SEAT - This is how car parts are put to the challenge 05.12.2017: Wheels, shock absorbers, seats and doors undergo extreme testing before a car is released on the market

    Wheels, shock absorbers, seats and doors undergo extreme testing before a car is released on the market


    The purpose of these tests is to verify the durability of every part, the safety of the car and that the body is leak proof



    Testing on prototypes can predict the wear and tear of materials in the most adverse weather conditions





On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Cristina Sales at the wheel of an adapted SEAT Leon



All assembled car parts undergo real torture: the doors get closed 30,000 times, seat cushions and backrests get brushed 20,000 times and each control button gets pressed 5,000 times. These are some examples of the most severe tests that a car has to pass before its future owner takes possession.




Most of these tests are carried out when the model is still a prototype. Others are performed on all production cars, immediately before they leave the factory. The goal is to guarantee the quality and reliability of the parts as well as of the car as a whole.




-Wheels that circle the globe four times: Around fifty engineers test the prototypes by driving more than 1,200,000 kilometres a year over extreme terrain, the equivalent of driving around the world four times. All the wheel parts have to resist the icy conditions of Russian roads as well as the scorching 50 degree heat of the Moroccan desert.





This is how car parts are put to the challenge



-3,000 km of gravel impacts: Hundreds of thousands of rock fragments strike the undercarriage of a car, the wheel arches or the bumpers during the development stage of a vehicle. The goal is to see how these parts withstand 3,000 kilometres of driving on uneven terrain.



-20,000 rubbing motions per seat: Getting in and out of the car 20,000 times in a row. These actions are reproduced by a machine which simulates the driver and passengers sitting on and rubbing against the fabric on the seat cushions and backrests. In addition, the seat backs are folded up to 20,000 times on each car model to check their durability.





    This machine simulates the rubbing motion on the seat fabric equivalent to entering and exiting the car 20,000 times in a row



    The seat backs are folded up to 20,000 times per model to check their durability



    50 engineers test the prototypes by driving more than 1,200,000 kilometres a year on extreme terrain



    The goal is to ensure that parts such as the air filter or the wheels resist icy Russian roads or the 50 degree heat of the Moroccan desert



    Withstanding a 2,500 litre downpour of water for 10 minutes, which gets recycled after each test, is one of the verifications performed on the more than 2,200 vehicles that leave the assembly line every day


    The buttons on the navigation screen, radio or air conditioning selector are tested by pressing them up to 5,000 times




-Up to 5,000 presses per button: Each button, dial and control mechanism has to convey a sensation of quality and precision to the touch. For this reason, the buttons on the navigator screen, radio and air conditioning selector are presses up to 5,000 times. The Haptics department, which studies all interactions involving touch, performs these tests three years before vehicles are launched.



-Closing doors 30,000 times per year: The sound made by the doors closing makes a lasting impression on a new car buyer. For this reason, 30,000 closing operations are performed to ensure that they make a soft click on every model, without rattling, conveying the sensation that they are tightly sealed.



Prototypes are driven for 3,000 km on uneven surfaces to verify that the undercarriage, wheel arches and bumpers resist gravel impacts





Prototypes are driven for 3,000 km on uneven surfaces to verify that the undercarriage, wheel arches and bumpers resist gravel impacts



-2,500 litres of monsoon rain: Another test that the more than 2,200 vehicles that come off the assembly line every day are put through is to withstand a 2,500 litre downpour of water, which is recycled every time, for ten minutes. Each car will pass this test when it is verified that the passenger compartment is thoroughly watertight.



-2 million kilometres of road testing: The goal of this test is to check the correct operation of the brake system and verify that it makes no annoying noises. This is the final test before the cars are delivered to the dealerships. The drivers who pose the final challenge to the cars cover a total of 2 million kilometres every year on a circuit with uneven surfaces and slopes, cobblestones and six different types of pavement.




Gemma Solà -  photos Seat