Winner: Four-Corner Damper System with mHIL - MTS/Nissan

Another category with real diversity on the shortlist was Development Tool of the Year, where a damper test rig, a GPS datalogger, a kinetics and compliance measurement system, and software for chassis controls design were all in the running.

In the event, the judges backed the Mechanical Hardware-in-the-Loop (mHIL) Four-Corner Damper System, a joint nomination by Nissan Motor Company in Japan and US test equipment specialist MTS Systems Corporation.

Under the system (shown above), four physical dampers are placed in load frames and integrated with a vehicle model to execute simulated vehicle maneuvers. This capability supports the tasks of CAE validation, troubleshooting, and pre-tuning before vehicle prototypes are available. mHIL benefits include reduced development time and cost, reduced test cycle time, reduced rework, and improved vehicle performance. “During the preparation phase mHIL damper testing revealed several unknowns that were solved before integrating our dampers into a vehicle prototype, reducing vehicle testing by at least one month,” explained Youichi Sakai of Nissan Motor Company in Japan. “At Nissan, we will reduce vehicle prototypes, but there will always be system prototyping with mHIL.”

Commenting on the verdict, judge Adam Gavine, editor of Automotive Testing Technology International, said, “In an era where suppliers and car makers are looking to cut development time and costs, it’s clear that the MTS mHIL Four-Corner Damper testing technology is proving to be a critical tool for test engineers and dynamicists at Nissan.”