Automotive Engineering - September 2022 - 15

TECHNOLOGY REPORT
SAFETY
Hyundai breaks ground for Safety
Test and Investigation Lab
Hyundai Motor America is creating an industry-unique testing
zone to address root cause crash investigations and electric
vehicle/future product analysis activities at its Michigan R&D
campus west of Detroit. " The Safety Test and Investigation
Laboratory (STIL) will put a focus on speed, speed, speed in
understanding what happened, " in a crash or component failure,
said John Robb, president of Hyundai America Technical
Center Inc. (HATCI). STIL is targeted to be operational in the
fall of 2023.
SAE Media interviewed Robb and other Hyundai officials at
the groundbreaking for STIL, a $51.6 million facility being constructed
at the automaker's southeast Michigan technical hub.
Hyundai officials said 160 engineers, including those in electrical,
mechanical, materials and safety, will be hired to work at
the new facility. STIL will feature vehicle inspection bays, a
field-crash investigation lab, a 1,640-ft (500-m) asphalt test
track, a vehicle-dynamics area and a high-voltage battery lab
with test pad.
" We're going to get in front of issues and apply the learnings
to future products, " said Brian Latouf, global chief safety
officer for Hyundai Motor Co. When operational, the STIL
will enable technology specialists to use various investigative
tools, such as a high-tech CT (computed tomography)
scanner. " Instead of pulling apart and destroying an electrical-mechanical
component system, we can scan the internal
components to see if there is a circuit fault or other failure, "
Latouf said, noting the scanner could be used to evaluate
system components after a crash. Such testing also could be
used to investigate reported issues from dealership service
departments.
A loss of power steering, unintended acceleration, loss of
braking and other vehicle operational failures are extremely critical.
" So we want to investigate hazardous or recurring issues and
get that diagnostic and data acquisition in place, then do a full
root-cause analysis to apply that robustness back into the product
design for the future, " Latouf explained. Automaker crashtest
labs typically are focused on activities for production verification
and government-mandated certification. " The STIL lab will
be studying product in the field. And, we'll be focusing on electrified
vehicles, " said Latouf.
Electrified-vehicle testing at STIL will occur indoors via an
EV battery lab and via an outdoor test pad. " With EVs, you
have to isolate away from offices and buildings to study and
push things to the limit as it relates to battery overcharging,
thermal events and other conditions. Although we have EV
evaluation capabilities at our R&D center in Namyang, South
Korea, having EV testing capabilities in North America will
enable our regional engineers to figure out the appropriate
responses or remedies, " Latouf said.
NHTSA supports the STIL's development. A 2020 NHTSA
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
September 2022 15
http://info.hotims.com/82335-709
Automotive Engineering - September 2022

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