Accelerated Lab Test Facility for NRS Leaf Spring Bracket for HCV Application

In the modern automotive sector, durability and reliability are the most common terms. Customers are expecting a highly reliable product but at low cost. Any product that fails within its useful life leads to customer dissatisfaction and affects the reputation of the OEM. To eradicate this, all automotive components undergo stringent validation protocol, either in proving ground or in lab. This paper tails on developing an accelerated lab test methodology for NRS leaf spring bracket by simulating field failure. Initially, potential failure causes for spring bracket were analyzed. Road load data was then acquired at proving ground and customer site to evaluate the damage on the spring bracket. To simulate the field failure, lab test facility was developed, reproducing similar boundary conditions as in vehicle. Field failure was simulated with the existing design samples and Improved design of spring bracket was validated in the same test conditions and compared with the life of existing design.