Mercedes-Benz C-Klasse Coupé Magazin - Daimler

50 Crashtests Crash tests
51
fakten Facts
crashtests
CraSh teStS
+ Jährlich finden im Sindelfinger
Mercedes-Sicherheitszentrum rund
500 aufprallversuche statt
Some 500 crash tests take place
each year in the Mercedes-Benz
Safety Centre at Sindelfingen
+ hinzu kommen nochmals rund
50.000 wirklichkeitsgetreue Crashtest-Simulationen
per Computer
these are backed up by around
50,000 very realistic crash test
simulations on the computer
ein selbstgebauter airbag-Prototyp erleichtert das Verständnis der Sicherheitstechnik
a home-made prototype airbag makes understanding safety engineering much simpler
+ Das Crashtest-programm umfasst
sämtliche aufprallkonfigurationen,
die für die weltweite zulassung neuer
automobile vorgesehen sind
the crash test programme includes
every possible crash configuration
required for the approval of new cars
all over the world
11C384_032 11C384_056 11C384_026
+ zusätzlich führt Mercedes-Benz besonders
anspruchsvolle, firmeneigene
Crashversuche durch, deren anforderungen
zum teil weit über die gesetzlichen
Bestimmungen hinausgehen
in addition, Mercedes-Benz conducts
very stringent crash tests of its
own, the standards of which, in
some cases, go far beyond legal
requirements
+ Dazu gehören zum Beispiel spezielle
Überschlag- und Dachfallversuche
these include, for example,
special roll-over and roof-drop tests
„Sicherheit ist
zentraler Markenwert“
“Safety is a core brand value”
his local Stuttgart newspaper. Building on analogies between
the structure of an egg and that of a human being, he develops
the prospective engineers’ awareness and understanding
of crash tests and airbags and, in the process, makes an important
contribution to road safety education.
There’s actually something quite macabre about crash
tests, admits the family man and trained automotive engineer.
But, as he explains his job to his two daughters, cars
are sometimes involved in accidents, which is why he and his
colleagues bring the road indoors in an attempt to replicate
reality. His is ultimately a noble cause: “The success of what
we do is measured by whether we can make the vehicles safer.”
Within the company, this is of course not necessarily the
best way to win friends. “We’re an uncomfortable presence.
Most of the things we find out make cars more expensive”,
grins Gaiser. “However, safety is absolutely core to the Mercedes-Benz
brand so that, on the other hand, tends to make
our job easier.” The real work for him starts once the crash is
over: “We’re like detectives, using all the clues to develop our
conclusions. It’s really vital not to miss anything.”
Safety pioneer Mercedes-Benz has been conducting regular
crash tests with complete vehicles since as far back as the
late 1950s; and it was Mercedes engineer Béla Barényi who
introduced systematic safety tests. The first impact tests
were spectacular, using winches and hot-water rockets to
propel the cars. The vehicles today are accelerated using a
high-tech cable system. And that’s not the only thing that’s
different from those early days: “The 500 or so crash tests
that we currently carry out each year are backed up by more
than 50,000 computer simulations”, explains Gaiser. These
simulations are so true to life that they eliminate the need for
tests to be repeated time and time again, although the engineer
himself is convinced that the classic crash test will never
be completely abandoned: “Even in the long term the crash
test, as a bridge between simulation and reality, is absolutely
irreplaceable.” •