The Stuttgart Messe is one of the finest exhibition venues in Europe.

2011 SHOW REVIEW

 

Europe Expo yet another massive success

The revitalised automotive industry was reflected in this year’s Automotive Testing Expo Europe, which has proved to be one of the strongest events in the show's 13-year history, both in terms of innovation and visitor numbers.

Many visitors to the Messe Stuttgart venue in Germany reported that they came to see the latest solutions for automotive powertrain, durability, safety, dynamics and refinement testing, and they were not disappointed, with all the technology and expertise required to optimise any vehicle programme being represented under one roof.

 

Modular test controller focuses on ease of use

The modular test controller developed by Moog, launched at Automotive Testing Expo Europe 2011, is the product of input from customers at material, automotive and aerospace test laboratories. The controller has been designed to provide for efficient operation in an array of testing applications, including material tests, vehicle tests, shock absorber tests, single-axis test systems, vibration and performance evaluation tests.

The design makes it accessible from the operator’s desktop while also allowing for easy integration into test machines on a network, and it can interface with all sensors commonly used for moving a single axis. The controller also includes control loops for force, displacement and acceleration control with ‘bumpless’ transition, with technology that is identical to other products in the company’s range of test controllers.

Moog claims many advantages for the technology, including reliability, access to all connectors from the same interface panel, and suitability for integration within test machines such as load frames. A software development kit (SDK) is also available to be used to develop customised user interfaces or to connect to existing software.

Compact module for mobile measurement

Automotive mobile measurement technology specialist Ipetronik unveiled the Sx-STG, a fast, eight-channel multi-input analogue measurement module that offers sensor excitation. This compact module is designed for mobile measurement applications that face stringent requirements for reliability, flexibility and high sample rates. It supports the user’s choice of one of three different signals per measurement input: voltage, integrated circuit piezoelectric (ICP) sensors, and strain gauge (STG) sensors for measurements on 1/4, 1/2 and full bridge circuits.

The eight analogue inputs are galvanically isolated, and cover measurement ranges with 12 unipolar and 12 bipolar voltages from ±0.01V to ±50V. They achieve a resolution of 16 bits and can withstand voltages of up to ±100V. Each input has its own dual-sensor excitation, which can be set individually up to a maximum of ±15V with up to ±45 m A. An eighth-order, 4,800Hz Butterworth filter that can be turned on and off has been integrated as the hardware filter.

“The Sx-STG combines the advantages of Ipetronik’s SIM-STG and Mx-SENS measurement modules in a small, robust housing,” said Harry Störzer, head of application and support at Ipetronik. “It supports STG applications – such as vibration, acceleration assessments, as well as road load data acquisition (RLDA) – with sample rates of up to 40kHz, and it is the ideal solution for testing vehicle components and car bodies.”

New technology to meet new legislation

Aries Ingeniería y Sistemas, a leader in automotive and test system solutions, presented its latest solutions and services at the expo. The company’s most recent products are designed to comply with the latest international regulations in both active and passive safety, and include the new ejection mitigation impactor (FMVSS 226), the AVAT (Autonomous Vehicle for Automotive Testing and Research in Safety) project, and many other improvements in full-scale crash-test facility subsystems.

Additionally, in the vibration and acoustics area the company is presenting its new laser-based contact-free vibrometer, an accurate tool for performing modal analysis. It can be directed towards vibrating objects that are difficult to access, or are too small or too hot to be able to attach a physical transducer. VELA also measures vibration without mass-loading the target.

Exhaust emissions developments

The results of continuous product development in the field of exhaust emission systems were released by Horiba at the expo, in the form of MEXA-7000 Version 4, a major upgrade of the company’s exhaust gas analysis systems.
These systems have been designed to support the whole range of sampling requirements for raw and dilute exhaust measurements as well as EGR and tracer measurements. In addition they provide functionality for simultaneous measurements of all main components of all types of engines.

