May 22, 2012 - A leading global automotive supplier, Valeo has recently added a cutting-edge LMS SCADAS Mobile system to its noise and vibration engineering lab in Amiens, France. Employing over 67,900 people in 28 countries, Valeo produces powertrain organs, thermal systems, comfort and driving assistance systems, and visibility systems as well as aftermarket parts and services.
As part of 21 research centers worldwide, the engineering team in Amiens, France works on noise and vibration issues related to driveline, gearbox, clutch and controller development. In light of the industry-wide focus on engine efficiency, it has become more and more vital to acquire the best possible data to get to the root cause of a noise or vibration issue or prevent a potential one. To help, the team sought out the most innovative and cutting-edge solution.
“The newer downsized, high-performance engines are producing vibration excitation levels that are higher than ever and the clutch design needs to accommodate for this. To prevent comfort or reliability issues, it requires more efficiency. Our team needs to figure out the best possible scenario,” commented Mr. Rene Boussuge, NVH manager & Valeo senior expert. “In addition, we evaluate new engine proposals and define the acceptance levels to prevent issues. We have to add the right amount of additional damping to prevent ride and comfort issues. You don’t want to overdo it because then you’ll take away engine efficiency. It is a tricky balance.”
In addition to 3 LMS SCADAS systems, Valeo recently acquired 3 LMS SCADAS Mobile equipped with the new RV4 module and additional modules to acquire ICP, charge, strain, displacement and pressure data.
“Our new LMS SCADAS Mobile is definitely the right tool for the job because it’s compact and autonomous. It’s ideal for in-vehicle testing. We’ll easily save 2-3 hours per test and thanks to its 204.8 kHz sampling rate per channel, there won’t be any signal loss. This is data quality guaranteed,” commented Mr. Eric Rumeau, NVH engineer & Valeo expert.
“We also use the LMS SCADAS Mobile RV4 module to convert frequency-tension signals. Of a higher performance caliber, it provides significantly better acquisition frequencies resulting in a better resolution. This means more precise results, which are especially important when we measure transmission shocks and transient phenomena. Of course, we want the best possible input data for our validation test benches so we can obtain the most reliable results possible and ultimately produce the most reliable products,” added Mr. Boussuge.
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