Calibration of impact rigs/ crash-worthiness testing of thin sheet metal boxes

The present paper addresses the problem of harmonization of crash testing measurement techniques. It involved 14 European laboratories comprising research centres, universities, and the automotive industry, which among them included: 8 vertical drop hammers, 4 horizontal sledges, 1 gas gun, and 1 large-scale Hopkinson bar. The same type of specimens were tested by the different laboratories: extruded aluminum 6063 T7 thinwalled columns of length 400mm. Interesting conclusions were drawn on the effect of signal numerical filtering, the reproducibility of the results obtained from each laboratory, and the overall performance of the rigs at the prescribed impact velocities.