Testing in India

8/7/2019 Testing in India

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TESTING IN INDIA

Automotive Testing Technology International June 2009042


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TESTING IN INDIA

For car companies in India, vehicle testing is all about

thinking big without losing sight of the details

Words By Nick kurczeWski

Automotive Testing Technology International June 2009 04


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Indias car makers are well aware of the notionthat you have only one chance to make a firstimpression, and theyre determined to make it a

good one when they launch their products in westernmarkets. Indeed, companies such as Tata Motors andMahindra & Mahindra subject their domestic vehicles totesting standards that meet and sometimes exceed levels

in the West. Gruelling test tracks, extreme temperatures, anoccasional cow or camel in the road, and even technicalinput from former Formula 1 drivers now goes into testingand refining the cars and trucks built in this country ofmore than 1.1 billion people.

As Indias largest vehicle manufacturer also the ownerof the Jaguar and Land Rover brands Tata Motors couldnever be accused of being short on ambition. Sales of thecompanys ultra-low-cost Nano city car have begun in India.In its base form, the no-fri lls Nano retails for a mere 1,300(US$1,960), though European sales of a more powerful andluxurious version are planned by 2011. Ratan Tata, chairmanof the Tata Group and also CEO of Tata Motors, has evenpromised that a US version will follow the launch of theEuropean-spec model.

In the quest to keep costs down without sacrificing

quality, the steel platform of the Nano was pared down tothe bare essentials through extensive CAD/CAM work. Atthe moment, there is no separate opening for the luggagecompartment. Tata engineers say that adding a hatchbackwould have upped the cost, weight, and complexity of thecar. High-strength steel and various reinforcements thatcome with adding a boot opening meant the idea wasdropped in the design phase a lthough engineers confirmthat a hatchback is being engineered for future models.

Mahindra & Mahindra, a company that specializes inrugged all-terrain vehicles that are the complete opposite ofthe tiny 35bhp Nano, plans on arriving in the USA as earlyas by the end of this year. The Mumbai-based company ishedging its bets that US consumers still have a hefty appetitefor sport utility vehicles, as long as value and fuel economynow come along for the ride.

The Mahindra Scorpio SUV and pickup arrive in theUSA powered by diesel motors said to be capable ofdelivering 30mpg (12.75km/liter). The trucks have beentested around the world, from the urban sprawl of India tothe highways of the USA. This global testing regime, andthe resultant real-world usage profile (RWUP), has helpedto influence everything from the US-spec models fueleconomy and dashboard layout, to small details such as thesize of the cup holders.

TESTING IN INDIA

Ratio-Test

Test cylinder


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ABOVE AND LEFT:

Indias safety and

emissions regulations

are several years

behind current

requirements in

western markets, butexport considerations

are upping the ante

for Indian vehicle

manufacturers

TESTING IN INDIA

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Why:

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duction of the operating costs.

direct influence on the productivity.

Clive Hickman, managing director of Tata Motors (UK-based) European Technical Centre and head of engineeringfor Tata Motors, explains that any engineering activ ity mustfirst begin with a careful feasibility assessment.

This assessment is in the form of production feasibility

and engineering feasibility, says Hickman. The feasibilityis determined through extensive mathematical modeling[CAE and CAM].

Sometimes simple common sense can play an equallyimportant factor, as evidenced during the Nano development.Plans for a three-door model were axed, despite studies thatfound that Indian dr ivers rarely used the left-side passengerdoor. The reason was simply that customers are less likely topurchase an odd-looking car, no matter how low its price.

Hickman says that, back in the lab, Tatas modeling takeinto consideration a long list of factors, such as performancdurability, structural integrity problems, metal formingand production process confirmation.

Once we are satisfied that the concept is feasible, w

undertake detailed product design and CAE work for acomponents, systems, and the whole vehicle, says HickmanOur objective is to produce a vehicle in 3D form and tassess all features of the vehicle numerically before we makany prototypes. Prototypes are made for validation purposerather than development, although inevitably, as with ouEuropean competitors, some iterative work is necessary.

Being a relative newcomer to automobiles Tatas firscar, the Indica, went on sale in 1998 can also be an asse

Once we are satisfiedthat the concept is

feasible, we undertakedetailed product designand CAE of allcomponents, systems,and the whole vehicle


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Tata Motors has invested in all of the key facilities thatone would expect any major European vehicle manufacturerto have, says Hickman. Many are state-of-the-art and,because they are recent investments, are more advancedthan in the European OEMs for example, our kinematicsand compliance facility is used extensively for quasi-dynamic suspension geometry development.

Despite Indias safety and emissions regulations beingseveral years behind current requirements in westernmarkets, driving conditions in India can present their owntechnical challenges because of Indias road conditions.

Some of our testing is done to a standard that is greaterthan in some other countries, says David Hudson, head ofNVH for Tata Motors.

Situated alongside its high-speed testing facility locatedin Pimpri (roughly 100km southeast of Mumbai) is whatHudson refers to as Tata Motors torture track. Full oftreacherous potholes and severe cross-ridges, Hudson saysthe extreme nature of the track can shock first-time visitors.When representatives of Jaguar and Land Rover arrived, hesays, They were quite horrif ied by the scale of the track andthe inputs put into the vehicle.

