Comfort innovation
The acoustic perception of the user is of great importance for the comfort in the vehicle and the brand image, being the natural trend in the automotive sector to seek greater interior comfort.
In addition, electric propulsion systems and new suspension schemes for the automotive industry result in increasingly quieter environments inside the vehicle cabin, which means that noises traditionally imperceptible in vehicles with internal combustion engines become annoying in vehicles with quieter engines.
With the aim of increasing the acoustic comfort of the vehicle interior, the acoustics and vibration laboratory develops new working methodologies and performs tests in the field of acoustics and vibration, as well as combined tests.
Vibration studies
- Sine vibration, random vibration and mechanical shock tests at room temperature accredited ENAC 17025.
- Sine and random vibration tests and tests applying uniaxial or multiaxial acceleration time signals under controlled climatic conditions.
- Mechanical shock tests.
- Acquisition of on track vehicle acceleration time signals and laboratory analysis, processing and reproduction.
- Experimental Modal Analysis on components, subsystems, and complex structures.
- Calculation of Operating Deflection Shapes of structures subjected to vibration.
- Detection, rating and root cause analysis of squeak & rattle under road vibration conditions
- Vibration characterisation and mechanical durability tests with fatigue analysis on components subjected to vibration.
- Vibration transmission to the user and vibration comfort tests on vehicle seats.
- Electrical characterisation tests of components subjected to vibration under different climatic conditions.
Vibration tests - Human Rated Dual
Multiaxial vibration system for the evaluation of acoustic and vibration comfort, designed for testing both with and without people on board.
Applications:
- Multiaxial mechanical characterisation and durability tests.
- Evaluation and measurement with people in the vehicle of the vibration comfort and squeak & rattle in different interior components.
Acoustics studies
- Measurement and analysis of component noise under real operating conditions.
- Measurement and analysis of squeak & rattle under operating conditions produced by vibration.
- Measurement of sound pressure, vibroacoustic transfer functions and time/frequency analysis.
- Acoustic characterisation of materials (absorption coefficient and acoustic transmission losses) by impedance tube.
- Acquisition of in-vehicle sound pressure and acceleration time signals.
- Vibration tests combined with temperature for vibroacoustic and structural analysis of components.
Vibration equipment
- High-capacity multiaxial electrohydraulic shaker (6 degrees of freedom; combined with climatic chamber).
- Multiaxial electrohydraulic shaker (6 degrees of freedom; combined with anechoic chamber).
- Multiaxial electrohydraulic shaker (6 degrees of freedom; combined with climatic chamber).
- 54 kN biaxial electrodynamic exciter combined with climatic chamber.
- 35.6 kN biaxial electrodynamic exciter combined with climatic chamber.
- 22.2 kN uniaxial electrodynamic exciter combined with semi-anechoic chamber or climatic chamber.
- Equipment for Experimental Modal Analysis of components and complex structures such as complete body-in-white (multichannel acquisition systems, impact hammers, modal shakers).
On-board acquisition systems and acoustic chambers
- LMS Scadas acquisition system and LMS Test.Lab software (48 acquisition channels) mainly oriented to structural and Experimental Modal Analysis tests.
- Bruel & Kjaer LAN-XI acquisition system and BK Connect software (24 acquisition channels / signal generation) oriented to recording tests and noise frequency analysis.
- Semi-anechoic chamber (22,000 L, acoustic analysis of operating noise and components subjected to vertical vibration).
- Anechoic chamber (100,000 L, studies of operating noise in vehicle and noise analysis of components under multiaxial vibration – road or track signals)
- On-board acquisition systems for noise and vibration recording. Sensors: free field microphones, binaural microphones, uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers, force sensors.
