DESIGN OF RELIABLE ACCELERATED FATIGUE TEST PROGRAMS BASED ON REAL MARKET USE

Durability is one of the most important goals in the current state-of the-art design of new vehicles. Usually the durability performance is validated by the vehicle manufacturers driving directly the prototypes in field or through endurance schedules on proving ground fatigue surfaces. The validation procedure driving directly in field is very expensive and time-consuming. The reliability and accuracy of validations in proving ground surfaces are many times unknown, mainly because such endurance schedules are not fitted to the market (driving conditions and type of roads) and historically are based on empirical procedures.

This paper discusses how IDIADA has developed a methodology to design accelerated durability schedules which obtain less expensive and fast durability validation procedures, as well as being reliable and fitted to the market and durability targets.

The development of the methodology is based on the analysis and extrapolation of the information collected directly in market (Road Load Data) in order to design endurance schedules using the accelerated fatigue surfaces of the proving grounds.