Airbag Deployment

In the world of automotive safety, components such as the airbag play a major role in occupant safety. From early development to advanced iterations today, airbags have greatly improved passenger safety in vehicles worldwide. Ford and General Motors introduced the first commercial deployments with experimental airbag systems installed in some vehicles in the 1970s. Significant advancements in airbag technology were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s as Federal law makes airbags mandatory in all cars and light trucks.

The different types and descriptions of airbags in a vehicle are listed below:

• Driver and Passenger Airbags: Standard in most vehicles, these are designed to deploy in front-end collisions.
• Side Airbags: Protect occupants from side collisions, deploying from seats or door panels.
• Curtain Airbags: Deploy from the ceiling to protect occupants during side impacts or rollovers.
• Knee Airbags: Protect the lower extremities and reduce impact on the legs during frontal collisions.

MGA Research supports automotive manufacturers and their suppliers across North America by conducting testing of safety components, such as the airbag systems listed above for onboard vehicle safety systems. Testing these components is crucial as it ensures that our customer can deliver products that meet rigorous industry standards for reliability, performance, and safety. MGA's expertise in testing plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall safety of vehicles on the road.

MGA Advantage

MGA provides significant equipment, test methods, and staff advantages to its customers, including:

• State-of-the-Art Testing Equipment: Offers advanced testing equipment for airbag development and production conformity phases including the latest in High-Speed Camera technology.
• Environmental deployment inside-the-chamber ensuring stable and consistent extreme environmental conditions for module and component evaluations.
• Diverse Testing Capabilities: Can provide a wide range of testing capabilities tailored to various airbag types and applications. This includes testing for different vehicle models, airbag designs, and deployment scenarios.
• Testing/Equipment Standards: MGA Research ensures that all testing procedures and equipment meets rigorous industry standards and regulatory requirements. This commitment ensures that airbag systems undergo thorough and accurate testing to meet safety and performance benchmarks.
• Technical Support: Customers benefit from experienced technical support provided by MGA Research’s knowledgeable staff. This support helps to provide accurate testing results, optimize testing procedures, and address any technical challenges throughout the testing process.
  

MGA Research provides substantial benefits to its clients by leveraging a widespread network of facilities dedicated to airbag testing. This network is instrumental in supporting both the development and conformity testing phases of airbag production. By offering multiple locations, MGA Research ensures accessibility and efficiency in testing processes. This strategic advantage enables MGA Research to cater effectively to the diverse needs of its customers, enhancing overall product reliability and safety in airbag technologies. All MGA Research test facilities are ISO 17025 accredited.

Airbag testing locations:

• Lincoln, Alabama
• Ontario, Canada
• Hughson, California
• Troy, Michigan
• Greer, South Carolina
• Irving, Texas
• Burlington, Wisconsin