers Auburn
Hills Technology
Center, including
its wind tunnel
ABOVE: You too can

now enjoy climatic
testing at Chryslers
extensive facilities
cost-effective. Whats more, we are able to sell time in the

chamber at an hourly rate so customers dont have to pay for
time they dont really need.
Moving east, phase one of the Aldenhoven Testing Center
(ATC) in Aachen, Germany, recently opened for commercial
use, comprising a 200m-diameter driving dynamics and
trafc simulation surface. This surface can be approached
from a 400m-long acceleration track that allows for approach
speeds of around 75mph (120km/h). The return track
makes it possible for other vehicles to use the surface as

soon as the driving maneuver is completed.
The 14 million second phase of the center, which is
being built on a 45,000m 2 former coal mine, is currently
underway. Dr Stefan Gies, former director of the Institute of
Automotive Engineering (ika), explains that goals for the
facility include the improvement of vehicle and driving
safety through accident avoidance. Various driver assistance
systems will be developed and tested for this purpose.
Naturally, we cant test such things on public streets.
Therefore, we need a test track like Aldenhoven, says Gies.
The second construction phase will expand the proving
ground with an oval track including special surfaces for
brake testing, a handling course, and a climbing hill.
Various driving situations, such as convoy driving, following
distance control, curve detection and warning, or even
investigations of collision and intersection situations, can
be reproduced here and studied without hindering any reallife trafc.
The center is expected to be complete by the end of 2011,
with an array of Galileo pseudolites due to be installed
around the driving dynamics surface for the testing of
future-oriented technologies and their applications. h
Announcing Our New

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Colmis Proving Ground is one of the leading facilities for Winter testing.
Colmis Proving Ground is located in Arjeplog in the

north of Sweden up against the Arctic Circle.
Q Arjeplog is known as The Winter Testing Capital
Q Colmis Proving Ground is certified according to
ISO 9001 and 14001
Colmis Proving Ground is your total service provider.

Q Tracks Lake tracks and Land tracks.
Q Workshops and Offices.
Q Accommodations.
Q Durability drivers
Q Just one phone call away. +46 961 720100
All tracks, Workshops and Offices are located within the fenced area of Colmis Proving Ground.
www.colmis.com info@colmisab.se
PROVING GROUNDS
Fast
track
At proving grounds, time is a valuable commodity.
These tips and technologies may help you cram
more work into those precious track hours
038
PROVING GROUNDS
Parallel test, not series test
No introduction is required
for Gordon Murray, who has
extensive experience of making
track time really count. We
work completely differently
to OEMs with our development
programs. We map out all our
requirements in a development
program and go and triple book
or quadruple book elements,
which big car companies never
do. They do everything in series
because they have the money,
and because theyve never done
it any other way.
If we book Millbrook, MIRA,
IDIADA, or wherever we are
testing, we maximize our time
there. We can do things
sometimes four-times quicker
on certain days at a circuit or
facility than an OEM because
we do more than one bit of
testing. If were doing durability
tests on the car as a whole, then
we do all sorts of other tests,
such as vehicle dynamics,
aerodynamics, and internal
airow, during the durability
cycle. And we write our
development programs with
that in mind. So when we show
people a number such as a full
Share your time
vehicle development program

in 24 months that includes
ABS and ESP programs, two
winters, cold testing, hot
testing, crash testing, two car
durability cycles, and more
and they look at the number,
they cant believe it. They think
its going to cost millions, but
we maximize our usage.
The program is written in
an amazing amount of detail
and is then optimized and
re-optimized. We dont skip
anything, we just maximize the
booked time at a particular
facility. These are principles
we brought from Formula 1.
One part at a time
Box clever
Head of testing at MercedesBenz, Joachim Lindau, is

something of an expert in
making the most of his time,
having developed several
models in recent years and
overseen millions of test
miles. So how does he
optimize track time?
We do a lot of component
testing. Each component must
be released for full durability
before it can go in a car, he
says. It is very expensive to
build prototypes, so we get
each component supplier to
certicate components before
they go in the car and we start
to test on track. This really
shortens track time.
Before 2002, automotive

companies used fth wheels,
radar sensors, microwave
sensors, and optical systems
to provide speed and distance
measurements during testing.
Although these sensors gave
good levels of accuracy in
perfect conditions, they suffered
on snow and loose, uneven, or
wet surfaces. In addition, they
often took a long time to t and
were vulnerable to damage.
However, when the US
government switched off the
deliberate scrambling of the
GPS signal, Racelogic saw an
opportunity to use satellite
signals to measure speed and
distance, without any of the
downsides associated with
the previous technologies.
Now, Racelogics distinctive
blue aluminum VBOX (velocity
box) is used by almost every
vehicle manufacturer at proving
grounds around the world.
Centers such as MIRA have
replaced their previous systems
with VBOX GPS dataloggers,
prompted by the performance on
any surface, the improvement in
accuracy, and the ease of use.
For a proving ground

perspective, we asked Richard
Adams, business development
manager at MIRA, how
customers could best use their
time at the facility. Booking
track time on a shared-use
basis often proves to be the
most cost-effective way of
testing vehicles, as you only
pay for the time you actually
spend on the track. This
enables testers to assess track
data and perform vehicle
modications without incurring
unnecessary cost, he says.
At MIRA we have 24 circuits,
most with multiple lanes and a
choice of surfaces. This enables
between 50 and 60 vehicles to
share track space on any given
day in complete safety. This
ability to pay as you use is

particularly important for our
premium circuits, such as the
two wet-grip circuits, which are
in short supply across Europe
and have led to a number of
vehicle and tire manufacturers
establishing a base here.
We dont skip anything, we

just maximize the booked time
at a particular facility
The compact setup

does not require any
special mounting apart
from a magnetic GPS
aerial on the roof
For TestWorld, the cold

winter test facility in Finland,
the ability to provide accurate
results in all conditions provides
more challenges. Optical
and microwave sensors are
expensive and struggle to
operate in the harsh conditions,
and fth wheels slide on the
slippery surfaces. In addition,
quick turnaround means that
engineers need to take
equipment on and off vehicles
quickly to optimize the
expensive track time, so they
appreciate the fast installation.
With no calibration or special

mounting, the only requirement
lies in placing a magnetic GPS
aerial on the vehicles roof.
VBOX provides an accuracy of
0.1km/h for speed measurement,
and up to 1.8cm for brake testing
in a standalone unit. In addition,
by using a base station and
tracking the refreshed Russian
Glonass constellation as well
as GPS, positional accuracies
down to 2cm are achieved.
This enables ADAS systems
to be validated using the
same equipment.
039
PROVING GROUNDS
Swift sensing
Wheel transducers are
essential equipment for proving
ground tests, but can be very
time-consuming to install on
a vehicle. PCB Load & Torque
demonstrated its latest
transducer, the Series 5400
Multi-Axis Wheel Force
Transducer, at Automotive
Testing Expo North America
2010 in October. This rugged
one-piece sensor mounts
between the vehicle hub and
the wheel rim, delivering
accurate road-load data
measurement in a durable,
water-resistant package.
The sensor offers excellent
temperature compensation
properties and integral
overload stops, giving
engineers a high level of
condence in data acquired
during aggressive road events,
including heavy braking tests.
The sensor has a unique
selling point, though:
it is faster to
install than
some rival
systems,
From racetrack to test track

as its one-piece design has
fewer bolts. For a semi-truck,
this transducer can be installed
in 18 minutes; rival units can
take six hours, said PCBs
Felicia Anderson at the Expo.
Thats why were showing
how easy it is to put together.
It has one-eighth the number
of bolts of some models, and
also offers signal conditioning
and telemetry.
Available in a variety of sizes,
the passenger car and light
truck units use a custom hub
adaptor to accommodate a
range of vehicle sizes while
maintaining vehicle geometry,
and the heavy truck units mount
directly to the vehicle hub. All
units can be tted with either
slipring or telemetry signal
transmission, and come
equipped with onboard signal
conditioning and calibration
circuitry for each channel of
data measurement, making setup
and use with the transducer
interface unit quick and easy.
The units are available in
lightweight aluminum, highstrength stainless steel, and
titanium. All units accept
modied rims, mounting
a range of tire sizes, wheel
diameters, and offsets.
Special one-piece,
forged high-strength
aluminum rims are
available for heavy
truck applications.
Martin Whitmarsh, team

principal at Vodafone McLaren
Mercedes, knows a thing or
two about limited track time.
Simulation is a vital
component in the intensive
development battle of F1.
Over the past 15 years we
have continuously invested
in the worlds most advanced
motorsport simulator facility,
acknowledged within F1 as the
best available. This tool has
also been used to develop the
MP4-12C road car.
Before we built the rst
prototype, we modeled the
desired dynamic performance
of the car and set targets for
suspension geometry, spring
damper settings, steering,
engine characteristics,
downforce, weight distribution,
and many other parameters.
Simulation enabled us to see
the numerical results, and to
test and feel them in a virtual
environment.
The specication of the car
was gradually developed until
we settled on the ideal dynamic
package. Once we had the

layout of the car de ned it
was designed around that. As
a result, the performance of
the rst prototype was fantastic
right out of the box. We then
used simulation tools to further
improve and develop the car.
If we need to adjust, say,
braking or steering system
performance, we can do it to
the car at the test track almost
immediately. This saves time
and money. This type of
simulation is normal in F1,
but is unheard of in road
car development.
This type of simulation is

normal in F1, but is unheard
of in road car development
Sound advice
When evaluating the sound
quality of vehicles, whether
their own or a competitors,
automotive OEMs like to
benchmark key NVH
performance indicators. In
practice, the time the test track
and the cars are available to
the NVH team is limited. Hence
only a few drivers are able to
do a subjective rating.
To rectify this, Brel & Kjr
has developed two ultraportable, miniature sound and
vibration recorders (SoNoScout
and LAN-XI NOTAR) that enable
data to be recorded quickly for
later subjective evaluation in
the NVH simulator.
SoNoScout is a PDA-based
recorder that enables calibrated
binaural recordings, along with
GPS data indicating vehicle
040
position and speed, to be saved

to an SD card. All users need
to do is establish a GPS signal
and press start to capture highquality sound. The rpm signal
is extracted from one of the
sound channels afterward.
LAN-XI NOTAR is a rugged,
solid-state device that records
up to 12 channels of sound or
vibration data directly to SD
card. With hours of battery and
measurement time available, the
recorder is always ready for use.
When the test day is over,

the recorded data taken from
multiple vehicles and test drives
is immediately available for
post-processing in Brel &
Kjrs NVH Simulator. This
creates realistic sounding
virtual vehicles based on the
test track data, enabling
engineers to drive vehicles
and develop targets backto-back without concerns of
vehicle availability, test track
availability, weather, and so on.
MARUTI SUZUKI
LEFT: I. V. Rao,
managing executive
ofcer of engineering,
is working to create
global-standard cars
043
MARUTI SUZUKI
state-of-the-art R&D center with world-class test facilities
and proving grounds, as well as increasing its engineering
strength. The current strategy involves a greater number of
product launches at shorter intervals to retain interest
among Indian consumers. In addition, a number of R&D
teams are now working on live projects at Suzuki Motor
Corporation in Japan, gearing up for a battle on the home
front. It is also known that MSIL is working on an Indiadesigned car to be launched in 2012 to counter the onslaught
of global OEMs.
With no time lost, MSIL has already started setting up
the dedicated R&D facility and proving ground spread over
an area of 700 acres in Rohtak, located in the north Indian
state of Haryana, near New Delhi.
The upcoming R&D center is going to be the largest
such facility in India and also the largest Suzuki facility
outside Japan, says I. V. Rao, managing executive ofcer of
engineering at MSIL. The Indian major is planning to invest
INR 1,000-1,500 crore (about US$222-333 million) in the
facility. It will house the largest test track with different
kinds of terrains, along with a facility for conducting crash
tests, a wind tunnel, and electromagnetic compatibility
[EMC] tests on future models.
MSIL is among the select few global automakers to
The Rohtak facility will be a

dedicated R&D facility of global
standards, which will enable us
to make fast model upgrades
produce one million cars annually; volumes are expected to

