Novares, a specialist in plastics solutions for the automotive industry, has expanded its testing capabilities with the opening of a state-of-the-art test center in Lens, France. A new shaker system for measuring premature wear of vehicle parts has been installed there: the LDS V8900 HBT1220 shaker.
In order to measure the vibrations acting on plastic parts and their noise emissions under increased loads, Novares needed a system that could withstand relatively high vibrations over long periods of time - and also measure the effects at different temperatures.
Novares approached testing and measurement technology experts Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) with its specifications. After extensive consultation, HBK recommended its V8900 shaker as the most suitable system to perform a variety of current and future tests at Novares.
Plastics behave differently depending on temperature, so most vibration tests are carried out in a climate chamber. The V8900 system and its sliding table are very well suited to this requirement, as they can be easily adapted to the various climatic chamber models available on the market. Vibration testing in combination with climate chamber testing is one of the best ways to replicate the real environment and is the most effective due to the immediate results that can be used to evaluate products.
In the words of Bertrand Dufour, Laboratory Manager at Novares Lens: "When it comes to the automotive industry's criteria for materials to be used in the near future, plastic remains the reference material due to its potential for mass gain - an important factor given the ever-increasing weight of new engines, particularly hybrid and electric motors - and its flexibility. The end products must be recyclable, which is already a challenge as they now contain recycled material, with ultimately different properties and inadequate recycling routes. Plastics must be able to withstand the increasingly delicate molding requirements and temperatures under the hood of 3-cylinder engines."
Dufour continues: "HBK was able to incorporate all these criteria and guide us towards the best possible solution, which includes a shaker that allows us to carry out a wide variety of current and future tests, for a future focused on the development of electric and hydrogen engines."
