MESSRING Test Facility in Blainville Named "Crash Test Facility of the Year 2012"


World's most precise test facility covers a wide variety of test scenarios. / Integrates most advanced data acquisition and sled systems. / Front, side and rear impact collisions can be simulated precisely

Munich- The test facility in Blainville (Canada), which was planned and equipped by the Munich-based company MESSRING Systembau GmbH, has been named "Crash Test Facility of the Year 2012." The award is presented every year by the publishing house UKIP, and it has become an established standard in the field of automotive testing. MESSRING - the market leader in the field of crash test facilities and their components had already engineered the 2011 Facility of the year. The awarded crash facility 2012 is one of the most precise in the world and is owned by Transport Canada. The test center financed by the Canadian government with investments of around 15 million Canadian dollars has been in operation since April. It took about two years to plan and build the 5,300m2 large facility.

Based on its special construction, the crash test facility can simulate front, side and rear impact collisions - and it can operate with a precision that is perfect to the millimeter. One criterion in the jury's selection was the fact that the facility can not only simulate an impact against a stationary obstacle, but can also simulate an impact between two vehicles - if necessary at any angle between 90 and 180 degrees. Not only are cars and trucks tested; trains are also tested for weaknesses in the spacious facility. The test vehicles can weigh more than 40 metric tons. Operations in Blainville have been running at a high pace ever since it's opening. At peak times, a crash test is performed every day. The preparation, including the simulation, is complex and often takes several hours or even days. Then the actual test over the track happens in just a few seconds. During the impact, over 200 sensors and cameras record hundreds of measured values and images. Some of the recording cameras are placed in an under floor pit at the site of the impact protected by a massive sheet of transparent acrylic material.

The renowned English-language publisher UKIP has been presenting this coveted award since 2006 to honor the excellent achievements of individual companies in the automotive field. The UKIP jury consists of automotive experts and experienced trade journalists representing various vehicle press media, who have access to an extensive professional knowledge base upon which to base their decisions.

Dierk Arp, CEO at MESSRING, is pleased about the acknowledgment: Above all, I see this award as recognition for the tremendous efforts of our entire team, which works hard in Munich and across the globe to install the most precise and sophisticated data acquisition and test systems. I would also like to thank PMG Technologies, which made it possible for us to have the opportunity to build this facility in the first place.

Alain Bussiores, President of PMG Technologies, is proud of the award: Working with MESSRING, to construct this unique state of the art crash test facility for Transport Canada has been an excellent experience. It is very satisfying to work with experts who share our commitment to optimal precision and high reproducibility of test results.

About MESSRING

MESSRING Systembau GmbH of Munich is the world's leading manufacturer of crash test systems and components. The mid-size company designs and builds turnkey test systems for customers in all relevant markets and on nearly all continents. To date, MESSRING has implemented over 90 large crash test systems for automotive OEMs, automotive suppliers, governmental authorities and insurance companies - more than any other company. In the process, the global market leader continues to astonish the field time and again with innovative advances and revolutionary new solutions, whether in system design, the actual measurement equipment, or in documentation and recording of individual tests.

For more information, go to www.messring.de

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