THINK BIG: Drivetrain testing for large commercial vehicles at ATESTEO

Before a new drive system is placed in a vehicle, it is put through its paces in drivetrain testing. Drivetrain testing is a matter of routine for the drive systems of passenger vehicles, but of course it also has to take place during the development of commercial and heavy-duty vehicles. Testing the drivetrain at an early point in time on the test bench is essential for recognising and eliminating problems already in the development phase and for optimising the quality and functionality of components for the later mass-produced vehicle. Up to now, particularly for the latest developments in the area of electric commercial vehicles such as trucks, lorries, long-distance coaches, motorbuses, and tractors, there have hardly been any possibilities of testing the drivetrain because of a lack of required test benches. With its technical know-how and application competency in the field of drive systems, ATESTEO now makes possible testing large electric commercial vehicles on the test bench. Since mid-2021, the first test bench for electrically powered heavy-duty vehicles has been running at ATESTEO. And the demand from manufacturers is high.

One hundred square metres (100 m²) of area. Ten metres (10 m) wide. Two thousand kilowatts (2,000 kW) of electrical power. This is the new heavy-duty vehicle test bench at ATESTEO. It is made for large electric commercial vehicles and utility vehicles. It was developed using the experience of more than 15 years of testing electric vehicle components. It is equipped with torque sensors (transducers) and high-torque adapter transmissions developed in-house. It was set up with the application competency arising from thousands of testing projects for the international automobile industry. It is needed for the new era of e-mobility, which does not stop at the transmissions of commercial vehicles and heavy-duty vehicles.

Endurance testing, NVH testing, environmental simulation, efficiency testing, functional testing, vehicle testing, brake testing, and hot gas testing are offered on the commercial vehicle test bench. If desired, road trials can be conducted on an in-house test track with any of the approximately 500 in-house straesser test drivers.

Testing large electric axles requires large test benches. With a total area of 100 m² and a testing chamber size of a length of ten metres and a width of seven metres, the new commercial vehicle test bench from ATESTEO is sized precisely to the dimensions of the specimens to be tested. The mechanics and electronics are adapted to the larger test specimens as regards torque and power.

At the heart of the new test bench for large commercial vehicles are the two powerful test bench machines with a power rating of each 1,000 kW and own adaptation gear units (transmissions) with 25,000 Nm of torque. The large electric axle is clamped between the metal struts and tested. The test stand is symmetrically constructed for this purpose.