Posted on: July 2, 2018, | By Candy, WayKen Marketing Manager
Cars are said to be among some of the most intricate mechanisms to be created by human beings. This is what makes the development or the manufacturing procedures more complex. Car safety and the need to perform better keeps on increasing with each new model. Cars are being fitted with modern sensors to audit the status of different models.
Advanced designs and materials have been introduced to boost car speed, power, and safety. The new things that have been developed need to undergo testing. In some instances, the quantity and complications of tests become too much, and this is where a new professional is required. An automotive prototype testing engineer is the best person for this kind of job.
The Role of an Automotive Prototype Testing Engineer
An automotive prototype testing engineer is an expert who develops and does prototype tests on every stage of the production cycle. They are also responsible for tests done to check the performance of a specific vehicle in other phases of its operating cycle. Some of the artistry needed to initiate the tests include a proper understanding of the sturdiness of materials, both immobile and dynamic. Amplitude procedures and experience with different measuring equipment is essential and also science preliminary information.
Important Areas of Automotive Prototype Testing
Testing the various elements of a motor vehicle is essential in determining its performance. The following are some of the key areas that need to be checked.
The Engine
This part is the most intricate and basic component of the car. It is usually evaluated on a number of stages which begin with its materials. Appropriate conditions, which are somehow similar to the actual ones are created in order to assess the yield stability of the selected elements. Once all that is complete, and the prototype of the engine is available, it is brimmed with fuel and all the fluids that play a significant role in its operation coupled with very many sensors to evaluate how it functions at various conditions. It is then put into action to find out the type of cargo it can endure. The next phase is fixing the engine into a ready car build and doing test drives. The last step of engine testing consists of evaluating its functionality in an outright new car prototype where every piece is part of the developed model.
Chassis
It is among the car components that endures the most extreme pressures. That is the main reason why it is usually evaluated for active and motionless yield power. The chassis needs to withstand tremendous forces and stay fixed. This is the sole reason why when one develops a chassis prototype, the first tests to be conducted include bending, vibrating and stretching. Once the prototype is determined to be strong to the required extent, it is fixed into a real car model then later on crash tests are conducted.
Car Frame
This is the part of the vehicle that grasps all the other parts together and secures the driver from any form of harm in case of a car crash. This is the main reason why car crash tests are essential for the car frame. A couple of designs are created, and the evaluations are modeled with the use of element analysis that is subject to limitations. After all that, designs that are considered best are developed into prototypes and provided with techniques that allow it to move and real car crash evaluation is conducted using a manikin, which is the design of a human body.
Steering
It is a system that is designed to give the driver a chance to control or turn his car. The steering is connected to the chassis directly and is made up of a hydraulic cylinder which allows it to reduce the force that is needed to turn the wheels. It is the critical testing framework of the vehicle’s steering system. A unique device known as the dynamometer used to measure the output of an engine is fixed into the prototype, and an advanced machine is used to turn the wheels as the highest force is calculated. Another critical point in a car’s steering system is the air-tightness feature of the hydraulic cylinder.
Brakes
This part of a vehicle usually operates under immense friction conditions. Most cases of car crashes that have been reported are as a result of brake failure. This is why it is imperative to evaluate the durability and dependability of those systems. Common with most car elements, they are first tested individually on a preliminary installation and are later on put into action in a real car prototype. Durability tests are often conducted by performing durability tests to measure the individual and overall time of brake operation. It is an important thing when considering brakes. Hydro mechanical systems, which are parts moved by fluid under pressure are also tested to confirm if there are any leakages.
Wheels
These are the parts of your vehicle that come into direct contact with the surface of the road. Your car’s wheels must be durable and be able to withstand rough and sharp materials from wearing out the tires. This is the main reason why material testing plays an essential role.
Conclusion
An automotive prototype testing engineer is an expert who makes sure that every vehicle model is safe, dependable and made perfect for the user. These professionals do tests from the initial phase of the model by using state of the art tools that allow simulation of the performance of a car without the need to come up with a prototype. However, such estimations are inadequate because they do not account for everything. Coming up with prototypes and evaluating them is the only procedure that gives the much-needed information on the component functionality.
These professionals also supervise the production of prototypes because they can require cutouts or extra holes created in the parts so as to fix sensors for the analyzing processes. They even manage and take charge of the production of testing equipment that gives room for the practical evaluation of every bit of the car.Without the automotive prototyping tests, car accidents, breakdowns and the number of casualties and deaths would be more compared to now.
