A Meritor Vehicle Dynamics mobile laboratory traveling throughout North America is bringing testing capabilities to U.S. government and independent test sites. The laboratory is outfitted with chassis development testing equipment, including two shock dynamometers, a 50-ton press, a coil spring compressor for oversized military high-rate springs, a large wet bench and alignment equipment.
According to the company, the systems on the Vehicle Dynamics mobile laboratory are designed to test Meritor’s SMARTandem axle, tire inflation systems and drum and air disc brakes for trucks and trailers; adaptive damping systems for off-highway seats, as well as bus and fire truck suspensions on specialty and off-highway vehicles, and ProTec High Mobility Independent Suspension (HMIS), adaptive damping systems, tire inflation and suspension height control systems for defense applications.
“Meritor’s remote testing capabilities are critical to product development,” said Tim Burns, vice president and general manager, Defense & Specialty, Meritor. “The lab allows us to provide on-site support across North America. Its vehicle test data acquisition capability reduces development time by allowing immediate optimization of ride and handling characteristics so we can tune our products to best fit real-world environments.”
The Meritor Vehicle Dynamics mobile laboratory is equipped with video equipment for documentation and is connected directly to the company’s Development Center in Troy, Mich., through a wireless network. “This direct link allows data transmission back and forth for additional analysis by the vehicle dynamics and controls teams,” said Simon Dean, senior director, Advanced Engineering & Electronics, Meritor. “The information is correlated on the full vehicle simulator in the Troy test lab, which further proves product performance and capabilities. Combined with our technical expertise in Troy, the lab’s vehicle test data acquisition capability allows us to deliver the most advanced products for meeting the needs of our customers.”