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Technical Paper

Comparison of Vehicle Durability Testing Methods

1993-11-01
932967
It is a common practice throughout the vehicle manufacturing industry to perform full-scale durability tests on new model vehicles. Durability tests are initially conducted on prototype vehicles for design validation and then later, on production units to ensure it's structural integrity and to obtain data that can be used for future design improvements. In the case of commercial and transit vehicles, this information can be particularly useful for projecting it's minimum expected service life. Vehicle durability testing typically involves subjecting the vehicle to stress inducing inputs similar to those that would normally be encountered in an expected service environment. These inputs are applied to the vehicle at an accelerated rate to reduce the total testing time. Vehicle inputs for a durability test are imparted through either a test track or a mechanical road simulators such as four-post shakers. Each method has its advantages and limitations.
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