A Modular High Frequency Stable Orthogonal Road Load Exciter for Validation of Automotive Components

The commercial vehicle industry is evolving faster with the rise in multifarious aspects deciding a company's progress. In the current scenario, vehicle performance and its reliability in the areas of payload, fuel economy, etc. play vital roles in determining its sustenance in the industry, in addition to reducing driver fatigue and improving comfort levels. Test quality and time is the key to assure and affirm, smooth and quick launch of the product into the market. This paper details on the design of Multi-Axis road data simulator which entails realistic loads onto the components for capturing meaningful information on behavior of the product and recreate the field failure modes. The design was conceptualized keeping in mind both cost (for initial installation and running cost) and time for testing without loss in the convergence factor. The design entails various mechanisms/fixture, integration of which can help switch from a bi-axis simulation (1-1 configuration) table to a MAST (3-2-1 configuration) without any compromise in performance. The modular rig concept was introduced to cater to a wider component base. Frame mounted components in a commercial vehicle have more damage in vertical(Z) & fore-aft axis (X) axis making it an expensive affair to have all 6 actuators in MAST working to keep the test rig stable, thereby increasing the complexity of test system. A unique kinematic arrangement-V-rod type design was used for bi-axis simulation which replaced the 4 actuators (lateral, pitch and roll enabling actuators) and help reduce the high frequency instability and cross talk. The proposed design reduced the power consumption by 40% thereby reducing the cost of testing.