grow by a further 250,000 units as capacity is added.
Moreover, the R&D facility will develop models for
Suzukis global market. The Rohtak R&D center will
develop models for Suzukis ASEAN region as well as for the
Indian market, adds Rao. When asked if other OEMs could
also hire services at the upcoming center, Rao claries,
It will cater for Maruti and Suzukis Indian and global
requirements only.
Discussing MSILs existing R&D division at its main
plant in Gurgaon, also in Haryana, Rao states, We have the
R&D infrastructure for doing various evaluations on engine
testing, tuning, vehicle emission testing, performance testing,
component durability testing, a transmission lab, a style
studio, and so on, which cater for our current requirements.
The Rohtak facility will be a dedicated R&D facility of
global standards, which will enable us to make fast model
upgrades and carry out the few other tests for which
normally we have to depend upon Suzuki Motor Corporations
R&D setup in Japan.
As a result of increasing competition in the domestic
market, MSIL has already adapted itself to swift upgradation
by developing models such as the Estilo and the all-new
Wagon R in less than one year, while the Dzire and Eeco
models were designed entirely in India. The company is
also focusing on developing fuel-efcient engine technology,
reducing overall vehicle weight for greater fuel efciency,
and concurrent design and development of models with
India-specic changes. Asked when the facility will become
operational, Rao says, The R&D center will commence
operation in the beginning of 2013.
Meanwhile, engineers at MSIL will soon become a part
of the global team that will also design cars for international
markets. This global team has been formed and will be
based at Suzukis headquarters at Hamamatsu, Japan. As
ABOVE: The R&D

center and proving
ground will be located
in Rohtak, near New
Delhi in northern India
RIGHT: The
production line
at Manesar is
highly automated
044
MARUTI SUZUKI
BELOW: Raos team

will no longer be
reliant upon Japan for
upgrades to the
Grand Vitara
part of this initiative, Rao and K. Asai, director of engineering

at MSIL, are members of the joint top-level team for global
product strategy for the Suzuki group. Initially, a group of
R&D professionals from Maruti will work with Suzukis
designers on global products.
MSIL is also working on an India-designed car to be
unveiled in 2012. It plans to move up the ladder from
concepts of models to full model development capability.
A full body change essentially means designing and
developing a new body and interior over an existing platform
and engine. It will result in evolving a new product identity,
including changes to the layout, seating systems, internal
and external fascia, and basic body structure, explains
Rao. To develop the R&D infrastructure, the company is
increasing expenditure as a percentage of income, from
0.42% to 0.58%.
Our R&D spend will keep moving up every year, Rao
conrms. Maruti Suzuki is working hard on enhancing its
capabilities in areas such as design conceptualization and
styling, establishing greater capability in designing layouts,

ergonomics, and comfort evaluation, engineering design
and development, and virtual and physical validation. It is
also establishing and enhancing vendor capabilities in
component design, development, and evaluation.
For 360 R&D development, the human capability
development is highly critical. Over the past two years,
MSIL has more than tripled its number of R&D engineers to
more than 1,000.
Our target is to hike our engineer strength to 1,200 by
2012, Rao condes. The car maker has even gone further
and started acquiring global R&D talent from western
countries such as the USA and UK. The R&D manpower
count increased from 730 in FY08/09 to 958 in FY09/10. In
addition, many R&D engineers are working on live projects
at Suzuki in Japan. Such initiatives have helped to enhance
the skill development of engineers at Maruti Suzuki.
With Volkswagen picking up about a 19.9% stake in
Marutis Japanese partner Suzuki Motor Corporation, will it
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AWARDS
As we bid farewell to another cracking

year in vehicle development, we are
proud to announce the winners of
the Automotive Testing Technology
International Awards 2010
All the
best
048
AWARDS
Ford
Fords facility in Dunton, UK,
featuring 14 test rooms, made
a huge advance in exchanging
running test engines to pallets
in 2010, with the procedure now
possible in under seven minutes
much shorter than the previous
20-minute average.
Working with AVL, further
developments will leverage the
system using automation tools

and an FPS (Lean) approach
for program delivery. This will
require forward planning and
control, nimble and resourced
organization, and off-line
preparation with reaction
planning enabled via robust
instrumentation and
automation.
AWARDS
050
Hiromu Naruse, Toyota
Rainer Geschwentner, Ford
A posthumous nomination
for Toyota test driver Hiromu
Naruse, who sadly died in June
while testing a Lexus LFA near
the Nrburgring, Germany.
Naruse, who had worked for
Toyota for 47 years, was the
companys chief test driver and
had developed many models,
including the Lexus LFA, the
Toyota 1600GT, the 2000GT,
every generation of Celica,
the MR2, Supra, and even
the Lexus IS and Prius.
He is sadly missed at Toyota,
where he was known as the
Meister. Even colleagues at
Ferrari called him the man who
knows all the worlds roads
Fords Rainer Geschwentner

was a key gure in developing
the new Focus platform, which
will form the basis for nine
different models.
Geschwentner has developed
a platform featuring MacPherson
struts up front and a controlblade independent rear
suspension with single-tube
dampers, complemented by
all-electronic power steering,
a 10-year labor of love that
has nally been revealed to
great acclaim. As a result of
Geschwentners talent, a range
of models, from MPVs to hot
hatches, will be blessed with
a great platform.
a well-deserved moniker
considering he logged more
hours at the Nrburgring
test track than any other
Japanese driver.
COVER STORY
p
Sport
therapy
py
When Toyota pulled out of F1, its money-no-object
test facility was put in jeopardy. In a bid for survival,
it has now opened its doors to road car customers
056
COVER STORY
Winning four drivers and three manufacturers

rally World Championships, second place at Le
Mans, and 13 podiums in F1 is no uke. Those
results require incredible technical know-how, with facilities
and budgets to match. Toyotas withdrawal from F1 in 2009
was a blow to Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG), but it is an
opportunity for OEMs and suppliers who want money-noobject design, development, and production facilities, but
dont want to buy them. Yes, TMG is now available to hire.
The 30,000m facility, located in Cologne, Germany, is
still used by Toyota for performance tuning and motorsport
projects, but its 200 staff are also available for client projects
ranging from complete road car development, to individual
component testing or production.
Jens Marquardt, TMGs business development manager,
who was previously the F1 teams manager, explains, The
end of 2009 and the decision to pull out of F1 was a turning
point for TMG, as that was the only activity we did here. We
did some really minute support work for TRD in the USA,
and some CFD work for Toyota Japan, but it wasnt even 1%
of our activity. With the F1 project gone we had to nd a
new direction. We cant be single-project-related anymore,
and we will not be 100% supported by the mother company,
so we have turned into a prot center.
The business plan is based on three pillars, as Marquardt
details: One pillar is the facilities, which can be offered for
road cars, motorsport, or technology sectors because you
can apply our facilities to any area as a service provider. The
second pillar is related to Toyota and Lexus road cars,
making sport conversions of road cars, working closely with
Brussels and Germany. The third pillar is grass roots
motorsport any activity that has a relationship to the
products Toyota sells. This third pillar relates to creating
cup, touring, or rally cars from road cars.
057
COVER STORY
ABOVE: The TMG

building offers
separate entrances
for complete privacy
LEFT:
Stereolithography
material being stirred
in a SLA5000
machine
The tunnels are complemented by a suite of 13 SLA

5000S rapid manufacturing machines from 3D Systems,
which are continuously in use, creating around 2,000
prototype parts per year.
Moving through the buildings, the benets of being a
purpose-built facility is clear, with most corridors being
large enough for an SUV to pass through. As we head toward
the noisier areas of the facility, there are eight engine test
cells, all equipped with AVL equipment run through TMGmodied software, which enables HIL testing for virtually
any engine, from a small four-pot to a screaming V12.
The cells feature four types of dynamometer, all accurate
to within 1%: a 220kW single-cylinder dyno that can run at
up to 22,000rpm and can also test small-displacement
engines of around 100PS; standard dynos for up to 800kW
power that can run at 22,000rpm; a high-dynamic dyno
with power up to 800kW, wheel speed up to 3,000rpm, and
engine speed up to 22,000rpm; and a 1.1MW two-axle
rolling road capable of testing vehicles of up to 2,400kg at
up to 320km/h.
Further engine and engine component test rigs are also
available, many of which were developed in-house. The cam
rig for air and valve spring measurement can run up to
22,000rpm engine speed with a 110kW electric motor. A
70-channel measurement system, six-channel laser system,
and high-speed camera provide full valve-motion analysis.
There are also some rarities that may delight engine test
engineers, including a port development ow bench, which
provides users with low-pressure exhaust measurement

and valve shape optimization, complete with particle image
velocimetry (PIV) analysis.
The groundbreaking fuel system testing facility
incorporates the most comprehensive analyses, including a
fuel pump test rig, fuel rail calibration rig and single injector
test and development rig. Heat rejection and friction analysis
is a particular specialty, with the latest technology used to
provide detailed data on individual components. Highspeed cameras and lasers also improve accuracy, as does the
military-grade thermal camera on the 10,000rpm clutch
development rig. Additionally, Horiba exhaust gas analyzers
are on hand, as is a Malvern laser system for fuel spray
characterization, fast ame ionization detection, and rapid
in-cylinder sampling.
Suspension and component tests are equally well catered
for, with a range of hardware to enable more than 200
different tests. The 2,600m component testing area offers a
range of in-house calibration, customized component rigs,
single-axis test rigs, geometric measurement, center-ofgravity and inertia verication, vibration testing, and much
more. TMG claims this capability is the most extensive
available on the open market.
A seven-post rig from CFM, which sits in a dedicated
and secured testing room, features one frontal downforce
actuator and two at the rear in baseline conguration, but
for test vehicles without much downforce, a four-post
conguration, with no downforce actuators, is also available.
ABOVE: A highperformance carbon

item is prepared for
curing on a 7m
platform in one of
TMGs two large
autoclaves
059
hTjG{GlGt
COVER STORY
Full component fatigue or proof testing of dampers, torsion

bars, springs, and wishbones can also be carried out on the
rig, as well as complete car suspension friction measurements
and inerter mass optimization.
At the heart of the suspension test department is an MTS
329 6DOF full-car road simulator, with 29 channels accurate
to 0.001mm and an additional four actuators for simulating
downforce. The rig also includes 44 steering simulation
and heat application. The standard congurations of the
simulator are: oating body (up to 29 channels) for fullvehicle stress distribution analysis of non-maneuvering
events; xed body (up to 15 channels) for single-axle
suspension tests, including braking and cornering
simulation; and semi-oating body (up to 14 channels) for
single-axle suspension and partial vehicle body tests,
including brake simulation.
At the time of our visit, a Lexus LS was being put through
its paces. Group leader Marco Gehlen explained its ordeal:
We have 6DOF on every corner, plus additional downforce
actuators to stabilize the car during measurements. We are
doing some K&C investigations on this standard road car,
using optical measurement to give the K&C characteristics
of the wheels. Sometimes we put a complete car on the rig,
sometimes half a car. Any kind of load prole or data can be
simulated on this rig. It is a standard MTS rig that we have
upgraded to F1 standards, which means we can achieve
higher steering angles, etc than on the standard rig.
The rest of the component test area, which has a modular
layout and several access points for condentiality purposes,
is packed with multiple examples of various single
component, suspension component, and steering system
test rigs to enable simultaneous testing. With further
hardware such as an MTS transmission test system for
advanced gearbox testing, a transmission lubrication test
system, and rotary damper rigs, TMG has some intriguing
devices, all accessible by overhead crane.
The transmission test system rig is the only one available
What if
Sadly, Marquardt seems to
have lost his passion for F1,
only half-watching a couple of
races a year nowadays. But what if
Toyota hadnt canned the program?
I rmly believe the performance
of the team would have been better
this year, as I saw a continuous
improvement in our performance
overall not just on track, but as
a team over the past three years.
We had also made big steps in
efciency and in cost savings. I
think this year we could have been
ghting for the championship, not
just with the car, but as a team, as
our processes had really settled. It
took us ve years to get everything
in the team arranged and get the
stability we could improve on.
If any aspiring F1 teams want
a decent car for the forthcoming
season, they should approach

