Vehicle Instrumentation

In the range of vehicle equipment a large performance spectrum of measuring equipment can be offered from the instrumentation of the vehicle up to performance and evaluation of the measurements. The measuring equipment enables the recording of specific data of serial or prototype vehicles and can provide new concepts for development. Due to the data acquisition, simple components can be characterised more closely and complex coherences are able to be assessed extensively. By means of a chronological synchronised video recording, the interpretation of a multi channel data record of a component can be simplified. The signals can be recorded and evaluated simultaneously via CAN Bus and the according sensor technology. A highly specified and fully adaptable telemetric system can determine the mechanical performance of rotating components.

Torque Measurements

Torque Measurement on the Gearbox Input Shaft

To measure the current output of a combustion engine generally only little space is available for the adaptation of additional transducers. Therefore the existing components in connection with the surrounding free space, are used for the optimal use of supplementary sensor device.

For measuring the input and output torque of manual and automatic transmissions, several different applications are possible. However, in this case structural modifications of clutch actuator are often required.

Various solutions are available for the torque acquisition of free rotating shafts - such as cardan shafts or side shafts. In this case, shafts with larger independent motions have an enclosed transmission system with a suspended stator and relatively fixed rotating shafts a stator, which can be attached to the body of the vehicle or to the chassis.

Temperature Measurements

Temperature Measurement within the gearbox

Sufficient measuring systems are available to measure the temperature of fixed components. The temperature measurements of rotating components inside the engine or transmission however can only be performed according to specific customer designed solutions.

Therefore existing components must be processed to mount the actual temperature sensor as well as to enable the adaptation of the electronic components. For space reasons, functional groups must often be disassembled and distributed to different locations as individual modules.

Torsional Stiffness Measurements

Set Up / Torsional Stiffness Test Bench

The information on the torsional stiffness of the shafts during power flow is important for the dynamic behaviour of the drive train. This information bears a high influence on the overall set up of the vehicle and represents essential characteristics for the advance calculation and determination of critical operating points.

A test bench is available to determine essential parameters during test runs to record the rotating angle of shafts or of the shaft position during torque load. Herewith torsional spring stiffness of complete transmissions with flanged on cardan shafts can be assessed.

Speed Measurement

Speed Measurement in the Vehicle

A large selection of speed information can be recalled via the CAN Bus installed inside the vehicle. In cases, in which this is not possible, the information can be provided through additionally installed sensors. According to requirements and type of application, an incremental position transducer is manufactured which can easily be integrated into the existing shaft. An active or passive sensor head in combination with self produced signal converter provides rectangular pulses proportional to the rotation speed.

Rotational Acceleration Measurements

Special Electronics for Rotational Acceleration Measurements

The speed measuring equipment, installed inside the drive train is usually used to measure rotational irregularities. The signals originating from an incremental transducer must only be supplied to a rapid data collection system for further offline processing. The quality of the acceleration signals depends on the quality of the pulse generator. Complex program packages enable to compensate inaccuracies in the sensor system caused by division errors or eccentricity.

Rotational Acceleration Measurements in the transmission

Force and Strain Measurements

Gearbox applied with a DMS

In order to measure loads arising during actual operation at specific points on critical components, DMS Technology can be used in most cases. This technology supports the application of sensors to the testing areas to determine the magnitude and the direction of arising forces.

Acceleration Measurements

The knowledge about chassis component accelerations allows GIF's insight about operational loads and system decoupling. If triaxial acceleration sensors with a large frequency range are used for these measurements, vibration analyses in various axial directions can also be performed.

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