The new testing center consist of three engine test benches, a hot gas test benches and a vibration test system with a built-in acoustic measurement room. The newly constructed building is topped off by installation areas and office spaces and recreation rooms.
“Dana meets the requirements of the future – especially for customer-specific engine configuration and additional measurement instrumentation such as acceleration and sealing gap measurements,” explains Hans Lintner, the engine test bench project manager. “The new building gives us space for test benches which are nearly twice as large, which puts us in an ideal position to meet all present and future customer requirements.”
The existing test benches for car and truck engines are configured for performances ranging from downsizing power units with an engine displacement of 0.9 l to six-cylinder in-line power trains with engine displacement of 13.0 l.
Whether at the customer's request or for internal research and development purposes, we test the entire VICTOR REINZ product range – from sealing, shielding and valve cover systems for the automotive industry to original replacement parts for the free spare parts market.
In addition to the engine configuration (including the entire car exhaust system and engine control unit), the new test benches also allow engine-specific cooling circuits to be incorporated into the test environments. This is where we run thermal shock programs with the shortest of cooling cycles and low-temperature cooling systems with engine oil temperatures as low as –20 °C and rinsing procedures with antifreeze cooled down to –30 °C. With its maximum fuel performance of 400 kW and gas temperatures of up to 1,100° C, the hot gas test bench creates great stresses close to the engine.
Dana uses its vibration test system (which we call “the shaker”) to speed all newly developed items, especially shielding components, up to engine-level vibrations. Modern measurement devices record noise emissions in the built-in acoustic measurement room so that components can be designed to be even quieter in the future.
The new engine and component testing center constitutes the best available technology and meets all requirements placed on Dana, as a professional and dependable OEM development partner. The test benches are also ideally suited to alternative power units and fuels thanks to their engine configuration in the direct proximity of the vehicle and high-grade automation system which enables realistic driving programs and much more.
Technical data
On the new engine and component testing center
Dynamometers for car and truck engines
- from 30 to 880 kW
- up to 5,000 nm
- up to 10,000 1/min
Cooling system
- Temperatures in saline solution down to –30 °C
- Engine oil temperatures down to –20 °C
Hot gas test bench
- Fuel performance of up to 400 kW
- Hot gas temperature of up to 1,100 °C
- Mass flow of up to 1,008 kg/h
- Hot gas pressure of up to 3 bar
- Counter-pressure system max. 3 bar at 900 °C
Vibration test system
- 35 kN rated power (sine, random)
- Maximum frequency 2,000 Hz
- Max. amplitude 50 mm Max. acceleration 480 m/s²
- Sweep or resonance test program