Virtual Crash Testing
Today’s new cars must adhere to the strictest safety standards and are put through a battery of tests before they are allowed out on the open road. Perhaps the most rigorous of these is the crash safety test. In Europe, these tests are carried out by the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP).
Obviously, crashing a prototype of a brand new car is an expensive undertaking, so naturally it is in the best interests of the car manufacturers to get the desired results when they actually go perform the crash test. That is why all of the major car manufacturers are using virtual crash testing software in order to model how well their cars will perform during the test and in a real life crash situation.
The importance of virtual crash testing
Developing a new car model takes years and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. It would be undeniably perplexing to allow a new model to get to the testing stage only to find out that it was somehow flawed. Using virtual crash testing techniques ensures that this never happens. The designers are able to ‘crash’ their designs at every single stage in the development cycle to make certain that the vehicle is behaving in the manner that is intended. In doing so, designers can create safer vehicles than ever before.
Your partner in virtual crash testing
The ESI Group is a recognized leader in the discipline of virtual prototyping. The company has developed a suite of applications that allows designers to test out their models to precise standards. This software is a huge leap forward in efficient design, allowing all aspects of new models to be tested on the PC before any commitment is made to actually build the vehicle. Clearly, virtual crash testing is an important part of this work but it is only one area of many where ESI helps clients create superior, safer products.
A pedigree in virtual crash testing
ESI Group has been involved in the complex world of virtual prototyping for more than 40 years. It is an area that lends itself well to car design and manufacture and it is not surprising that the company quickly moved into the world of virtual crash testing software applications. This is now an integral part of a suite of applications covering all areas of virtual design. The company has clients in the industry sectors of aerospace, defence, energy, transportation and engineering and employs 1,000 specialists to serve clients in 40 different countries.
