Energy Dissipation Test: Effect of After-market Interior Fitments on Deceleration Values and Sharp Edges in Passenger Cars

Energy dissipation testing of vehicle's interior fitments is done at various defined locations as per the regulation ECE R21. Interior fitting impact tests became mandatory in April 2006 for models manufactured from April 2006 and April 2007 for models being manufactured before April 2006 in India. With the implementation of stringent safety regulations in India, it is mandatory that every manufacturer tests and certifies their product to comply with the automotive safety standards. Automotive industry has a challenging task of designing and evaluating the components that play a vital role in the event of an unfortunate accident. In this context, a number of tests on safety belt anchorages, seat anchorages and interior fittings such as instrument panel, steering wheel etc., are conducted. Although manufacturers have been introducing new technologies to ensure the safety of the occupants, it has been found that the vehicle interiors are modified by the customers to adjust to their life style. Various fitments such as instrumented panel mounted accessories (IPMA), steering wheel assists (SWA) are fitted in the passenger car, which might drastically affect the performance of the safety certified components in the vehicle. Head-form impact tests were carried out to evaluate the deceleration levels and mode of deformations of IPMA & SWA fitments in head impact zone (HIZ). The results were analyzed to understand the injury severity upon impact. The intent of this paper is to evaluate the energy dissipation characteristics of IPMA & SWA fitments.