Tata Motors exports its vehicles to selected markets in

TESTING IN INDIA

Automotive Testing Technology International June 2009046

Europe (currently Poland, Ita ly, and Spain), so the companyuses proving grounds in Europe and South Africa tosimulate conditions in those and other export markets.

We also use cold climate facilities in Scandinavia, saysHickman, adding that, although Tata Motors conducts a lotof testing on public roads, It is not high-speed dynamicevaluation, but rather is limited to just low-speed durability

confirmation work.This doesnt preclude the company from seeking the

advice of an expert in high-speed driving heroics. Fromtime to time, former Formula 1 hot-shoe Narain Karthikeyanis called upon by Tata Motors to evaluate a new vehicle andprovide his driving feedback.

As well as this F1 connection, there is of course theluxury nameplate link. However, There is no plan at thistime to have a crossover between Tata Motors and JaguarLand Rover test programs, says Hickman. Tata establishedits own European Technical Centre in 2005, which providesdesign and development input for both domestic andinternational markets for Tata. It is fair to say, though, thatJaguar Land Rover and Tata Motors do use the same facilitiesoccasionally. For example, both companies use the facilitiesat MIRA and other independent test houses.

ABOVE: Not a

careless test driver,

but a water ingress

test being carried out

LEFT: A Tata Indica

undergoing crash

test evaluation

BELOW: Tatas torture

track in Pimpri has

some features so

severe they shocked

Land Rover


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TESTING IN INDIA

Having manufactured SUVs since the late-1940s,Mahindra & Mahindra has spent many decades developingits own rigorous methods of testing and development work.Sanjeev Mohoni, vice president of international products forMahindra & Mahindra, even details the acronym assignedto the process.

During project evolution various levels of prototypes

are tested, such as engineering prototypes and verificationprototypes, as per our proprietary Mahindra ProductDevelopment Process (MPDS), says Mohoni. In addit ion toour own facilities, and facilities available within India, testlaboratories all around the world are used for differentprocedures. We test in the USA, Italy, Spain, Germany, andSouth Africa.

One of the most difficult aspects of any new vehicleprogram is the fine-tuning required by doing the RWUP(real-world usage profile), he continues, wherein variouscountry-specific demands, homologation requirements,and environmental conditions need to be simulated andthen designed for. The vehicles are then tested in thecountries where theyll be sold.

At present, Mahindra exports vehicles to Eurasia, Africa,and South America, and has assembly plants in Brazil and

Egypt. The company is also in a joint venture with Frenchcar maker Renault Mahindra builds and also markets theFrench companys Logan sedan model. In India, Mahindra just introduced its first crossover vehicle, the seven-passenger Xylo. Mohoni maintains that, despite breakingaway from go-anywhere 4x4s, the companys testingprinciples have remained the same.

LEFT: A Tata

undergoing a slope

test at another secti

of the Pimpri test

facility near Mumba

LEFT: The headline-

grabbing Nano will

have to be well-

developed if it is to

sell beyond India into

Europe and the US


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TESTING IN INDIA

Technology partners such as Lotus, Bosch, Lear, andseveral others have contributed to the development andtesting of their respective systems in countries such as theUK, Australia, Germany, and Spain, says Mohoni.

Meanwhile, some of the worlds leading automotivemanufacturers are using India as a proving ground to fine-tune their own products. General Motors India tests its

prototypes and early production vehicles to ensure in-

Testing at its Best

ATP

Automotive Testing Papenburg GmbH

Johann-Bunte-Strae 176

26871 Papenburg

Germany

Tel.: ++49(0)49 61/ 975-315

Fax: ++49(0)49 61/ 975-453

www.atp-papenburg.de

These are the unique advantages

that Testing Technology International

magazine testified.

The result: The first five star rating

for a proving ground.

Test (with) us!

because we have

very steep and fast curves

extremely long and wide straights

and many sophisticated tracks

as well as

competent and hospitable staff a great service

and the highest possible safety standards

country performance requirements are met, according toP. Balendran, GM Indias vice president of corporate affairs.

Although GMs vehicles are built to meet all internationalstandards, the extra fine-tuning can bring some subtleimprovements.

The changes are often small, and most consumers wouldprobably never notice things such as the fitment of heavier-

duty suspension components, or the availability of differentfabrics and trim to better appeal to local tastes. Balendransays that GM Indias on-road testing is done across thecountry, in order to capture a larger bandwidth of customerexperience and expectations. However, he admits that theunexpected can sometimes happen or even amble acrossthe road.

On the fun side, we do encounter cows, buffalo, camels,and some smaller animals that want to take a closer look atour beautiful vehicles, comments Balendran. But we havebeen lucky in all cases not to cause any harm to the natureand habitat.

Our engineers enjoy driving across Indias diverselandscape from the mountains and snow in the North tothe desert in the West, and traffic in the southern cities suchas Bangalore and Chennai.

On the fun side,

we do encounter

cows, buffalo,

camels, and some

smaller animals that

want to take a

closer look at our

beautiful vehicles

RIGHT: A Logan

sedans wet handling

characteristics being

put to the test

ABOVE AND LEFT:

GM products such

as the Optra and

Captiva are fine-tuned

to local requirements,with features such as

tougher suspensions


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Testing in India