A linear impact sled has been set up to develop energy-absorbing bumpers made of urethane foam.
The design, development, instrumentation, and use, including advantages and disadvantages, are discussed. The equipment used to impact under high- and low-temperature extremes is also discussed.
The sled, while simple, is extremely safe due to numerous built-in interlocks. The equipment can test foam samples, bumpers, or vehicles. Vehicle masses to 5000 lb and velocities to 10 mph are within the machine's capabilities.
The methods developed for testing bumpers separate from the vehicle have achieved excellent correlation with testing done on vehicles.