Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Kenneth L Winalis

Seung-Jae Song

Eugene M Schoenherr

Stephen P Gierak

An apparatus and method for impact testing of vehicle components at a sub-system level includes a mobile unit and a vehicle sub-system. In an exemplary application, the vehicle sub-system includes a steering column and steering shaft. The vehicle steering column is securely mounted to the mobile unit and a mass element is secured to the steering shaft. By advancing the mobile unit into a rigid barrier at a predetermined speed, full-scale column collapse and energy absorption tests can be accurately analyzed at a significantly reduced cost and time.

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Mt. Clemens, MI, United States of America

Kenneth L Winalis