Marquardt: If anyone wants us to
build them an F1 car, we are more
than capable of doing that. We just
need someone to order the car and
the services around it. Our 2010
car is not usable anymore because
of the new regulations regarding
diffusers and aero components,
but if we were to make another
car, that would be the base we
would start from.
on the free market, according to Gehlen, who says, It can

rev up to 22,000rpm and output power higher than 700kW.
The output motors are fairly standard. The input motor is
relatively low torque, but we can change ratios to allow
higher torque. We have to work on it a little from a control
point of view, but we can test a variety of gearboxes.
Additional items include a static brake test rig; a center
of gravity rig for three-directional inertia tests, an LDS
high-performance shaker with climatic capability for fatigue
testing; load frames for damper, side intrusion panel,
material, and suspension testing; a high-frequency material
test rig; a uni-axial damper test system including rotary
damper capability; a stress test rig for carbon composite
parts; a driveshaft test rig to pre-stress or rate driveshafts;
ABOVE: The 760m2

chassis workshop
offers 600m2 of
working space,
featuring ve
independent work
bays and fully tted
clean rooms
061
COVER STORY
MTS helps TMG transition to contract test lab
When Toyota Motorsport
GmbH (TMG) decided to
transform its operations from
a proprietary test facility to
a contract test lab in 2009,
facility management realized
that some essential technology
enhancements were in order.
We knew we had to gain
more exibility across our
test lab to support customers
beyond Formula 1, says Marco
Gehlen, group leader at TMG.
Instead of spending time and
money procuring new test
systems, we wanted to achieve
greater exibility from our
existing test systems so they
could also support passenger
cars and commercial vehicles.
Since 2001, TMG has
deployed an array of state-ofthe-art test equipment from
MTS Systems Corporation
ABOVE: An engineer
monitors a driver
lapping the Circuit
de Catalunya on the
driving simulator
to perform Formula 1 vehicle

testing. This includes rolling
road systems based on wind
tunnels, road simulators,
rotary damper test systems,
and custom transmission
and steering test systems.
Expanding the laboratorys
application focus beyond
motorsports required
collaboration with MTS to
modify these existing systems.
One key modication
was the addition of a
stepdown gearbox to its MTS
transmission testing system,
which replicates the realworld forces, pressures,
and temperatures of an
operating gearbox. Working
in tandem with advanced test
software, the stepdown
gearbox allows different rpm
and torque values to be applied
to the test system to produce

realistic inputs for almost any
vehicle type.
Another innovation
applicable across motorsports
and general vehicle testing is
live-link capability, which was
added to the labs MTS sevenposter tire-coupled road
simulator. Live link enables
a secure, real-time online
connection between the test
lab and a remote location,
using two identical vehicle
prototypes. Through this
connection, critical
adjustments engineered on
the test rig vehicle can be
accurately and immediately
replicated on the identical
vehicle at the racetrack or
proving ground.
We are constantly seeking
the best ways to correlate the
a 3D coordinate measurement system; geometric optical

measurement; and FIA homologation facilities for static
chassis homologation tests.
If that isnt enough, there is an on-site machine shop for
simple rig adaptations and jig modications.
Moving on, there is also a 760m chassis workshop with
600m of separate working space, featuring ve independent
work bays and fully tted clean rooms for hydraulic and
gearbox preparation. The workshop can be used to build
any kind of low-production-volume vehicle, from touring or
rally cars right up to prototype vehicles, with facilities
including lifting machinery, a at bed for validation, and
direct HGV access.
virtual lab with reality and also

with the test rigs, says Gehlen.
Our live-link technology has
obvious time- and moneysaving potential for all types
of vehicle developers, whether
theyre working against an
upcoming race or time-tomarket deadline.
According to Gehlen, MTS
has been essential to TMGs
smooth transition from OEM
test lab to contract test facility.
Two MTS engineers have been
on site at TMG from the earliest
stages of our motorsports
program, and they have been
a major contributor to our
success ever since, he says.
Without exception, MTS has
demonstrated its ability to
understand our objectives
and identify the best solutions
to help us to meet them.
Of course, most of the technology was in place before

TMG opened its doors to the world. A notable feature the
company has added, though, is condentiality. The private
model shop and workshop spaces, an advanced door access
system to secure every working area, lockable private
storage, and dedicated servers for data security mean
customers can enjoy the facilities with complete privacy.
TMG is clearly a well-specied facility, created under the
whatever it takes auspices of Formula 1, but for those
looking for an one-stop shop, its greatest asset may be its
team of engineers and technicians, who have a wealth of
experience and are used to tough deadlines. We are
available to whatever extent customers require. They can
just come and use the facility, use their own people, get
their own results, and do their own post-processing. They
can run their program as they like, with our staff available
to make sure systems work, etc. But it can also include our
expertise, operators, engineering support it depends what
sort of service companies would like to have, explains
Marquardt.
Looking to the future, Marquardt says, We have a good
range of customers, and we have areas running at their limit
not in terms of physical capacity, but from a staff point of
view. We have roughly 170 people, and with all some
projects, such as production, where our CNC machines are
run constantly, we are on top of our production capacity in
terms of people. Others areas not yet at that level, but thats
what we are pushing for. If we can get to a really good stable
level over the next few years, we can carefully look at which
areas sell well and consider the potential to increase staff
capacity so we can increase our overall capacity.
We are denitely looking at areas where we think we
have good equipment and may extend or complement it to
make it more widely applicable. Some of our rigs, dynos,
and tools are racing specic and there is more out there for
the OE side. That kind of investment is what were looking
at to enable us to work with a wider audience. h
TMG IS HIRING ENGINEERS! www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com FOR DETAILS
062

Accelerate your vehicle testing with MTS.
For more than 40 years, MTS has been providing the products and services that vehicle
test labs around the world need to operate with greater speed and condence.
Whether your testing involves materials, components, subsystems or the full vehicle,
we offer the proven solutions you need to succeed. Contact us today to discover how
MTS technology and experience can benet you.
Inset photos courtesy of Toyota Motorsport GmbH.
www.mts.com
info@mts.com
Tel: +1.952.937.4000
2010 MTS Systems Corporation.

MTS is a registered trademark of MTS Systems Corporation.
RTM No. 211177.
MTS GROUND VEHICLE SOLUTIONS
be certain.
2010 EXPO REVIEW
Event: Automotive Testing Expo

North America
Venue: The Rock Financial
Showplace
Novi, Detroit, MI, USA
Date: October 26, 27, 28, 2010
The USA and Canadas most
important and prestigious
automotive testing event showed
real condence in the industry
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064
2010 Expo Review
Many suppliers and OEMs at the

Expo found a solution they did not
know even existed. Sourcing vehicles
for benchmarking and evaluation can be
difcult without spending large amounts
on actually buying the vehicles. However,
LaFontaine Automotive Group, a large
group of auto dealerships, has a specialist
operation LaFontaine Global Vehicles
that can source a wide variety of vehicles
from markets around the world for clients
on a weekly, monthly or annual basis.
Jim Melton, director of the company,
was on hand to explain: The industry is
heading in the right direction, product-wise
and prot-wise. The Tier 1s are getting
a lot more business from manufacturers,
and we can provide vehicles for them to
benchmark and test, in the USA and all
over the world. We try to source from our
own vehicles where possible, but I have
strategic alliances with more than 2,000

dealers that I can secure vehicles from.
The only proviso is that customers are
up front with Melton about how they intend
to use the vehicle. It depends where the
program is, how long the program is, or
what theyre doing with it. I often purchase
the vehicle if its a program where they will
disassemble anything, rather than use
a new vehicle from a dealership.
Melton has noticed a surge in demand
for electric and hybrid vehicles recently,
such as the GM Volt and the Nissan Leaf,
and also a wider range of smaller vehicles,
following Chryslers association with Fiat.
And much of this demand stemmed from
the Expo, as he said, At least once a week
I get a call from a new customer, and when
I ask where they heard of us, they say they
stopped by our booth at Automotive
Testing Expo North America.
2010 EXPO REVIEW
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A particularly interesting exhibit at the

show was the Grail Engine, an innovative
design that uses a process known as
Forced Semi-Homogeneous Charged
Compression Ignition (FS-HCCI), and
the Miller Cycle. The engine, claim its
designers, has the potential to provide
the rst two-stroke engine that does not
exhibit cross-contamination of fuel and oil,
resulting in lower emissions yet producing
more power and torque using less fuel
than larger engines.
This is the most advanced piston
engine on the planet, stated Matthew
Riley, CEO of Grail Engine Technologies.
Its the only engine out there that can do
low-pressure direct injection, because you
have high-pressure forced induction swirl
induction into the chamber. This is stateof-the-art. It has better emissions than any
other engine on the planet, it costs less
than 50% of what a four-cylinder engine
costs to manufacture, it outperforms it,
it weighs less, it has better fuel economy,
and it is cheaper to maintain. The engine
temperature operates lower, which
controls the combustion temperature
better. It can do full HCCI over the entire
rpm range. Its state-of-the-art all the way.
The engine, which has taken a mere 15
months to go from a drawing on a napkin
Mini loggers
HEM Data Corporation
was launching the
DAWN range of mini
loggers, consisting of
compact, low-cost data
loggers to acquire OBD
and CANbus data from
cars and trucks. GPS
data is an option, and
their small size means
easy installation for
in-vehicle testing
and other eld-testing
applications.
Connectivity options
include USB, WiFi,
cellular and Bluetooth.
Units can work by
themselves or together.
The range consists
of a Mini Logger, an OBD
Mini Logger, an ADAQ
Mini Logger, a modem/
GPS logger, and a mini
GPS. Having separate
units allows users to
buy what they need and
to position the units in
their ideal locations.
to initial prototype, can be congured as

a 30 lb single-cylinder unit claimed to
generate around 100hp and 60 lb ft of
torque, or as a two-, three- or four-cylinder
design. Riley does not recommend that
most customers venture beyond four
cylinders, as the engine is predicted
to be generating 450hp at this stage.
Low cost is aided by the use of plastic
for parts such as the crankcase, airbox,
and valve cover, while also ensuring light
weight and recyclability.
Everybody is working off antiquated
technology, Riley added. If you want to
control combustion in the chamber, you
have to control the chamber around it. You
have to keep the temperature balanced
throughout the entire chamber. If you
dont, a hot spot becomes apparent and
NOx emissions go up, and then CO2 and
hydrocarbons shoot up.
The company and its partners are
hoping to lease out the technology at low
royalty rates, with the design expected
to be production-ready in 18-24 months.
2010 EXPO REVIEW
Stonking times for NCCAR

The Expo was a great opportunity
to catch up with Simon Cobb, COO of
NCCAR, the North Carolina Center for
Automotive Research. The facility is open
for business and is constantly receiving
new enhancements, such as video
cameras and WiFi throughout the site
for data and video transmission, and
an impressive new operations and
engineering building.
Our rst phase went operational in
May. We have nished the western loop,
and phase two will bring in more track area
and more dynamics areas, said Cobb.
The facility is doing well, as Cobb

explained: We had a stonking September,
with 270 cars passing through weve
been busy. We built this facility at the time
of one of the biggest recessions, but costs
were very low and we are opening as
things are picking up. Winter is our strong
season as while its frozen and snowy
elsewhere, the temperature never gets
below zero at NCCAR.
Cobb may be welcoming more visitors
soon, as he said about visitors to his stand
at the show: There are quite a few people
weve talked to who I think will use us.
Non-contact optical sensor launch

The Expo marked the North American
debut of the Corrsys-Datron Correvit SHR, a non-contact optical sensor
designed for high-dynamic and highaccuracy slip and side slip angle
measurements within vehicle testing
applications.
The design of the Correvit S-HR
sensor incorporates an enhancement
of the Correvit principle, along with
the latest high-quality optoelectronic
components and digital signalprocessing technologies. As a result,
the Correvit S-HR sensor offers precise
slip angle measurement capabilities,
with accuracy of better than 0.2%.
In addition, the sensors unltered
angle accuracy within the range of
15 is 0.1 with a resolution of 0.01.
The sensor offers a working range
of 250 50mm over a speed range

of 0.5 to 250km/h and features a highresolution, low-noise angle signal,
displayed via CANbus, analog, digital,
USB or RS-232C outputs. The sensors
250Hz signal update rate allows each
high-dynamic maneuver to be
precisely tracked with the added
benet of adjustable lter times.
Just add water

Visitors could not
fail to be impressed
by the 1,700hp Extreme
Performance engine
on show at Sterling
Performances stand.
Remarkably, in typical
applications, up to four
of these monsters are
used. Yes, it was a
marine engine for
offshore racers, on
show to demonstrate
the companys 20-year
history in making
such beasts.
The company also
offers its expertise in
testing such engines to
automotive companies,
who can test fuel
systems, components
and materials, as well
as conducting corrosion,
dynamometer, vibration
and NVH, and climatic
tests, among others. The
facilities on offer ensure
that even highly tuned
engines such as the one
on show can achieve 40
hours peak performance,

and sometimes even
longer.
We have engine dyno
capabilities that can test
most engines, because
they can test these sorts
of engines with around
1,300 lb ft torque,
explained Alvin Powell,
who came out of
retirement to attend
the show. Most of the
testing we do is for fuels,
and we can test any type
of fuel. We also have
chambers for durability
testing, for anything
from 200-10,000 hours.
We have also tested
little engines, such as
2hp Briggs & Stratton
engines. We also do
emissions tests, because
with the new Clean Air
Act, we gradually have
to include anything from
a weed whacker to a
chainsaw anything
with an engine. We
can test all of them.
067
CarSim ...applications
Driving Simulators - CarSim and TruckSimDUH

