Kistler offers wheel force sensors for vehicle durability testing.

Durability measurement

Complete solutions for vehicle developers: fast and efficient

Investigating the durability of complete vehicles and their components plays a fundamental part in every vehicle development process. To meet users' expectations for lifetime, quality and use of materials, it is essential to acquire knowledge of operating loads, analyze them precisely, and draw the right conclusions on this basis.

New powertrains such as those for electric vehicles (NEVs or New Energy Vehicles) and driverless vehicles, materials of new types, end customers' changing perceptions of comfort, safety, energy efficiency and other aspects, as well as shorter development times: all these factors have changed the requirements for vehicle developers and increased competitive pressure.

A vehicle's performance and development are no longer defined by lap times and maximum speed alone: efficiency is now the decisive factor – and that means efficient use of materials, resources and time.

The challenge facing vehicle manufacturers is to make sure that a durable design for the vehicle is developed as quickly and efficiently as possible – but with no compromises on quality, safety, energy efficiency and a series of other factors.

We offer you reliable, efficient and sustainable support on your journey to perfect durability design

Have perfect data available immediately, at the first attempt
Perform your electric vehicle testing with proven quality
Avoid warranty cases, recalls and even personal injuries
Increase the mobility index and boost customer satisfaction

Your benefits from Kistler hardware and software for durability measurements

Measuring durability with high-precision measurement technology delivers evidence-based, reliable data.

A safe and sustainable investment

High-precision measurement technology for reliable evidence-based durability measurement data
Modular, fit-for-future instruments that can be upgraded at any time
Validated for electric vehicle testing

Hard and software from Kistler for measuring vehicle durability is renowned for its absolute reliability.

Reliable

Top-quality measurement technology hardware and software
25 years of expertise in measuring durability
Global track record of success with many OEM customers

Efficient

Rapid setup – data acquisition and validation with the same system
Hardware and software specifically configured for durability
Worldwide Kistler service network for local support

Take advantage of our RoaDyn wheel force transducers and the features of our jBEAM Durability software to optimize your vehicle development

Sound data and clear validation: the dual basis for fully substantiated approval and release of the durability of your vehicle or a single component.

RoaDyn wheel force transducers from Kistler support you during test drives and on the test stand – by making sure that road load data is recorded precisely as part of a load spectrum measurement, and by ensuring precise loading of the unit under test during a validation trial.

RoaDyn wheel force transducers from Kistler support vehicle development in the area of vehicle durability measurement.

jBEAM Durability software facilitates measurement data analysis for vehicle durability design.

Benefits of RoaDyn wheel force transducers from Kistler:

User-friendly modular design
High component quality because durability is tested to SAE J328
Highly accurate measurements: minimal ripple and crosstalk thanks to unique hexapod calibration
Excellent noise behavior: digitization directly in the sensor
Flexible data transmission: choice of onboard or external transmission

We supply the complete measuring chain for your application – everything from one single source

Over-the-road measurement of operating loads and load spectra with wheel force transducers

You want to:

Measure operating loads for electric vehicle testing
Design vehicles that are durable
Generate load profiles for different markets such as Germany, China or South America, and also for different environments such as urban and overland/intercity traffic
Define load spectra for various vehicle usage conditions

Method:

Equip the vehicles with measurement technology (such as wheel force transducers) to measure road loads
Record the loads for all conditions of use
Define representative load data

Measurement technology by Kistler – recommended equipment:

RoaDyn wheel force transducers
Accelerometers
Strain gauges
Displacement sensors, temperature sensors, force sensors
DAQ

Validating an entire vehicle or a vehicle axis on the test stand

You want to:

Validate the lifetime of the bodywork, chassis and vibrating built-on components
Load the vehicle according to the load spectrum that matches the customer's usage profile
Quickly and efficiently make statements as to whether the design of the entire vehicle or its axes can be released

Method:

Equip the vehicle with measurement technology to operate the test stand and monitor the units under test
Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) and residual bus simulation for correct operation of the vehicle's systems
Iteration of wheel force transducer signals on the test stand
Replay the iterated signals until the test objective is reached

Measurement technology by Kistler – recommended equipment:

RoaDyn wheel force transducers
Accelerometers
Strain gauges
Displacement sensors, force sensors

Characterize tires for wear, stiffness and rolling resistance

Goal:

Validate a tire model for virtual design
Design the traction to calculate the energy transfer from drive to road
Measure the rolling resistance to determine the overall efficiency of the drive

Method:

Record the loads introduced from the road into the vehicle during specific maneuvers such as wet braking and braking on different surfaces
Optimize the tire model with the help of the measurement data
First virtual design of the chassis using the tire model and data acquired during drives

Equipment:

Wheel force transducers
Force plates
Measuring hubs

Create a unique, safe driving experience

You want to:

Match your vehicle's chassis to a specific driving style (e.g. sporting)
Make the driver of your vehicle feel safe while driving
Optimize the design of the braking systems

Method:

Measure vehicle dynamics parameters such as side-slip angle, drift angle and braking distance during standard ISO tests

Equipment:

RoaDyn wheel force transducers
Correvit S-Motion
Accelerometers

Determine the causes of disruptive vibrations and noises using transfer path analysis (TPA)

You want to:

Optimize the NVH behavior of vehicles with the goal of creating a unique, brand-building soundscape
Eliminate disruptive noises and vibrations

Method:

Measure excitation and response with accelerometers, force sensors and microphones

Equipment:

RoaDyn wheel force transducers
Accelerometers
Microphones, impulse force hammers
Strain gauges
Displacement sensors, force sensors

Are you interested in NVH and TPA? Learn more about these topics on our NVH page

Advanced load data analysis and evaluation to determine durable design based on conclusive facts

When durable vehicle designs are being developed, a key part is played by tools that ensure efficient analysis and evaluation of the applied operating loads and the availability of the data. Our jBEAM Durability analysis software integrates seamlessly into existing development processes: it makes data evaluation more efficient and reliable, and simplifies the release process by providing a dependable basis for decisions.

Benefit from the advantages of jBEAM Durability in these situations:

You want to release components and systems to meet durability requirements, and also:

Minimize the likelihood of faults with the help of standardized, personalized and subject-specific analyses and reports
Generate valid end-to-end documentation that is also efficient, as the basis for releases
Ensure that available knowledge is used as input for each of your decisions

You are responsible for testing the durability properties of components and systems, and for this purpose you want to:

Capture load data and efficiently ensure that all the required sensors supply valid data in a comprehensive measurement campaign
Commission tests and trials, and intuitively prepare the test data for them so as to ensure repeatability
Issue status reports on tests and trials, achieving statements of consistently high quality without much expenditure of time

You analyze and evaluate measurement data in terms of durability and as you do so, you want to:

Provide recommendations for action and draw conclusions that require valid methods and algorithms
Ensure that complex cross-departmental analyses are equivalent and are based on the same standards
Create decision templates that allow spontaneous, targeted and universally informed discussion of the data basis

Extract from the list of functions:

Damage accumulation and counting methods such as rainflow, range pair counting and level crossing
Globally adjustable parameters across groups and/or departments so that calculations are always performed identically
Signal validation tools, such as correction of drift, offset, spikes