System-level Sled Test Methodology to Optimize Restraints for Small Overlap Frontal Crash Tests

Abstract

Automotive manufacturers have developed a variety of countermeasures to optimize a vehicle’s performance under the Small Overlap Frontal Crash (SOFC) test. Generally, the SOFC test produces higher severity pulses and greater vehicle body intrusion than any other existing crash mode. Therefore, the primary focus of this research was to develop a system-level sled test methodology for the optimization of vehicle restraints, dummy kinematics and head protection through the analysis of primary control factors. For this study, a universal sled buck was specially designed to accept a variety of vehicle interior components and to adapt to varying vehicle packaging conditions.