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7KH VRIWZDUH WKDW GULYHV \RXU SURGXFW GHYHORSPHQW RU
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ODUJHVW$'$6WHVWLQJVLPXODWRULQWKHZRUOG
Fast. Accurate. Validated.
VW Autostadt
Mechanical Simulation
10DLQ6W6XLWH$QQ$UERU0,86$
3KRQHHPDLOLQIR#FDUVLPFRP
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The adjoining Crash Test

Expo was an excellent
chance to meet Richard
Amadril, the newly
appointed president of
Luminys Systems Corp,
our 2009 Crash Test
Company of the Year.
Amadril has joined
the developer and
manufacturer of ultrahigh-intensity lighting
systems following 13
years as an executive
at Panavision. While at
Panavision, Amadril was

awarded a patent for the
Panamount universal
camera mount for
Technocranes, and also
conceived the idea for
the Panascout iPhone
app, which became a
top-grossing download.
He has been active in
various roles of both
cast and crew, starting
as a production assistant
on independent lms,
and founding his own
production company.
Luminys has
a recognized tradition
of innovation and
excellence which I am
proud to join, said
Amadril. We will
continue to enhance
and expand our awardwinning lighting
solutions for our
traditional entertainment
markets, as well as
high-speed testing
and beyond.
Espec was launching

a benchtop temperature
and humidity chamber,
developed to accommodate
larger components than
most compact models.
The BTL-433 runs from
115V power, and can test
components from a -20
to +180C range, and
a humidity range of 10%
to 95% RH. The company
has achieved an interior
size 3.5in larger than
many benchtops, yet
with an exterior up to 20%
narrower. The programmer
includes a temperature
alarm as part of its threetier over-temperature
protection system, and
also includes a thermal fuse

and user-set independent
limit, as well as a specimen
power terminal.
The Watlow F4
programmer and controller
can store up to 40 different
proles, an RS-232C
Modbus interface, and
step types including
ramp, soak, jump/repeat,
auto-start, and end.
We used to offer
a smaller chamber,
but automotive needs
something a little bigger.
You can put anything
in, from electronics,
connectors, labels just
about anything, stated
Especs David Jung.
2010 EXPO REVIEW
Little but large
Film star debuts
Busy times at Kistler

It was a busy show for Kistler, which was
showing a raft of new products, including
the RoaDyn S2xy two-component hub for
measuring tire rolling resistance on test
machines; the Type 8315A high-sensitivity,
low-noise single-axis MEMS capacitive
accelerometer and the Type 8766A, a family
of lightweight, miniature triaxial PiezoStar
accelerometers, both designed for NVH
and structural analysis; and also the Type
8395A, a miniature, cube-shaped, highsensitivity, low-noise triaxial MEMS
capacitive accelerometer series for vehicle
dynamics, structural analysis, and NVH.
Such advances have necessitated
expansion, as Nick Wilkes, managing
director of Kistler, explained: Were building
a new ofce in the Detroit area. Were
investing and expanding and this time next
year well have a brand new, purpose-built
technical center. Its really exciting.
Detroit will continue to be a center
of R&D for many, many years, and the way

technology is progressing, customers rely
on their vendors more and more and we
have to be there to support them. Well
do value-add or customer modications
to existing products at the center. There are
good local machining shops around so we
can adapt our products to specic customer
applications. We will also do calibration we
currently do calibration to ISO 17025 but
were going to expand upon that. We nd
that customers may have specic
calibrations for specic temperatures, etc,
that they cant do themselves but they
need all these measurements. So we
will help them.
The 20,000ft2 building will cost in the
region of US$3 million, according to Wilkes,
and will be well worth it. If you look ve
years down the road, there is so much
engineering talent in this town, Detroit
will denitely come back, he added.
069
2010 EXPO REVIEW
School master
One very busy man
at the Expo was Gary
Elfstrom, director of
business development
at the General Motors
of Canada Automotive
Centre of Excellence
(ACE), a facility that is
owned and operated by
the University of Ontario
Institute of Technology.
ACE has entered its nal
stage of completion,
which involves:
mounting the solar
array to the ceiling of
the climatic wind tunnel,
now the three-story
high heat exchanger
and screens have been
installed in the settling
chamber; nal touches
to the large climate
chamber, which has
just received debugging
work to its solar array
and dynamometer;
installing the trim on
the thermal walls in the
small climate chamber,
as well as installing the
air handling ducting and
wiring the control room;
installing the climate
systems for the four-post
chamber; completing
the anechoic treatment
in the multi-axis shaker
table facility; and tting

instrumentation and
hoists in the garage
area of the center.
When complete,
Elfstrom says the center
will boast the worlds
only climatic wind tunnel
that has a chassis dyno
that sits on a turntable
so you can test thermal
performance with wind
in different directions,
not just straight on.
We will gradually
over the next year-anda-half build up a really
good test facility. The
next step after that will
be to offer diagnostic
solutions. The auto
market is recovering,
particularly in Canada,
and the ACE will enable
anybody to do testing
without spending
buckets of money.
As well as discussing
the ACE, Elfstrom
was elding a lot of
unexpected questions
regarding the university,
from visitors interested
in sending their children
to the automotive
engineering course, and
from companies looking
for new graduates.
Cold watch
A really innovative product launched at the
show was ChamberCam, a technology that
adds efciency and reduces development
time when measuring dimensional stability
of components under extreme climatic
conditions. The system, launched by
Dynamic Intelligent Solutions (DIS),
combines photogrammetry hardware
and software with thermal management
technology to provide the ability to
measure parts in real time during thermal
cycling in an environmental chamber.
Until now, manufacturers could only
measure a product before and after it was
exposed to a predetermined temperature
and humidity prole, making it difcult to
know exactly how much and when a part
might change under various conditions,
said Larry Arnone, vice president of DIS.
With the ChamberCam process, we offer
the ability to capture dimensional data at

hundreds of points on the product up
to 15 times per second throughout the
actual climatic testing.
The system employs photogrammetry
technology, data acquisition software and
hardware, digital cameras and an
environmental management system that
enables the high-speed, high-resolution
digital cameras to operate inside thermal
test chambers. This closed-loop system
can also be used as a mobile system at
a customer facility. The setup, calibration
and measurement process of the system
is very robust and easy to use.
As Jim Arnone, a partner at the
company, stated, Once visitors
understand what dynamic data acquisition
is, that they can capture points as they
move, a light bulb turns on in their heads!
Programmable power
Visitors to Ametek
Programmable Powers
stand could be forgiven
for thinking they were
looking at high-end audio
equipment, but the sleek
boxes on display were
actually the latest XG
series of programmable
DC power supplies.
The XG 1700 is a 1,700W,
1U programmable power
supply with constant
voltage and constant
current modes, automatic
crossover and numerous
features enabling costeffective, easy integration
for test, production,
laboratory, OEM and quality

assurance applications.
Key modes include an
Auto Start mode, which
establishes the state of
the output of the power
supply after recovery from
a complete power cycle
or after recovery from
a PC failure or reboot; an
Auxiliary Auto Start mode
that determines the state
of the auxiliary output after
a complete power cycle;
and a Foldback Mode that
is used to disable
the output when a transition
is made between the
operating modes.
Regional sales director
Dave Stuart stated, Other
people do power supplies,
but this is where our
expertise is. Its all we do.
We have a wide variety of
products for a wide variety
of applications. The XG has
very high power density,
with 850W on a half rack,
and 1,700W in a full rack.
071
2010 EXPO REVIEW
No batteries needed
Link blooms
In addition to its 75th
anniversary, Link
Engineering had
something else to
celebrate: the company
is starting work on a new
US$10 million facility in
Dearborn, which will be
complete in ve years
and will employ more
than 50 people.
Its kind of a
partnership with Ford
they have a large
building theyre looking
to sell, and were looking
to purchase, explained
Rob Mangan of Link
Engineering. Well put
a lot of equipment in
and expand our testing
resources. Its pretty
exciting. We will have
a wide variety of dynos
and testers, focusing
on braking, wheel
impact, drivelines,
transmissions, etc.
A lot of people have

asked about different
areas so well make sure
we have the equipment
in place, which will
generate capital.
The company has been
growing at a remarkable
rate recently, with other
new test facilities
opening in Shanghai,
China; Sorocaba, Brazil;
and Limburg, Germany.
Some clever thinking has
enabled the growth, as
Mangan explained: 2009
worked out for us very
well. We were slower
last year so we started
to build equipment for
new industries. We
took our slower area of
manufacturing and used
those resources to even
it out, and now weve
had a record year for
equipment sales.
Were very excited.
For many US visitors, the Expo was their

rst chance to try out Horibas awardwinning Virtual Battery Solution (see page
48), which emulates in-use lifecycle
conditions to reduce development costs,
eliminate uncertainty, and speed vehicles
to market. While typical simulation
solutions mimic basic charge and
discharge events, Virtual Batterys
emulation approach is designed to offer
the ability to replicate in-vehicle conditions
including stress, battery age, battery pack
parameters, and driving cycles as well as
the environmental conditions necessary
to predict actual battery behavior.
Typically in the lab you would use a
xed voltage DC power supply. The Virtual
Battery software allows us to simulate the
output an actual battery pack would give
under conditions, based on current,
temperature, state of charge, and the
current demanded of the battery. The
actual output of the battery will reect
what the battery pack will be capable

of doing in that condition, explained
Horiba engineer Richard Rumer.
The system offers ve specialized,
customizable battery models, each
built up from the cell level and calibrated
specically for vehicle applications.
Were trying to replicate real in-vehicle
conditions. Obviously vehicles dont have
endless power supply supplying DC
voltage to the inverter, so here we can see
the effects of a varying battery voltage on
the mechatronic part of the vehicle. This
shortens development cycles and costs,
as it eliminates the need to have battery
packs and chargers cycle, continued
Rumer. Plus it is repeatable, whereas if
you run the same battery pack twice, the
same charge or temperature wont give
the same performance as the battery ages,
whereas this is model is repeatable.
Understandably, Horiba reported a high
level of interest in the system at the show.
Jet set
Another show-stopping sight was
Ron Patricks jet-powered Volkswagen
Beetle. This was no mock-up just
to draw attention to the companys
range of analyzers: it is a beautifully
engineered, fully operational vehicle.
Patricks colleague Rob Lupul was
on hand to explain. Its a stock Beetle
with a stock two-liter engine in the front
to putt-putt along with, but if you want
to overtake properly, you re up the jet
engine! With the afterburner on, ames
come out the back. You cant use the
072
afterburner legally on the road, but

illegally sure! The cops stop you but
arent sure what to charge you with.
Its a fully engineered vehicle we
didnt just throw a jet engine in there.
There are a few thousand pages of
documentation of how to engineer it
what size wires, battery capacities,
temperatures, its all been designed
and engineered.
Making the structure of a Beetle
suitable to hold a jet engine was a big
challenge, as when the engine res up
it gets hot and the metals expand.

