Assessment of Air Bag Module Durability Test Specifications Using CAE Techniques

Several air bag module vibration testing issues are identified. Eight OEM air bag module vibration test specifications are compared in terms of predicted fatigue lives using computer simulation. The specifications differ significantly in the type of loading (sine sweep, fixed sine and random), frequency range, and test duration. The comparison results indicate large variation in the relative severity of specifications based on the computed fatigue lives. This variation indicates that a more standardized approach for deriving representative vibration test specifications is desirable. The unrepresentative specifications can lead to overdesigned components, diminishing the value of the air bag system.

Experimental results used to validate the analytical predictions are presented along with the simulation results. A computer program developed to perform the fatigue life calculations for both sine sweep and random vibrations is also described. Several suggestions for developing representative specifications are provided.