How do you analyze automotive crash test results?

1 Define the objectives

When analyzing crash test results, it is essential to define the objectives of your analysis. What are the main questions you want to answer? Depending on your purpose, you may focus on different aspects of the results, such as the structural integrity and deformation of the vehicle body and frame, the effectiveness and compatibility of restraint systems, the injury risk and biomechanical response of the occupants, compliance with relevant standards and regulations, comparison and benchmarking with other models or competitors, and identification and prioritization of potential improvements or design changes.

2 Collect and organize the data

The second step is to collect and organize the data from the crash test results. Depending on the type and scale of the test, you may have access to different sources and formats of data, such as visual and audio recordings of the crash event from multiple angles and speeds, high-speed cameras and sensors that capture the movement and deformation of the vehicle and dummies, data acquisition systems that record forces, accelerations, pressures, temperatures, and other parameters of the vehicle and dummies, post-crash inspection and measurement of the vehicle and dummies, as well as computer simulations and models that replicate the crash event and predict outcomes. It is essential to gather all relevant data in a systematic and consistent way with appropriate tools and software. Additionally, it is important to check the quality and accuracy of the data, correcting any errors or anomalies.

3 Process and visualize the data

The third step is to process and visualize the data from the crash test results. This involves applying various techniques and methods to analyze, interpret, and present the data in a meaningful and understandable way. Data reduction and filtering can help select and extract the most relevant information from large and complex data sets, while data transformation and normalization can help convert and standardize the data into comparable units, scales, and formats. Additionally, data visualization and representation can create and display visual aids that illustrate the data and highlight key findings. Finally, data annotation and explanation can add labels, captions, legends, notes, or other forms of text that describe and explain the data and its implications.

4 Compare and evaluate the data

The fourth step is to compare and evaluate the data from the crash test results. This involves assessing and measuring the performance and outcome of the crash event with various criteria and metrics, such as structural performance, restraint performance, injury performance, regulatory performance, and competitive performance. Structural performance evaluates the extent and location of damage and deformation of the vehicle structure, as well as its effect on energy absorption and dissipation. Restraint performance assesses the functionality and suitability of the restraint systems, as well as their influence on occupant kinematics and dynamics. Injury performance examines the severity and probability of injuries sustained by occupants, in relation to their impact on health and survival. Regulatory performance evaluates compliance and rating of the vehicle according to established standards and regulations, as well as their effect on safety and reputation. Finally, competitive performance assesses strengths and weaknesses of the vehicle compared to other models or competitors, in terms of their impact on market share and customer satisfaction.

5 Identify and prioritize the issues

The fifth step is to identify and prioritize the issues from the crash test results. This involves applying various methods and tools to detect and rank the problems and gaps in the vehicle design and performance. Root cause analysis is used to identify and trace the underlying causes that contribute to the issues, as well as their interrelationships and effects. Additionally, failure mode and effects analysis is used to identify and analyze potential failure modes and their consequences, and their likelihood and severity. Pareto analysis is also used to identify and rank the most frequent and significant issues, along with their cumulative and relative impact. Lastly, SWOT analysis is used to identify and assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the vehicle design and performance, along with their internal and external factors.

6 Recommend and implement the solutions

The sixth step is to recommend and implement solutions for the issues from the crash test results. This involves utilizing techniques such as brainstorming and ideation to generate ideas, decision making and selection to evaluate and choose the best alternatives, prototyping and testing to develop and test models of the solutions, as well as documenting and communicating the solutions. All of these steps are necessary to ensure that the proposed solutions are feasible, effective, efficient, functional, and of high quality.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?