Automotive Industry and the Many Uses for Motion Amplification^®

Cars and trucks, like other machines, vibrate when they operate. The motion caused by running a vehicle’s engine creates noise and vibration characteristics that travel throughout the vehicle. Noise and vibrations coursing through the full vehicle, components, or subassembly can impact passenger comfort and premature wear.

Product Testing for Noise Vibration Harness (NVH)

Among automotive industry applications, evaluation and absorption of Noise, Vibration, and Harness (NVH) on brakes, engines, powertrain, interiors, and fully integrated structures are necessary steps to maintain product quality, performance, reliability, and passenger comfort.  Determining the mode shapes and root cause of noise and vibration during the design, prototype, part substitution, and testing phases helps with problem-solving, quality assurance, and extending equipment life.

In most standard contact-based vibration and shaker testing methods, it’s challenging and costly to have 100% sensor coverage. Traditional contact-based sensors also add weight which can impact the overall component’s or structure’s mass, stiffness and damping characteristics. By applying Motion Amplification®, a non-contact technique, you can measure millions of samples to detect subtle motions as small as 250 nanometers.

RDI’s patented video processing technology  turns every pixel into a virtual non-contact displacement sensor. Millions of measurements are recorded in a fraction of a second with no physical connection to your applications. Motion Amplification® users have the ability to perform full-field vibration acquisition with over 2.3 million sampling locations, visualizing and quantifying movements that are not visible to the human eye.

In addition, the technology allows the user to measure calibrated absolute displacement across the full field of view providing a time waveform and FFT spectrum for each measured location. Motion Amplification® videos can be quickly analyzed by applying Frequency Filtering, Motion and Phase Color Maps, and Vectors. External laser tachometer and shaft inspection features help with measuring torsional vibrations and rotating objects. This technology can help accelerate vibration troubleshooting or product testing on new designs and prototypes. Having the ability to visualize data enhances communications when reviewing and sharing test results with technical and non-technical personnel.

Detecting Buzz, Squeaks, and Rattles with Motion Amplification®

While some engine, interior, and structural noise and vibrations will always be present, the vibration produced by an automotive system that is not indicative of a problem or malfunction can still indicate operating inefficiency. Automotive Engineers working in NVH test facilities investigate and test for “Buzz, Rattles, and Squeaks” to ensure automotive components and interiors remain free of noise and vibration for optimum passenger comfort. Data and videos gathered from Motion Amplification® can help to visualize, measure, quantify and identify root causes of noise and vibration.  

The global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) of automotive vehicles and technologies are highly competitive. Therefore, means of boosting production efficiency and quality will always be sought after. During research and development, concept vehicle design, and NVH testing phases, non-contact vibration instrumentation that employs Motion Amplification® software and capabilities can speed up and improve design validations, testing, and getting new concepts and products to market quicker. Because this technology can relay motion and vibration data in real time, issues with dynamic components and structures can be detected early and quickly, avoiding product development, and NVH testing slow-downs and costly delays.

Comfort Tested

The automotive OEM industry is also no stranger to testing for Noise and Vibration. In some instances, shock, vibration, and shaker tests ensure that critical mechanisms and safety components won’t fail when out on the road. In other cases, testing for vibrations and noise can make a car that much easier on passenger comfort.

Consumer demand for comfort, quality, and reliability is no small consideration when it comes to designing and testing cars and trucks. In fact, automotive OEM and supply chain testing facilities conduct vibration analysis and noise testing to ensure that drivers aren’t rattled by their vehicles and aren’t subjected to the constant din of vibrating components. Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) refers to measurement and analysis of the sound and vibration that vehicles produce; minimizing NVH is the goal, and video Motion Amplification® can help.

Consumers expect a comfortable and quiet ride from their vehicles, and NVH plays a significant role in ensuring just that. Motion Amplification® can be used to pinpoint the source of unwanted vibration and noise so that engineers can take steps to quiet their vehicles, such as enhancing car interiors with absorption materials.

RDI’s Motion Amplification® offers unique capabilities to the automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and sub-tier suppliers in terms of NVH testing, Still not convinced? We’d be happy to share a demo of RDI’s Motion Amplification® technology or to answer any questions you may have by contacting us today.