Holding it rigid in the body could cause
components to buckle or fracture,
so rubber isolators were used. An
extraordinary care was taken in the
fabrication of this car, added Lupul.
The project was also aided by the
companys Lambda, NOx, EGR and
humidity analyzers, and by FasTemp,
one of the companys latest products,
which is a fast-response device that
can improve thermocouple speed
by 10-50 times.
connect
200-649e-04.10
Kistler & Corrsys-Datron Joined Forces!
From a single source customers now receive

complete measuring systems for mobile vehicle
testing, including high-precision sensors, data
acquisition, software, and a variety of accessories. Corrsys-Datron optical sensors, for
example the new Correvit S-HR, a high-resolution slip-angle sensor, can be easily mounted
to measuring wheels of the proven Kistler
RoaDyn product family: Combined forces for
optimizing vehicle performance and safety!
Corrsys-Datron Sensorsysteme GmbH A Kistler Group Company, 35578 Wetzlar, Germany

Tel. +49 6441 92 82 0, Fax +49 6441 92 82 17, info@corrsys-datron.com
www.corrsys-datron.com
www.kistler com
HBM-nCode
New technology for proving ground-schedule development enables

durability engineers to get best value and minimize test time
Email: ncode@hbm.com
Web: www.ncode.com
ONLINE READER ENQUIRY NUMBER
501
Proving ground
optimization
074
Proving grounds can

provide an extremely
efcient means of
solving the durability
engineers perpetual paradox:
to ensure very quickly that
the vehicle will last a very
long time in real usage. But
how is it possible to get the
best value from provingground usage? HBM-nCode
has addressed these current
challenges through new
technology for proving
ground-schedule development.
The use of proving-ground
surfaces is being reviewed and
reinvented at many OEMs.
Consolidation and changed
ownership have meant that
certain proving grounds are
no longer available for use.
For example, Fords proving
ground at Wittman, Arizona,
was originally the Volvo
Arizona proving ground,
while in 2008, what had
been the Ford desert facility
at Yucca was acquired by
Chrysler. Determining
equivalence between proving
grounds has gained
importance: what mix of
which road surfaces or events
at proving ground A is
required to match what was
used at proving ground B?
Increasingly, vehicle
programs are used in
many countries by global
counterpart divisions.
Questions arise regarding
which test schedule is
appropriate for different
versions, and how to quantify
the effect of the varying
durability schedules that
are used globally.
The actual usage

differences in these markets
are also being considered.
Many manufacturers conduct
customer-usage programs to
help understand real-world
usage. Some OEMs use
detailed customer surveys
to determine percentage
driving patterns and actual
representative highway or
rough-road surfaces. Specially
instrumented vehicles are
used on these surfaces to
capture strains, accelerations,
and loads to quantify realworld conditions.
A larger eet of vehicles
can alternatively be used to
capture data from the vehicle
network, capturing and
storing CANbus information
on engine usage, speed, gear
position, and so on. As new
vehicle types, using hybrid
and electric drivetrains, are
ABOVE: nCode GlyphWorks can

provide users with a rich framework for
signal processing large amounts of data
developed, questions need

to be answered regarding the
engineering requirements for
meeting customer needs, and
how these new platforms will
affect driving styles and usage.
There is also ongoing
pressure for quicker, more
cost-effective development
programs. The cost of
prototype vehicles and the
many weeks of effort required
for physical testing at several
global locations will continue
to be the target of streamlining
measures. How can we remove
a prototype from the schedule?
Can we run the test more
quickly with fewer events?
Can we rely on CAE
simulation for certain aspects?
What tests can be run on
simulators in the lab? Can we
eliminate complete tests?
Because proving ground
tests have typically been
developed over many years,

there is often reluctance
to change the test process,
even though it has long been
accepted that proving-ground
testing is far from perfect and
will tend to under-test certain
components and over-test
others. This knowledge has
been gained by long and
sometimes costly experience,
making the challenge of
optimizing a well-established
durability schedule even
more daunting.
Until recently, solutions
to this optimization problem
have had varying success.
Numerical results would often
be sensitive to the sequence
in which the surfaces were
considered, or provide nonphysical results such as
negative numbers of repeats.
Also, the data analyzed are
often simplied rainow-cycle
counts that tend to emphasize
matching, non-damaging
small cycles of load which
are more numerous at the
expense of the fewer larger
cycles that cause most of the
damage. Rainow-cycle
counts also do not contain
any frequency information,
and therefore omit the effect
of fatigue damage, due to
vibration on subsystems, such
as steering columns or other
non-structural components.
New software by nCode,
an HBM brand that focuses on
providing durability solutions,
will soon be available to help
address many of these issues.
The challenge is to determine
the optimum, most efcient
mix of proving-ground
surfaces required to match an

overall target. This target, for
example, could be another
proving ground or a customerusage prole from another
region of the world. The need
to consider measurements and
responses from not only one
location on the vehicle but
from many parts can make
these challenges particularly
difcult. Optimization
algorithms are required to
determine the best mix that
Second, both linear and

non-linear least squaresoptimization techniques are
provided to nd the best mix
of surfaces. The optimization
methods can aim to give either
the closest match of data, or
to minimize the number of
repeats required, and thereby
save time required for testing.
Constraints can also be
dened to ensure realizable
results by setting limits on
every surface. This means
The challenge is to determine the optimum,

most efcient mix of proving ground surfaces
required to match an overall target
minimizes the difference
across all channel locations.
This TestMatch solution
is integrated within nCode
GlyphWorks, which provides
a rich framework for signal
processing large amounts of
data. The approach comprises
two parts. First, a relative
damage-spectrum technique
is provided to calculate fatigue
damage for each channel for
multiple frequency bands, to
produce a damage-weighted
frequency spectrum.
Defaults shown to be
best for ground-vehicle road
data are provided, but users
can also dene their own
ranges. Accelerations can be
automatically converted into
approximate displacements,
which tend to correlate more
directly to the strain that
drives fatigue damage.
that no single surface can,

for example, be allowed to
account for than 20% of an
overall schedule. The interface
enables what-if trade-offs
to explore the application
of different constraints or the
removal of complete events.
The input for the optimization
is very exible and, despite
the advantages of the relativedamage spectrum, can also
optimize the summation of
many types of data, including
rainow-cycle counts, or even
overall fatigue-damage values.
Results from these new
techniques are shown to be
robust. This is a powerful tool
to help meet the durability
engineers challenge of
determining which mixture of
proving-ground surfaces offers
the best representation, while
minimizing total test time. h
075
Practical requirements for a test system to evaluate functional

safety aspects, driver assistance systems and general vehicle
dynamics parameters
Dewetron
Tel: +43 316 30700
Email: raimund.trummer@dewetron.com
Web: www.dewetron.com
502
Multipurpose
evaluation toolbox
076
All leading vehicle

manufacturers
continuously
introduce advanced driver
assistance systems such as
forward collision warning
(FCW), lane departure
warning (LDW), active cruise
control (ACC), and others.
Related topics include the
upcoming ISO 26262 standard
for functional safety of road
vehicles, plus all the
traditional vehicle dynamics
maneuvers such as ISO lane
change and steady circle test.
For testing departments,
one question arises: how to
choose the right evaluation
tools for all these tasks?
Dewetron aims to cover
everything with its automotive
toolbox that comprises a set of
exible and scalable hardware
and a single modular software
suite. All developments have
been based on the practical
experiences of test engineers
around the world.
For the hardware and
software, depending on the
test, many parameters might
be required, such as driving
speed, vehicle longitudinal
and lateral velocity, pitch, roll
and yaw angle (leveled and
vehicle-related to the road
surface), position, steeringwheel angle and torque, wheel
forces, wheel torques, wheel
speeds, wheel movement in
x, y and z direction, vehicle
oat angle, slip angle on all
vehicle wheels, longitudinal,
and transverse and yaw
acceleration there are
almost unlimited parameters.
No single company would be
ABOVE: Typical online screen

during a functional safety test
LEFT: Dewetron measurement system,
ECU data recording via XCP interface
able to provide all these

parameters, so Dewetron
produces data acquisition
systems based on its leading
technology for synchronized
measurements. These systems
enable users to synchronously
record analog data, digital
states, encoder/counter values,
bus data like CAN, Flexray or
XCP, video frames, and GPS
data. As a member of the DTA
(Driveability Testing Alliance),
Dewetron can guarantee that
for any required parameter
there is a suitable sensor

available, which is fully
compatible with the
measurement system.
The software is developed
to enable quick setup of test
procedures. Templates for
several tests are included.
The sequencer guides the test
driver through the maneuver
by, for example, audio
commands. The result can
be seen online without any
additional post analysis.
Depending on the
maneuver, basic information
like sensor scaling, car size,
GPS antenna position, test
track, xed objects, etc is
entered in the setup section.
Denition of the test track
can be done by charting cones
or other markings on the
proving ground, by dening
the track in the software or by
recording a master ride. Any
of these methods is easy to do.
There is even a procedure

available to place the cones
for an ISO lane change test,
supported by the highprecision GPS antenna to
ensure safe preparation time.
Any maneuver can be
driven following the markings
on the proving ground or
following the track shown
on a 3D display. The chance
to freely drive a maneuver
brings many advantages, such
as saving preparation time
when testing on an iced lake.
For testing vehicle
controllability in case of a
simulated sensor malfunction,
accurate lane deviation and
yaw rate are required,
complemented by ABS/VDC
internal data via XCP. In
addition to following a marked
path, running free maneuvers
is possible. The vehicle just
needs to be in a steady
condition for three seconds to
enable solid prediction of the
traveling path and making all
the calculations after inducing
the sensor malfunction.
A challenge when testing
ACC is in measuring the
relative position and velocity
between cars in the case of
longitudinal control systems,
and car to track in the case
of lateral systems. But the key
feature for gaining quality data
is perfect synchronization of
signal sources. Many graphical
displays and controls are
available to cover the different
requirements of maneuvers.
Based on the data, an
immediate report can be
generated or further analyses
can be performed. h
Colmis Proving Ground

Tel: +46 961 720100
Email: info@colmisab.se
Web: www.colmis.se
certications mean that we are

fullling the framework for
various general demands and
that is not a discussion point.
Furthermore, continuous
improvement of our operation
is part of our daily work,
which for us means a
commitment to our customers
to always deliver what we
have promised or above that,
to really keep a customer focus
and to be service oriented.
The operation offers 18
varied land tracks, from
handling to a spectacular
forest track of 10km and
ABOVE LEFT: The lake dynamics area

ABOVE: A range of cold chambers
BELOW: The entrance to the site
a 1,000m-diameter at circle
on land. Colmis AB has a lot
of land available for further
expansion if needed.
Another advantage of
the facility is direct access
to the lake, with no need
to leave the proving ground
to use these kinds of tracks
a positive feature from
a customer perspective.
Tracks on the lake are
made according to customer
specications. Within the
site there are workshops,
ofces, and cold chambers.
A new workshop was recently
built for spot customers
those looking for a testing
facility for one or a few weeks
during the season.
Colmis AB has 38 wellequipped ats for rent and is
also working with local hotels
to offer accommodation as
part of a complete package.
What are the companys
future ambitions? Fjellstrm
explains that being an open
proving ground means that
no one has any exclusive
rights to the facility, like
they did before. This opens
possibilities to broaden the
customer base and develop
a wider range of services.
I believe that with
continued close cooperation
with our present and potential
customers, there are areas
where we could mutually
develop more services that are
benecial for our customers
and increase efciency in
testing work. This will be
our main focus, to upgrade
our offer in that respect,
concludes Fjellstrm. h
503
thing for us: to listen and try

to understand customer needs,
and to meet that demand,
says Harald Fjellstrm,
managing director of Colmis
AB, and one of its owners.
The company has been
certied according to ISO
9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS
18001. That process for
certication was a very
important step for us, and
we make it an integral part
of our organization, continues
Fjellstrm. It also facilitates
our discussions with present
and potential customers. The
Colmis AB was
founded in 1985
and is now one of
the major players in Arjeplog,
northern Sweden. The
company offers a full service
concept including
accommodation, tracks on
land and lake, workshops and
ofces, and related services
for the car testing industry.
The aim is to help
customers conduct their
testing without having to
waste time on things that
could be offered by Colmis
AB. This has been the major
A cold-weather proving ground in northern Sweden offers customers

a full-service concept, including land and lake tracks, workshops,
ofces, accommodation, and related services
A growing and open

proving ground
077
MTS
Fraunhofer Institute LBF gears up to support

electric and hybrid vehicle development
Tel: +1 952 937 4000

Email: info@mts.com
Web: www.mts.com
504
A new spark
in innovation
078
OEMs around the

world are hard at work
developing the next
generation of electric vehicles
(EVs), including hybrid
engines and those that run
purely on electricity. EVs
currently under development
range from small cars to
six-ton electric buses.
All these vehicles pose
unique design challenges
because the batteries they
require add considerable
weight to their design in
some cases as much as 150kg
(331 lb). This weight threatens
to reduce or eliminate any fuel
performance improvements
made possible by replacing all
or a portion of a vehicles gas
power with electricity. It also
places new physical stresses
on the vehicles themselves.
Heavy batteries require
a signicant increase in the
strength and stiffness of the
vehicles body structure, but
without a comparable increase
in vehicle weight, says Erich
Lcker, a project manager for
German research organization
Fraunhofer Institute LBF.
This is a big challenge for the
automotive industry. Complete
body structure testing requires
special equipment and
expertise, and this has
historically been the exclusive
domain of automotive
manufacturers. We wanted
to change this dynamic.
Based in Darmstadt,
Germany, Fraunhofer Institute
LBF specializes in performing
structural durability and
system reliability evaluations
for safety-specic components,
LEFT: Fraunhofer Institute LBF

employs a 6DOF MTS road simulator
to test stronger, stiffer hybrid and
all-electric vehicle structures
primarily those used in the

