For over 50 years, Mercedes-Benz has exposed its vehicles to a vigorous test track known as Heide-dauerlauf*. Located in Germany, this route provided Mercedes with a means of testing the life of a vehicle and its components in an accelerated manner*. In the modern era, Mercedes has re-created the conditions of this track at their facilities in Stuttgart and Sindelfingen*. Each vehicle is instrumented with accelerometers, and a courageous driver endures the vibrations of the test track at a regulated speed as acceleration is recorded at various locations*. This acceleration data is then delivered to the test lab where specialized software and equipment is used to reproduce the same vibrations.
MGA has performed Heide-dauerlauf or “Heide” testing on various seat programs for 6 years for various automotive suppliers. Currently, MGA-MI is capable of performing this vibration test on eight different test rigs. Each rig, known as a Multi-Axis Simulation Table (MAST), is capable of reproducing the six degree-of-freedom vibrations seen on the Heide track. The MGA facility in Troy, MI uses MTS FlexTest™ IIm and IIs software to operate each of the MAST systems. RPC Pro™ (MTS) is used to match the road load data provided by the customer.
Heide testing is used to validate our customers’ Design and Production Level seats for Mercedes and Chrysler programs alike. At MGA, we strive to simulate the on-road conditions with consistency and accuracy. For every test performed, the seat is mounted to a rigid fixture (fabricated at MGA) as it would be attached in the vehicle. The seat is set in its design position, and a dummy representative of a driver is secured to the fully trimmed seat with the correct D-ring location and seat belt tension. In addition, 24-hour test monitoring provides a simple way to fully test each seat in a short period of time.
Using this type of test methodology, MGA can perform similar tests for OEMs and suppliers using data collected at their proving grounds or the MGA test track in Burlington, Wisconsin.