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Automotive clutches form the most important component in the drive line which acts both as torque transmitter and as a fuse. Testing clutches, in the vehicle assembly, poses certain limitations. In this context the automotive clutch, as a component, needs to be evaluated to determine various performance parameters like wear, load loss, slipping torque, slipping time etc. to meet desired design, performance and durability requirements. It is very important to simulate engine and vehicle conditions in terms of operating environment, speed and load accurately while evaluating above parameters. This creates lot of challenges to design and develop a test rig capable of evaluating complete clutch performance. Very limited options are available for such test rigs worldwide. In India, no manufacturer provides such indigenous test rigs. Developing an indigenous, cost effective clutch test rig was the need of the hour.

Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) is a safety critical system because it affects vehicle stability and dynamics. In EPAS, electric motor takes the power from the battery and delivers this power to rack and pinion only on demand. Since EPAS contains electrical component such as Motor and electronic component such as Electronic Control Unit (ECU), reliability of these components is very important. To ensure safety and reliability, ISO 26262 standards are adapted which are derived from IEC 61508. This standard regulates the product development on system, hardware and software level and manages functional safety for electrical and electronic components. This paper discusses the applicability of the ISO 26262 standard to the development of EPAS ECU with respect to its hardware and software design. Hazard analysis and risk assessment of the basic EPAS architecture is performed and architecture is improved to achieve safety goal as per the standard.