Q’Straint’s iQ Research Centre of Excellence has been expanded with a second facility housing what the company is calling the world’s first servo-electric full vehicle seatbelt anchorage test system, developed in partnership with VTI/Additium.
The new iQ SBA test facility typically delivers a static pull force in excess of six tonnes – a vital test of product safety. It includes a fully equipped vehicle preparation area and flexible fixturing system, capable of accommodating test vehicles of up to 7.5m in length.
The SBA system itself has unique features such as electric linear actuators, which allow precise and highly controllable test configurations to be programmed with touchscreen simplicity, and ‘super-light’ synthetic chain made of high resistance fibres. Q’Straint said both technologies are unique to the facility.
The system also includes a large samples support frame which makes it possible to test larger vehicles and several passenger seat rows at the same time.
Q’Straint said the research and product development the new facility enables present the opportunity for new technologies to be developed and applied, ‘delivering the next generation of wheelchair accessible vehicle solutions for minibus, community transport and public transport vehicles.’
Examples of the new technologies being developed as a result of work at the iQ Research Centre can be seen in the QRT-350 and 550-E retractors designed to secure heavy wheelchairs of up to 200kg and also the Quantum, a fully automatic rear-facing wheelchair securement station.