European automotive
industry. The institute belongs
to the Fraunhofer Society,
a German research body with
59 similar institutes, each
of which concentrates on
a discrete area of applied
science. LBF serves as
a premier research institute,
a contract test laboratory, and
a development partner for
automotive manufacturers.
The most effective systems
for testing EV structures are
those that can apply high
forces precisely in vertical
and longitudinal directions,
as well as braking forces.
LBF has committed itself
to making the technology
investments necessary to
support such requirements.
In April 2009 LBF
partnered with MTS Systems
Corporation to integrate a test
system equipped with such
capabilities: the MTS Model
329 6DOF LT SpindleCoupled Road Simulator.
The system was installed,
integrated, congured, and
operational by February 2010,

only 10 months after the
projects initiation.
The LBF Model 329 system
became the rst passenger car
and light truck simulator
outside an OEM test lab to
offer 6DOF control of forces
and motions at the vehicle
spindle and the rst contract
test lab to offer complete
vehicle body structural
testing. Three lateral struts
work in concert to provide
lateral force control along with
steer and camber moment
control, facilitating the precise
and orchestrated application
of vertical, longitudinal, and
braking forces required to
accurately characterize fullbody structural performance.
For LBF, the most
important aspect of the system
is its exibility to test a wide
range of vehicle types and
sizes. By moving the corners
of the system and adjusting
the track width and
wheelbase, technicians at
LBF can congure the road
simulator to accommodate
a variety of EVs, ranging from

passenger cars to much larger
and heavier commercial
transports. The system also
features a longitudinal
restraint to simulate braking
maneuvers and events.
By incorporating the Model
329 system into its operations,
LBF has gained a competitive
advantage in the European
marketplace and beyond,
especially for attracting
clients that are developing
EVs. The system will also
help the institute achieve
a global leadership position for
establishing EV test standards.
Because EV designs
deliver unique loads, we
expect to see increased
demand for new testing
methods, Lcker says. We
are prepared for this change,
and we give manufacturers
a viable alternate resource
for whole-body tests besides
performing tests themselves.
Outsourcing this testing is
a sound strategy for OEMs
because it enables them to
accelerate their development
while freeing up their staff
to focus on other businesscritical responsibilities.
Enhanced productivity is
another benet of deploying
the simulator. Specically, the
system enables LBF to test cars
and trucks in the lab in four
weeks. Typically it takes
manufacturers up to eight
months to perform similar
tests on the track. h
Aerospace
Road ready
Looking to include ground effect in your aerodynamic tests?
The National Research Council Canada (NRC) has added a full-scale, commercially available rolling
road test facility to our 9-metre x 9-metre wind tunnel.
This new facility adds rotating wheels on a rotating plane to our already impressive list of capabilities,
including test design and model construction, instrument customization, data acquisition, report
generation, and expert advice. All services are available for full-speed single or multiple vehicle set-ups.
Put us to the test. NRC has the expertise and technical support you need.
Tel: +1 613 990 0765 www.NRCaerospace.gc.ca/atti-rolling
Vous trouverez ces mmes renseignements en franais sur le site Web indiqu.
expert. independent. sustainable.

TEST FACILITY TYPES
Europe
US
South America
India
China.
Alternative Fuels
Altitude Test Labs
Anechoic/Pass-by
Clean Manufacturing
Containerized Test Cells
EMI Test Labs
End-of-Line Production Test Cells
Thousands of facilities
designed.
Turnkey or design/bid/build
delivery.
Hybrid/Batter y Drivetrain Labs

Hydrogen Test Facilities
NVH/Ser vo-hydraulic Test Labs
Test Tracks
Thermal Chambers
Engine & Chassis Test Cells
Emissions Test Facilities
Sustainable, LEED-certified
technical center expertise.
Product-independent
consultancy.
+1.608.236.1231
www.aeieng.com
A new line of electrodynamic vibration-test systems supports

a professional team providing innovative solutions to NVH testing
TMCSolution China
Tel: +86 512 6532 3201
Email: sales@tmcsolution.com.cn
Web: www.tmcsolution.com
505
New line of NVH

instruments from China
080
TMCSolution China
(TMC) is introducing
a new line of
electrodynamic vibration test
systems. It is an independent
provider of high-quality
electrodynamic vibration-test
systems, servo-hydraulic
systems, transducers, signal
conditioners, data-acquisition
systems, amplier systems,
and analytical software,
which can compose a whole
testing system.
The TS series vibration-test
system is a wide-frequency
band electrodynamic-vibration
test system capable of
producing a total sine vector
force rating of 100-30,000kgf.
The shaker operates in the
frequency range of DC to
4,500Hz from either a sine
wave or random noise input.
The TS series vibration-test
system includes the TS series
electrodynamic shaker, driven
by the Model TA series power
amplier and cooled by blower
or water ow.
The TS series can be
operated vertically and can
be used with environmental
chambers, with an optional
thermal barrier. The TS
series system is designed
to provide the excitation
force for structural and
environmental vibration
testing and screening.
These tests are used to
evaluate product reliability
and design.
TMC is expanding its
product line by launching new
sensors. All the sensors and
instruments are precisionengineered and manufactured
The TS system can

produce a total sine
vector force rating
of 100-30,000kgf
to t many industrial and

multiplex-measurement
applications. TMCs latestgeneration portable vibration
calibrator is designed to test
and calibrate all types of
vibration transducers. TE5503
is a complete, self-contained,
portable vibration calibrator.
As a standard feature, each
unit is equipped with its own
rechargeable power source.
An external charger power
supply provides charging and
operational current when used
in the lab. The state-of-art
manufacturing and assembly
process increases the longterm reliability of all the
companys sensors, including

piezoelectric accelerometers,
velocity transducers,
proximity-displacement
transducers, force transducers,
and pressure transducers.
Typical applications
include dynamic test of
vibration, shock, and
multiparameter tests. These
include condition monitoring
and monitoring of chemicals
widely used in metallurgy and
astronautics, and also the
detection of such mechanical
quantities as displacement,
vibration, speed of rotation,
length, thickness, and surface
roughness.
www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November 2010
The TE6266 condition

monitoring system could be
matched with relevant
sensors, acquisition units, and
monitoring-analysis software;
according to the monitoring
requirements of the industrial
and mineral scene. Benets
include an agile conguration,
convenient combination,
strong openness, a number of
tested points, and extensive
distribution. It could be
matched with TEDS sensors/
wireless internet sensors to
accomplish online monitoring
intelligence/internet/wireless
condition monitoring.
Performance and reliability
is enhanced by TMCs
technical and responsible
team. The team provides
services, including
installation, relocation,
repairs, calibration,
maintenance, amplier
replacement, and upgrades
to shakers and controllers.
Furthermore, TMCs
professional team can supply
innovative solutions to meet
NVH test requirements. h
Camera performance at full speed

High-Speed Cameras
Compact yet powerful, versatile yet easy to use
high-speed digital cameras from AOS Technologies
get the job done. Other key specifications include
battery power, GigE data interface, robust allaluminum housing, stand-alone capability, Hi-G
ruggedization and more.
1280 x 102
4 px
@1000 fps
Customer-Focused Services
From feasibility and system studies to detailed
technical proposals, from on-site installation to
operator training, AOS Technologies offers all services
to allow customers an immediate start according to
our motto
Get results while others merely try!
Be smart
with high-speed cameras
from AOS Technologies!
AOS Technologies AG
Taefernstrasse 20
CH-5405 Baden-Daettwil
Phone +41 56 483 34 88
www.aostechnologies.com
info@aostechnologies.com
6, 7, 8, MARCH 2012
The Chennai Trade Center, Chennai, India
Indias ONLY Automotive Testing, Evaluation
and Quality Engineering Trade Fair
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO INDIA 2012,
Abinger House, Church Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743744 Fax: +44 (0) 1306 877411
www.testing-expoindia.com
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO INDIA 2012,

Sumit Berry, head of Marketing & Customer Support - India
UKIP Media & Events (India)
2nd Floor, Elegance, Jasola District Centre,
Old Mathura Road, New Delhi
Tel: +91 991 0474 717
Email: s.berry@ukintpress.com
Our knowledge partner is
Luminys
DC xtures not only provide superior light quality now, but

also an insurance policy against obsolescence of lighting
technology as cameras evolve
Tel: +1 323 461 6361

Email: info@luminyscorp.com
Web: www.luminyscorp.com
506
A bright future
082
There is much
anticipation regarding
the availability of
faster and faster camera
speeds. No longer is 1,000
frames per second the ceiling
of our expectations. Certain
testing standards already
demand ultra-high camera
speeds, and it is inevitable
that camera speeds and
testing standards will
increase in step.
Faster camera speeds
can reveal more detail and
more information, but also
demand more light to produce
desirable results. Increasing
light levels alone is not
sufcient to satisfy the novel
demands at faster speeds.
Flicker increasingly becomes
an issue with higher frame
rates and faster shutter times
degrading image quality and
jeopardizing test results.
What exactly is icker?
A broad denition of it is the
phenomenon where there is
a noticeable difference in light
quality from one frame or
image to the next. The classic
way this difference occurs is
when the shutter opens during
a period of momentarily lower
light levels emanating from
the light source.
The light-emitting plasma
of an HMI light operates
with alternating current (AC),
which means that the light
actually turns off and then
back on again as its energy is
absorbed from each AC cycle.
With a square wave ickerfree power supply, the AC
cycle can be anywhere from
50Hz to several thousand
TOP AND TOP LEFT: SunSource

can add 100,000 lux to a test area, at
up to one million frames per second
TOP RIGHT: The light is shadowless
LEFT: The system offers full color
temperature to test subjects
hertz. Ideally, the off time

for the lamp (the rise and
fall time) is very short. The
problem arises when shutter
times are similarly very short.
If the time when the shutter is
open coincides with the time
the light is off (during the rise
and fall time of the AC cycle),
then there will be signicantly
less light or even no light
on that particular image
frame. This means that as
the footage is played back,
the dark frames come into
view and cause what is
known as icker.
The second phenomenon

that comes into play when
lighting with AC lamps for
high-speed image capture
is arc wander. This occurs
with AC lamps when the lightemitting plasma inside the
lamp jumps between the
tips of the two cathodes and
does not land quite right
on the tip of the cathode, but
rather alights to one side of
the cathode tip. This causes
a distinct shift in the optics
of the light xture. There is a
brief moment when the object
appears substantially different
due to some parts being

obscured in shadow and
other parts being accidentally
accented. This is a random
occurrence that varies from
lamp to lamp and can occur
with little warning.
A light xture powered
by direct current (DC)
avoids issues of icker or
arc wander. A DC lamp
employs light-emitting plasma
that is illuminated without
interruption. There is no arc
wander because the plasma
is continuously streaming
from the cathode to the anode.
There is no icker because
the light never turns off, so
there is never a dark frame.
It seems clear that as
camera speeds become faster
and testing standards more
demanding, lighting systems
that run on DC will be the
only viable solution. The
square-wave manipulation
of AC power supplies will
simply not hold up at ultrahigh frame rates. Even if one
is fortunate enough to avoid
a dark frame, a wandering
arc may skew test results.
DC xtures not only
provide superior light quality
now, but also insurance
against obsolescence as
cameras evolve. With this in
mind, Luminyss high-speed
products rely exclusively on
DC lamps driven by battery
systems. This conguration
offers a host of benets
from reduction of house power
requirements to instant on
and off. In the long term,
DC xtures will not only
be better, but mandatory. h
Chinas ONLY automotive test, evaluation and quality engineering trade show
September 14-16, 2011

The Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center, Shanghai, China
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING EXPO CHINA 2011

Abinger House, Church Street,
Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743744
Fax: +44 (0) 1306 877411
www.testing-expochina.com
Our business partner in China is:

Mr. Wilko Fong
Reliable International Exhibition Services Co Ltd
Rm.1702, Bldg.6, SOHO New Town, No. 88 Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: +86 10 85898181 Fax: + 86 10 85898180 Email: wilko_fong@reliable.org.cn
Simultaneous application of Kistler measuring wheels and Correvit

sensor technology facilitates understanding of driving dynamic
correlations, which can shorten vehicle development
Corrsys-Datron
Tel: +49 6441 92 82 0
Email: info@corrsys-datron.com
Web: www.corrsys-datron.com
507
Analyzing vehicle
driving behavior
084
The integration of
Corrsys-Datron into
the Kistler Group has
generated new synergies in
the eld of driving dynamics
testing. Linking measurement
data acquired from Kistler
measuring wheels and
Corrsys-Datron sensors allows
a more profound analysis of
vehicle driving behavior.
Typical applications are brake
tests, evaluation of electronic
systems or tires, coast-down
tests for determination of
powertrain friction loss, slip
measurement, or brake pull.
The following example
of an ABS -split braking
illustrates this advantage.
The test car is an Audi
A6 equipped with four
piezoelectric Kistler
measuring wheels type P106
to measure wheel torque and
wheel speed, and a Correvit
L-350 sensor to measure
vehicle speed. A pedal force
sensor controls brake force,
vehicle position is recorded
using the new Corrsys-Datron
GPS system, and to monitor
possible driving direction
corrections, a measurement
steering wheel is used to
determine the steering angle.
Further, the measX driving
dynamics software MOSES
is applied for test execution
and data recording.
The graph shows the
following parameters: wheel
torque for both front-axle
wheels, vehicle speed, wheel
speed, and steering angle.
The troughs in wheel speed
and changes of wheel torques
show ABS interventions. The
This Audi A6 was

equipped with four
piezoelectric Kistler
measuring wheels and
a Correvit L-350 sensor
Graph shows wheel torque for both front-axle wheels, vehicle speed, wheel speed,
and steering angle. ABS caused troughs in wheel speed and changes in torque
vehicle speed and the wheel

speed data are required to
determine wheel slip. Highfriction surfaces create just a
few ABS interventions. In the
linear range of deceleration,
the average wheel torque is
800Nm. On low-friction
surfaces, the tire generally
applies less wheel torque; that
is, it can transmit only a little
force onto the track on this
kind of surface, the average
value is 100Nm. The steering
wheel angle documents the
drivers intervention to
counteract vehicle yaw.
As the example shows, the
simultaneous application of
Kistler measuring wheels and
Correvit sensor technology
facilitates recognition and
understanding of driving
dynamic correlations, which
in turn can ease and shorten
vehicle development. h
The car and truck interior design, development and construction showcase
17, 18, 19 MAY 2011

NEW MESSE STUTTGART, GERMANY
This event is a great opportunity for

suppliers and for introducing innovations.
Bernhard Strunk, Managing Director
RECARO GmbH & Co. KG
For more information please contact:

Jason Sullivan Sales and Marketing Director
Automotive Interiors Expo 2011
UKIP Media & Events, Abinger House,
Church Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 1DF, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1306 743744
Email: jason.sullivan@ukipme.com
BOOK NOW FOR 2011!
w w w.automotiveinterior sexpo.com
The exhibition is fantastic and we have met so many people.

