Crash Lab Facility Capabilities
“It’s Impressive” - The First Words Out of Anyone who Visits the Crash Lab
After years of conducting crash tests at the VERF (Vehicle Experimental Research Facility), in 2018, Calspan opened a brand new, state-of-the-art, 58,000 square foot (5388.4 m2) Vehicle Crash Test Laboratory. This crash lab is conveniently located directly across the street from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.
This crash lab was designed based on industry best practices and customer recommendations. Which resulted in a lab with safety, security, and efficiency features not found anywhere else in North America. Moreover, its propulsion system, rail, trolleys (tow skates) and photo pits are by MESSRING (considered the gold standard). Plus, it is highly secure, fully enclosed and climate controlled facility is between 69-72 °F (20.6- 22.2 °C) year round. Ideal temperatures for Calspan’s large fleet of crash test dummies. Which are one of many the reasons it was named Crash Test Facility of the Year two years in a row.
Secure Crash Lab
Calspan is ideal for new vehicle development. From the time a vehicle is received, to the time it is picked up, vehicles are always secure and behind closed doors.
Accurate & Precise
Our crash halls are outfitted with test equipment by MESSRING - The "Gold Standard". The combination of their propulsion system and MicroTrack results in accurate and precise test results.
Efficient
Since all facilities, personnel and test equipment is located under one roof, Calspan is able to meet the tightest test deadlines. This also means, testing is not affected by the weather.
Features
- Two Crash Halls.
- Multiple test vehicle preparation rooms.
- Instrumentation calibration & Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) qualification lab.
- Private, customer rooms that are integral with the vehicle preparation rooms - This allows customers to have easy access to test vehicles while maintaining security.
- An integral and secure Shipping and Receiving Dock for loading and off-loading vehicles directly within the facility.
- Ample storage space for test vehicles, components and associated equipment.
Unique Capabilities
- Huge 6 m x 4 m (20 ft. x 13 ft.) photo pits for expansive underbody high speed video.
- Multiple high-resolution load cells walls that can provide Fx, Fy, Fz, My and Mz. Ideal for the validation of CAE crash simulation models. These include full frontal, offset frontal, side pole and IIHS Small Overlap.
- Dual guide rails for the execution of vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests (i.e. EuroNCAP MPDB).
- Ability to conduct indoors both the IIHS Small Overlap left and right impacts.
- Equipped to conducted tests to proposed standards like the IIHS 2.0 Moving Deformable Barrier and NHTSA Frontal Oblique.
- Extensive experience crash testing fully electric vehicles.
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