Body engineering for production

The body engineering responsibilities are to simulate

the styling model and overall requirements

laid down by the management in terms of drawings

and specification. The engineering structures are

designed for production, at a given date, at the

28Repair of Vehicle Bodies

Figure 1.25Water testing a prototype (Ford Motor Company Ltd )

Figure 1.26Three-dimensional graphics display

of a scale model (Ford Motor Company Ltd )

• Department for Transport (DfT), government

department – UK

• Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and

Water Management, government department –

Holland

• European Commission – Belgium

• FIA Foundation for the Automobile and

Society, motoring organisation – UK

• Government of Catalonia, government

department – Spain

• International Consumer Research and Testing,

consumer group – UK

• Ministere de l’Equipment, government

department – France

• Swedish Road Administration, government

department – Sweden

• Thatcham – representing British Motor

Insurers – GB

EuroNCAP have a number of tests which vehicles

are subjected to, the results of the tests are

then subjected to a number of calculations which

lead to star ratings. Basically the more stars the

safer the vehicle (Figure 1.28). The tests appear

simple; but the recording of results is quite complex.

Each test has a 50-page operating manual.

Readings are taken from the dummies inside the

vehicles as well as the photographs of the vehicle

as it deforms under impact. The dummies contain

electrical sensing equipment, mainly measuring

acceleration rates. Each dummy costs the same

amount of money as a super car such as a Ferrari.

The EuroNCAP tests are designed to encourage

vehicle manufacturers to consider safety standards

above and beyond those required by the government

regulations.

The history, development and construction of the car body 29

Figure 1.27Finite-element structural analysis (Ford Motor Company Ltd )

Front impact test

Frontal impact takes place at 64 kph (40 mph)

when a car strikes a deformable barrier that is

offset (Figure 1.28a). This test is similar to many

road accidents where one car hits another car, or

another object, offset to one side.

Side impact test

This is similar to accidents where the car is hit

by another on the side. The impact takes place at

50 kph (30 mph) when a trolley with a deformable

front is towed into the driver’s side of the car to

simulate a side-on crash (see Figure 1.28c).

Pole test

Accident patterns vary from country to country

within Europe, but approximately a quarter of all

serious-to-fatal injuries happen in side impact

collisions. Many of these injuries occur when one

car runs into the side of another. To encourage

manufacturers to fit head protection devices, an

optional pole or head protection test may be performed,

where such safety features are fitted to the

vehicle. Side impact airbags help protect the head

by providing a padding effect and by preventing

the head from passing through the window opening

(see Figure 1.28e).

In this test, the car being tested is propelled sideways

at 29 kph (18 mph) into a rigid pole. The

pole is relatively narrow, like a telegraph pole of

lamp post, so there is major penetration into the

side of the car. In an impact without the head protecting

airbag, a driver’s head could hit the pole

with sufficient force to cause a fatal head injury.

Pedestrian impact test

A series of tests (Figure 1.28b) are carried out to

replicate accidents involving child and adult pedestrians

where impact occurs at 40 kph (25 mph) –

maximum speed in build up areas in France. Impact

sites are then assessed and rated fair, weak and

poor. As with the other tests, these are based on

EEVC guidelines.

Star ratings

Each vehicle tested is given a star rating for its

protection of:

• adult occupant

• child occupant

• pedestrians

30Repair of Vehicle Bodies

Figure 1.28EuroNCAP

The Star Ratings are based on calculations carried

out after the tests, the latest figures can be found

on the EuroNCAP website: www.euroncap.com.

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