We already know most of these guys from business partnerships,
and this is a good opportunity to meet them and network, and know
what new things they are doing. It is very useful.
M. K. Jain, head of corporate technology, Apollo Tyres
ACS, Inc
Tel: +49 711 458940
Tel: +1 608 663 1590
Email: mailbox@ads-tec.de
Email: acs-us@acscm.com (USA) / acs-uk@acscm.com (Europe)
Web: www.ads-tec.de
Web: www.acscm.com
Light and fanless

Streamlined approach to project delivery
ACS Integrated Project
form a collaborative team. The IPD process
tablet PC, based on 509 The
Delivery (IPD) model is a seamless
leverages the experience, talent, and input of all
process that provides a single
team members to obtain the best results and
Intel Atom processor source for complete facility design and
increase value for the owner by reducing waste,
ads-tec presents a new version

of the well-known TT13 tablet PC,
which was developed for professional
mobile use both indoors and outdoors, with
a 13.3in display. The new version is based on the
Intel Atom processor, and is completely fanless,
making it enormously lightweight. The tablet
PC follows the long-term road map of Intel
processors, as do all current models of ads-tecs
tablet PCs, and integrates the latest Microsoft
standards. The casing of the lightweight version
is made of solid die-cast aluminum, according
to IP65. The device is dustproof and waterproof,
and suitable for use in extreme temperatures
ranging from -20C to +55C. ads-tec tablet
PCs with touchscreen have been developed in
house for more than 30 years, and are 100%
manufactured in Germany.
508
construction, equipment specication,

selection and procurement, and complete
systems integration and commissioning.
The process starts with the identication
of the testing application, data requirements,
and acceptance criteria. Success is achieved
by utilizing fundamental knowledge of building
design and construction, combined with
expertise in industry regulations, testing
technology and applications, and the ability
to fully integrate building and test systems.
This approach to project delivery integrates all
team members owner, architect, construction
manager, engineer, systems integrator,
subcontractors, and equipment suppliers to
maximizing efciency throughout the life cycle

of the project, and delivering functionality.
Recognized benets of the IPD process include
early identication of project scope and cost,
accelerated project delivery, improved project
quality, and project cost savings.
ACSs staff are vertically integrated specically
for the single-source delivery of engine and
vehicle test facility projects. Work assignments
range from delivering corporate technology
centers to upgrading and renovating single
test cells. Capabilities extend to custom test
equipment design, fabrication and installation,
test data management, and operations and
maintenance support throughout the world.
ads-tec GmbH
Mustang Advanced Engineering

Tel: +1 330 963 5400
Email: sales@mustangae.com
Web: www.mustangae.com
Mustang Advanced Engineering adds manufacturing capacity

Work to add manufacturing space
to the US headquarters of Mustang
Dynamometer and Mustang
Advanced Engineering (MAE) is well underway,
with the project scheduled for completion in
late January, 2011.
The expansion, which was announced
in August, will add a further 31,000ft2 of
manufacturing space to the companys
510
existing facility. The additional space will

accommodate three high-bay manufacturing
cells, each equipped with a 20-ton and a 10-ton
overhead crane to facilitate construction of the
larger-scale equipment that the MAE division
designs and builds, such as wind turbine gearbox
test stands and large multi-axle AC chassis
dynamometers for military and industrial vehicle
testing applications.
Several specialized engine and powertrain

test cells will also be installed to enable MAE
to lease testing facilities, as well as to perform
internal product-development activities in an
engine and powertrain test-lab environment.
The expanded facilities will give Mustang
the required resources needed to aggressively
pursue a number of new market opportunities,
says Eser Manav, vice president of operations.
087
OBDII EOBD HD-OBD
Silver
Scan-Tool
D2T
Tel: +33 1 30 13 07 07
Email: sales@d2t.com
Web: www.d2t.com
Modular combustion
analysis system
H6:?&.,.!H6:?&.(.VcY
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D2T is introducing a comprehensive

remake of its Osiris combustion
analysis system, including new
hardware. From engine monitoring to a tool
for ECU calibration, from testbed to onboard
devices, the new system meets a wide scope
of requirements.
The key word for the design of the Osiris
combustion analysis system is modularity. The
fast-acquisition section is housed in an extremely
compact 1U 19in module with an eightchannel capacity, and may be integrated either
on a shelf situated next to the engine, or in the
measurements box. The module can be easily
511
withdrawn from the rack for installation on

another testbed, for instance.
The system is fully scalable: when the user
wishes to switch from eight to 16 channels,
or even to 32 channels, all that is required is
to connect additional modules to the previously
used eight-channel module. This modularity
makes it possible to reduce the eet-operating
cost considerably.
Associated with advanced functions such
as its new acquisition mode, simultaneous angle,
and time measurement Osiris is a system that
features, more than ever, an outstanding quality/
price ratio.
Dytran Instruments
Tel: +1 818 700 7818
Email: info@dytran.com
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Web: www.dytran.com
New sensing
technologies for vehicle testing
Dytran offers a full range of
accelerometers for vehicle testing,
including NVH, modal and structural
analysis, squeak and rattle, drivability and ride
and handling, suspension characterizations
and performance-stability control, emergency
acceleration/deceleration, ABS and power
steering, road-load data acquisition, drivetrain
components, and component durability testing.
New to Dytran is the high-performance 7600B
VC accelerometer series, designed for zero-tomedium frequency instrumentation applications.
512
These accelerometers use the same power

supply as piezoresistive and strain gauge
sensors, enabling them to operate as standalone
differential output accelerometers, or in place
of piezoresistive bridge-type accelerometers.
Sensors incorporate a capacitive-sensing
element and an advanced ASIC to simulate
piezoresistive-bridge operation, as well as an
integrated VC accelerometer chip with high-drive,
low-impedance buffering. Units respond to both
DC and AC acceleration. Onboard regulation
minimizes supply voltage variation effects.
CITEAN
Tel: +34 948 292900
Email: info@citean.com
Web: www.citean.com
Automotive global development solutions

The Automotive Technological
Innovation Centre of Navarra (CITEAN)
specializes in applied research with
a focus on the automotive and railroad sectors.
CITEANs mission is to help companies become
more competitive by improving their capabilities
for R&D and technological innovation.
CITEAN deals with all phases related to
product development, from conceptual design
and virtual simulation, to verication and
validation tests. With the latest CAE tools and
testing facilities, CITEAN is at the disposal of
the main players in the value chain worldwide.
513
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Zeiloch 6a
76646 Bruchsal Germany
Tel. +49 (0) 7251 3862-0
Fax. +49 (0) 7251 3862-11
www.rac.de info@rac.de
The company focuses on experimental and

computational mechanics, and manufacturing
processes. CITEANs testing range extends from
characterization tests on any component, to
complete vehicles, to modules and systems.
Among CITEANs facilities, it can highlight a
road simulator (two corners, 12 of freedom, two
wheel transducers), which enables reproduction
of the behavior on the road of a complete vehicle
and its components, several multipurpose
benches for linear actuation tests in one or
multiple axes, as well as variable-speed dyno
benches, and rotary actuator benches.
Forum8
Web: www.lmsintl.com
Tel: +44 20 7164 2028
Pinpoint causes of
noise and vibration
at an early stage
Email: brendan@forum8.com
Web: www.forum8.com
Rapid rendering of 3D real-world scenarios

FORUM8s award-winning software
UC-win/Road is an innovative solution
for automotive design and testing
projects, as well as urban and transport planning.
The high visual quality of the software, its ease
of use, and high level of interactivity, have led to
its specication for use in many different drive
simulators worldwide.
FORUM8 simulators not only benet from
UC-win/Roads own embedded and fully
functional vehicle-dynamics software, they also
benet from being able to incorporate CarSim
math models.
The power behind these drive simulators and
the technology that makes them so effective in
515
so many different environments, is the awardwinning 3D VIS technology UC-win/Road. This

technology enables users to build highly accurate
representations of the real world in 3D quickly,
easily, and hence extremely cost-effectively,
and without requiring any specialist expertise
in 3D CGI.
Users can dynamically manipulate 3D space,
import and edit 2D and 3D CAD data, aerial
imagery and digital-terrain models. They can
build and texture building models, automatically
build roads, tunnels and bridges, view multiple
design alternatives in real-time, mimic weather
and sunlight based on location and time of year,
as well as visualize and edit intelligent trafc.
LMS
LMSs enhanced transfer path

analysis (TPA) techniques help
engineers to detect the root causes
of noise and vibration issues early on. In
complicated structures, vibro-acoustic
phenomena at a certain location may have been
caused by a remote vibration source. For
example, energy from a car engine is transmitted
into the passenger cavity by different routes.
TPA assists in troubleshooting vibro-acoustic
issues and setting performance targets for every
component. Alternatively, TPA helps to optimize
product design by choosing effective and
desirable characteristics for these components
to avert noise and vibration problems.
TPA solutions provide a systematic approach
in test-based engineering processes and focus
engineering efforts on the components that
matter the most. Beyond engine or road noise
analysis, TPA techniques are applied to solve
issues that can arise in EVs or HEVs, such as
helping to reduce the high-frequency noise of a
wiper motor. LMS has the broadest portfolio of
TPA solutions on the market.
514
G.R.A.S Sound & Vibration

Tel: +45 45 664046
Email: gras@gras.dk
Web: www.gras.dk
Industry rst for prepolarized CCP sound-intensity probe

G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration has
announced the Type 50GI, the
industrys only Class 1 prepolarized
CCP (IEPE-type) sound intensity probe, which
is ideal for high-precision sound intensity or
sound-power measurement applications, soundsource localization and sound ranking, or for
meeting any IEC 61043 standard acoustic
measurement requirement.
The Type 50GI is designed for direct
compatibility with most industry signal analyzers
and IEPE-type data-acquisition devices. It is
516
supplied in kit form with its own carrying case,

and is shipped complete with all the necessary
supporting components for high-reliability sound
intensity measurements. These specially
designed components include a phase-matched
G.R.A.S. 0.5in prepolarized intensity-microphone,
two G.R.A.S. 0.25in CCP preampliers, four solid
interchangeable spacers, a windscreen, two BNC
cables, and a probe handle.
The included pair of prepolarized highprecision CCP microphones meets IEC 61043
requirements for Class 1 intensity probes and
incorporates a pressureequalization system, ensuring

well-dened phase characteristics.
For added durability, microphones
and preampliers are swivel headmounted onto the telescopic arm of
the probe handle. The spacers enable
microphones to be placed at varying
lengths of 12-100mm across a full
frequency range of 50Hz-10kHz.
They may be interchanged without
dismantling the probe.
089
mikes-testingpartners gmbh
Tel: +49 94 2494810
Email: info@mikes-tp.com
Web: www.mikes-testing-partners.com
Expertise in electromobility standardization

