Kistler involved in winter testing: expert support during test runs under extreme conditions

Kistler: In order to optimise processes inside an engine, it is extremely important to have a true picture of the actual running conditions. In addition to their work on the test stand, application engineers have to be able to carry out test runs with the help of a mobile and compatible combustion analysis system.

Kistler has therefore launched the new mobile combustion analysis system KiBox® To Go, which is specifically designed for use in vehicles. This enables all important combustion values to be accurately determined in real time. Many customers have already taken advantage of the offer to borrow and test the KiBox® for a few weeks.

However, how the KiBox® and the associated measuring systems could be used to the best advantage was demonstrated by Kistler experts during the winter test at the beginning of March at the Arctic Falls test ground, north of the polar circle. The extremely low temperatures during the tests placed high demands on people and equipment. It is difficult to correct wrongly laid cables at –30°C, and condensation is a constant problem for measuring equipment. The Kistler on-site service team enabled customers to quickly obtain and evaluate top-quality combustion data during the tests.

Background information about the test track

The Arctic Falls testing ground in Sweden is an excellently equipped, 200-hectare fenced-off site that can be hired to different car firms simultaneously. For the private operator of the testing ground, confidentiality and safety are the utmost priority. This promotes trust. In 5 separate workshops with associated offices, work and testing can be carried out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The testers can contact their development centre back home through a high-speed Internet connection. Circuits of various sizes, skid pans, handling tracks and bad road surfaces meet the needs of all vehicle developers. In particular, the 27 cold chambers (which go down to –40°C) enable engineers to carry on testing regard-less of the weather.

Kistler Group

Kistler’s core competence is the development, production and use of sensors for measuring pressure, force, torque and acceleration. Kistler’s know-how and electronic systems can be used to prepare measuring signals for use in analyzing physical processes, controlling and optimizing industrial processes, improving product quality in manufacturing and improving performance in sports and rehabilitation.

Kistler offers a comprehensive range of sensors and systems for engine development, automotive engineering, plastics and metal processing, installation technology and biomechanics.

A worldwide sales presence in the form of 25 group companies and 30 distributors ensures customer proximity, application support on an individual level and short lead times.

With a staff of about 1 000, the Kistler Group is one of the world’s leading providers of dynamic measuring instrumentation. The Kistler Group achieved turnover of 166 million Swiss Francs in the 2009 financial year.