Honda opens safety research facility
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 12/1/2003
Honda R&D Americas recently christened a new research facility that features seven advanced safety testing laboratories, including a sophisticated high-resolution crash barrier block and a pitching crash-test simulator. The 78,000-ft2 facility, located on the campus of Honda R&D Americas in Raymond, OH, represents an investment of $30 million.
In this facility, Honda engineers can perform both real-world and simulated crash tests, including full-frontal, angled-barrier, side-impact, and offset crash tests. The lab also includes facilities for airbag testing, interior-impact testing, pedestrian-safety testing, and structural-strength testing of roofs, side doors, seatbelt anchorages, and child-seat anchorages.
A key feature of the facility is its crash barrier block, a 100-ton moveable cube with sides that can be configured for different tests, allowing for quicker test cycles. The lab's test track can accurately launch test vehicles at speeds ranging from 2.5 to 60 mph, and side-impact tests can be conducted in both the 90° and 27° configurations.
The crash-test simulator with pitching capabilities provides accurate simulation of real-world crash dynamics. The four pistons on the pitching system can translate up and down as much as 10 in. which can then pitch the test sled at a rate of up to 0.25°/ms to a maximum angle of 15°. This pitching motion simulates the lifting of a vehicle's rear end in a frontal collision, allowing engineers to gather data on the performance of safety systems such as airbags and seatbelts.