The rapid growth in electromobility
presents various standards
committees with new challenges.
New EMC and safety standards in response
to technical innovations in electrically powered
automobiles must be developed and published
at short notice.
Currently no EMC standard specically
deals with the measurement procedure and/or
imposes emission and immunity levels at the
high voltage end. Neither is the question of
operation mode addressed.
Available safety standards reference basic
standards allowing broad interpretation. For
example, EN 60664-1, the basic standard for
insulation coordination, demonstrates how
insulation coordination is achieved. Experience
shows manufacturers and designers have
enormous problems with its interpretation.
The entire question of external battery
charging must also be addressed. Charging
principles, whether AC, DC, or inductive charging,
are too diverse to be included in a single
document. Physical properties of connectors
517
such as mechanical dimensions, robustness,

conduct when overheated, and current carrying
capacity are all points that have to be regulated.
As long as no comprehensive product
standards for electromobile products are
published, manufacturers and importers will
continue to nd orientation among standards

and the application of conformity-assessment
procedures difcult.
As a competent, experienced partner in these
specialist technical elds, Mikes Testing Partners
is happy to assist.
Movimento
Web: www.movimentogroup.com
Complete product lifecycle integration

Movimento continues to provide
focus and support on improving
quality, increasing productivity,
and reducing costs for its automotive OEM,
Tier 1 heavy-duty diesel OEM, and other
Tier 1 customers.
With this goal in mind, Movimentos product
development integration (Puma-PDI) system
features the Movimento Puma product line,
coupled with robust processes that together
are able to operate across the lifecycle of the
vehicle program.
518
The broad functionality and user-friendly

aspects of the Puma-PDI will streamline tasks,
improve quality, and facilitate accountability
of control systems throughout the vehicledevelopment lifecycle.
By working with Movimento, the OEM or Tier 1
will be in a position to manage control system
software programming more effectively. The
Puma product and related services enable
a fundamental change in the way vehicle
software complexity is handled. The Puma-PDI
system has proven benets for control module
software-update needs throughout the product

lifecycle, with signicant potential to bring
additional value through complete product
lifecycle integration.
A description of the Puma-PDI system, and
how it is being successfully applied by many
customers, is available on Movimentos website.
RA Consulting
Tel: +49 7251 38620
Web: www.rac.de
Onboard diagnostics tool for development and homologation

Diagnostics software for OBD-II,
EOBD, heavy duty HD-OBD, and
WWH-OBD (World-Wide Harmonized
OBD) is one of the main focuses of German
company RA Consulting. Its Silver Scan-Tool
provides all the functionality required to test
compliance with these standards.
Silver Scan-Tool supports ISO 9141-2, ISO
14230-4, ISO 15765-4 (CAN), as well as SAE
J1850 PWM (Ford), and SAE J1850 VPW
(General Motors).
519
090
New features include support for SAE J1939

HD-OBD. This means that all control units that
use these protocols can be diagnosed.
Also added are functions to support the WWHOBD according to ISO 27145. Silver Scan-Tool
also includes a Windows-based interface for the
SAE J1699-3 OBD-II Compliance Test Cases DOS
tool, complemented by a log le data formatter
with XML and PDF output.
In addition to various K-Line and CAN
communication interfaces, Silver Scan-Tool
supports all SAE J2534 PassThru devices and

all devices that use the RP1210 API.
Because it meets the SAE J1979 and SAE
J1939 regulations in full, it is not only used
in the development process, but also in the
market-homologation process of nearly all
car manufacturers worldwide.
RA Consultings other software tools include
the widely used standard tools DiagRA MCD
toolset, as well as DiagRA-LE for customerspecic diagnostic needs.
Signal Group
Tel: +44 1773 537620
Tel: +44 1276 682841
Web: www.race-technology.com
Email: sales@signal-group.com
GPS technology for

vehicle slip-angle
measurement
Web: www.signal-group.com
Accurate measurement of ammonia

With increased legislation concerning
the levels of NOx emissions from
engines leading to new technologies
such as urea injection, it is becoming necessary
for many laboratories and test houses to
accurately measure ammonia in hot exhaust gas.
Signal can supply a system that provides realtime continuous measurement of NH3, NO2, and
NO using two differential measurements. These
subtractions are carried out in a PC rather than
within the analyzers themselves, providing
521
readings for total nitrogen, NH3, NOx, NO2, and

NO. This is the most complete and advanced
solution and the only method currently available
to measure hot NH3, NO2, and NO in real time.
Signal uses a nickel converter to achieve the
conversion efciency of at least 90%, required
for federal regulations. This high efciency is
maintained for several months of continuous use,
where carbon-based converter material has been
found sometimes to last for less than a day
before degrading.
Race Technology
Race Technology already supplies

some of the worlds most advanced
GPS-based speed measurement
systems. The most popular of these systems is
Speedbox, which is used by OEMs and test
centers around the world. The Speedbox range
has now been enhanced with the integration of
new GPS-compass technology.
This technology uses two roof-mounted
GPS antennas to calculate vehicle pitch, roll,
yaw, and body slip angle with an industryleading accuracy of 0.1. These measurements
are in addition to the standard Speedbox
measurements of heading, road gradient,
position, speed, distance, velocity, acceleration,
and attitude rates. Measurements are output in
CAN, serial, analog, or digital pulse format.
Although GPS compass systems have been
available for a few years, what is revolutionary
about this new technology is its robustness to
radio interference, GPS outages, buildings, and
trees. Even if the GPS signal is completely lost,
reacquisition typically takes only a few seconds,
compared with several minutes for conventional
systems. This means that while conventional
systems are suitable for use only on open test
tracks, Speedbox can be used in almost any
environment, making it ideal for on-highway
testing as well as test-track environments.
520
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
ACS ...........................................................................15
Afliated Engineers Inc .............................................79
AFT Atlas Fahrzeugtechnik GmbH.............................45
AOS Technologies .....................................................81
Arctic Falls AB...........................................................55
ATP - Automotive Testing Papenburg........................33
Automotive Interiors Expo 2011 ................................85
Automotive Testing Expo China 2011........................83
Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2011..........19, 21, 22
Automotive Testing Expo India 2012 .........................81
Automotive Testing Technology International
Online Reader Enquiry Service...............................92
AVL List GmbH .......................................................OBC
Berndorf Band GmbH .............................................. IBC
Brel & Kjr..............................................................14
Colmis Proving Ground..............................................37
Corrsys-Datron Sensorsysteme GmbH .....................73

D2T ...........................................................................11
Dewetron GmbH........................................................47
Dytran Instruments ...................................................17
EYE Lighting International.........................................55
FAIST Anlagenbau GmbH ..........................................51
Forum8 .....................................................................68
FUNDACION CETENA ................................................60
HBM - Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH.............7
Icemakers AB............................................................34
IMTECH Deutschland GmbH & Co KG........................29
KMT - Kraus Messtechnik GmbH ..............................41
LMS International.....................................................IFC
MAHA-AIP GmbH & Co KG ........................................17
Mechanical Simulation .............................................68
Mikes-Testing GmbH.................................................66
Millbrook Proving Ground..........................................47

MOOG .........................................................................9
MTS Systems Norden AB ..........................................63
Mustang Dynamometer.............................................13
National Research Council Canada ...........................79
nCode........................................................................16
Orion Test Systems and Engineering.........................36
RA Consulting GmbH.................................................88
Race Technology Ltd.................................................29
Racelogic ..................................................................70
Seoul Industry Engineering Co ..................................60
Signal Group ...............................................................3
Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground ......................34
Tire Technology Expo 2011 .......................................86
Virginia Panel Corp....................................................73
091
A tribute to historys most forward-thinking concept cars,

which have formed testbeds for technologies of the future
TESTBED LEGENDS
Finding its way
Ford Seattle-ite XXI

Ford pulled out all the stops when creating
a concept for the 1962 Worlds Fair in Seattle.
Visitors were looking for a technological tour de
force, and with the Seattle-ite they certainly got it.
The looks alone were ahead of their time and
even ahead of modern day styling but what lay
beneath that sleek elongated body was even more
remarkable. The two real showstopping technologies
were its choice between fuel cell or nuclear power
(a source predicted to have practical everyday use
for the public at the time), and four steered front
wheels. As youll see, the Seattle-ite wasnt as crazy
as it looked
One technology dismissed by

many visitors as pure fantasy,
and which can now be found in
the most modest of hatchbacks,
is the travel programming
computer.
A screen on the dashboard
kept the driver updated with
pertinent information, including
engine performance
characteristics, road and
weather conditions, the position
of the vehicle in relation to an
automatically rolling road map,
and estimated time of arrival
at any selected destination.
Few visitors to the Worlds
Fair even Ford engineers
would believe that all this
information would now be

displayed on a full-color
screen, and most of it can even
be gleaned from a US$100
portable satnav or a cell phone.
So next time you see
a supposedly bland modern
car, just stop to consider
how amazing it really is.
FAR LEFT: The Seattle-ite

being unveiled to a rapt
public at the 1962 Worlds
Fair in Seattle
LEFT: The spirit of the

Seattle-ite lived on in the
surprisingly successful
Tyrell P34 Formula 1 car
Reality check
Although the idea of nuclear

power for the drivetrain is
a long way from becoming
a reality, if indeed it ever
will, its application to the
car is a method currently
being experimented with
for electric vehicles.
The fuel cells were to be
interchangeable by simply
detaching the front of the
car and installing optional
economy or performanceorientated cells. The idea
of battery swapping is
currently being mooted,
and electronics now
give various power and

economy options at the
press of a button.
This was the rst showing
of a six-wheel car,
congured so the front
four wheels would turn
in tandem. Fords claims
that this setup would offer
enhanced tracking,
traction, and braking
efciency were agreed with
by F1 team Tyrell in 1976,
when it unveiled its P34
six-wheel racing car, which
raced with some success.
Rival teams March and
Williams also developed

similar cars, with Ferrari
developing a two-wheelsteer version.
One feature of the Seattleite that is a long way from
becoming a reality is the
ngertip steering, whereby
direction is determined by
a control on the central
console, rather than by
steering wheel. The biggest
departure from the steering
wheel we have seen of late
is the joystick concept.
The passenger cell was
wrapped in variable density
glass, designed to spread

cool, diffused light in the
interior, eliminate glare,
and permit efcient airconditioning. The glass
in this concept would be
very expensive to produce,
but the same principles
are used today.
If rumors are to be believed,
a top-secret vehicle based
extensively on the Seattleites ideas was produced
in 1965. The car was owned
by one Lady Penelope
Creighton-Ward, and bore
the license plate FAB1.
subscribe now
NOVEMBER/DEC
EMBER 2010
ologyInter
T tingTechn
I. V. Rao, Maruti
national.com
timesaving tips,
Where to go,
ve tour of Fords
and an exclusi
an facility
3,880-acre Michig
Suzuki
of engineering
MSILs head
companys bold
reveals the
future
plans for the
USA focus
ss
pment busine
Vehicle develo
the USA, as we
is booming in
Automotive
discovered at
a
North Americ
Testing Expo
r 2010
November/Decembe
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010

I. V. Rao, Maruti Suzuki

And the winner is

When NVH quality counts

NVH and acoustic simulation

Site visit: Toyota Motorsport

Ford Michigan Proving Ground

Interview: I.M. Rao

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Honestly, it was a force too

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www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November/December 2010

act, a hooligans taunt; in Detroit

The views expressed in the articles and technical papers are

There is substance behind the style

When the svelte CLS appeared in 2004, it created

models. However, only high-end components are selected,

www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November/December 2010

November/December 2010 www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com

LEFT: The Shooting

if you speculate Im sure youll be

ABOVE AND LEFT:

Its the rst time we have put this steering system in

Further new tests were carried out at 10 different public

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www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November/December 2010

XXL pfrgormancf in mini gormat.

Rfliablf. Univfrral. Flfxiblf.

Sff all tif bfnffitr at: www.icm.dom/quanuumx

measure and predict with condence

CRAWL, WALK, RUN

I cant help but wonder if there isnt

We need to walk before we run.

I believe it is possible to break

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WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY

buy them. And, as any car salesman will tell

Were not talking futuristic

www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com November/December 2010

Already in the UK, some insurance

I was always into motorsport and vehicles, and

What is your favorite part of your job?

As program manager, you get insight into all

And your least favorite?

The maximum I could imagine

Paperwork is a substantial part of the job. The

What is your proudest career

Denitely the C-Max program. I have been

BREL & KJR LISTEN... FEEL.. SOLVE.

Fast and accurate localisation

Early NVH targets sign-off by

PULSE Spherical Beamformer

PULSE NVH Vehicle Simulators

Automotive NVH All from one partner

PULSE Reex Core

How did you end up working with cars?

What are your goals for the next

That is not something I can answer right now!

What could legislators do to make

Legislation changes bring new challenges to