Presentation from Mr Depinet, Humanetics on the HR certification test (GTR7-06-14):

The rationale for the development of the with-HR test was presented. The biggest dummy-to-dummy reproducibility issues were observed to be during head restraint contact, e.g. in PDB test programme. The test equipment and procedure have been updated several times in response to feedback from the TEG and IG. The impactor probe has been changed to a higher mass (188 kg) with a longer, profiled Energy Transfer Device (ETD), to give a 16 km/h 10 g pulse with similar duration to car seat tests. The head restraint also has a foam covering, which has been tuned to give a head restraint contact duration similar to car seats. These give similar upper neck Fx and My magnitude and shapes to JASIC tests, but a bit different to the rigid rally seats in the PDB tests. Upper neck Fz was more similar to the PDB tests. Similar lower neck Fx and Fz to seat tests from German manufacturers (well within the range of the different seats tested).

A tool has been developed to allow the head restraint to be adjusted to a nominal 70 mm backset. The head restraint foam has been sealed to prevent humidity problems (as with the ETD). The heavier pendulum requires uprated suspension cables and possibly an uprated winch to pull it back. Humanetics have developed a cart to support the impactors so that they never have to be lifted manually. A video was shown demonstrating correct handling of the impactor probe using the cart.

The high mass of the new impactor probe was discussed, particularly with respect to potential health and safety issues from handling and deploying a heavy probe, and the time taken to swap the probes between with-HR and no-HR tests. It is possible that the with-HR test could be performed regularly, with periodic no-HR certification if the dummy is rebuilt, or buffers changed.

Decision: It was agreed to continue with the heavy impactor at this time. Further work will then proceed to check whether the test identifies differences between dummies that result in differences in seat tests.

Mr Frost asked the IG to identify dummies with known different performance in sled tests. Mr Hartleib noted that PDB have two dummies with outlying performance, one of which has been updated and one is unchanged from the previous tests. Action Mr Hartlieb to check whether PDB can do some additional tests (and to notify the IG by end March if this can be done). Action Humanetics to perform certification tests with-HR and with light and heavy impactors in early April. Action Mr Lorenz to arrange a TEG meeting for the end of April to discuss the results of these tests. Action Mr Lorenz to run tests with two dummies, one of which previously had outlying performance, and then they can be provided to Humanetics for certification in April. Also to consider running seat tests with the PDB dummies if PDB cannot test. Action Humanetics to consider running some light and heavy impactor with-HR certification tests with the dummies deliberately modified to have performance changes to see which set-up better highlights these changes. It should be noted that it is not known whether these changes result in differences in seat tests.