The most noticeable difference for visitors is the new cabinet design, which allows two sampling lines to be integrated into one 19in cabinet. Two analysers based on quantum cascade laser technology will be integrated into MEXA-7000 Version 4 electrically, physically and with regard to controls.

“It has always been part of the Horiba philosophy to listen to our customers carefully and to further develop our products,” said Axel Wendorff, vice president of Horiba Europe. “Thanks to this continuous innovation, we achieve the increased performance and modularity necessary to optimally adapt the products to our customers’ specific needs and act as a total solution provider.”

Measuring signals with a high voltage potential

The major focus for many exhibitors and visitors at the 2011 event was of course the testing of electric and hybrid powertrains. To solve the problem of measuring high voltages or small signals such as cell voltage for such powertrains, Gantner Instruments has developed the A123, A124 and A128 modules to its Q.series of products.

The A123 offers four voltage inputs, measuring ranges of 100mV, 1V, 10V, and a measuring rate of 10kHz; the A124 has four inputs for thermocouples and offers a measuring range of 100Hz. The A128 modules can offer two or four inputs for voltage, and measuring ranges of 40V, 120V, 400V or 1,200V. The two-input version has a measuring rate of 100kHz, while the four-input version has a rate of 50kHz.

Unique climatic test chamber released

Expo visitors enjoyed a world premiere: the first climatic test chamber to be developed with an integrated measuring robotic system. The WK BM 1000 was developed by Weiss Umwelttechnik GmbH in cooperation with Battenberg Robotic GmbH & Co KG. This chamber can be used for function-dependent component tests under extreme climatic conditions and with rapid temperature changes in testing and production.

The measuring robot is completely integrated in the chamber and delivers measuring values for the test specimen inside the chamber. It automatically operates the functional elements to be tested while the hottest or coldest climatic conditions are simulated in the test chamber, where the robot arm is protected by an air-conditioned sleeve so that reliable function is ensured. The integrated measuring platform allows the fast setup of single components through to complete cockpits and central consoles.

Specific sensors, grippers or tactile tools are used to measure, document and evaluate characteristics such as force, displacement, torques, angles, offsets on surfaces or colour accuracy. The chamber has a temperature range of -40ºC to +85°C at relative air humidity values from 5 to 95%, making it suitable for all the necessary climate zones. Temperatures can be changed at a rate of up to 5K/min so that the whole temperature range can be covered within about 30 minutes. The chamber has a volume of around 1,000 litres, with outer dimensions of 2,300 x 1,600 x 2,500mm for the whole unit.

Data acquisition module launch

An ever-popular technology at Automotive Testing Expo is data acquisition, and an interesting development has been the launch of a new high-end data acquisition module by Accurate Technologies (ATI). The module, named EMX, is a small, environmentally sealed and robust design which, ATI states, offers 40KHZ ADC sampling per channel, advanced anti-aliasing and DSP software filters for reliable and accurate data, universal analogue inputs, built-in sensor power supply outputs, and open architecture interface and protocols.

Acoustic analysis simplified

Acoustic and sound analyses can be made simpler and less expensive with a new entry-level system launched at the Expo by Goepel Electronic. The system, called SoundChecker, is designed to include all the equipment needed to start analysis, such as a measurement data collecting unit, structure-borne sound sensors or open-air microphones, and installation software. To further simplify the process, the company can also offer a PC system that is set up ready for use, with preconfigured impact sound measurement equipment.

300 amp modules for power supply units

The latest generation of high-power modules for test and measurement power supply units has been revealed by Hypertac, as a supplement to its L-Series range of modules. These units are designed for a nominal current of up to 300 amps, and can be combined with other signal, power and coax modules in the L-Series, all within one connector, due to their modular design. The cables are fixed by crimp termination and are connected by cable lug, which allows engineers to use stranded fine and superfine copper wires by using standard crimping tools, while contacts can be inserted and extracted without any special tooling in the insulator.