“It’s very simple – we don’t put our name to a part we don’t believe in, and nothing leaves any of our manufacturing facilities until it has been tested to the extreme both in the laboratory and out on the road,” says TRW expert, Peter Jobelius
“TRW believes very strongly in the quality of its parts. In order to have full confidence that we are supplying the best quality, we extensively test our products with some of the most advanced test equipment in the world. We are also extremely lucky to have the full support of our OE colleagues, whose products have to perform to the highest standards. As such, we know that if they say it works, it works!”
Here, Peter explains some of TRW’s testing procedures.
The Alpine test: TRW engineers use an intensive Alpine test on a mountain road in Austria. This track is also used by Vehicle Manufacturers. TRW has three cars set up to perform this test, at a cost of over US$20,000 per vehicle. Friction material, discs and brake fluid boiling points are exhaustively tested. Various types of test are conducted:
- Slow: 13.6km, 46 min, without gear downhill
- Fast: 13.6km, 15 min, 4th/5th gear downhill
- 26 minute Mountainous Descent Test
This really pushes the brakes to the limit and TRW will not release a friction material until it consistently passes this test.
Road Track tests are also run, using equipment that not only tests the individual part but also its performance within the braking system as a whole.
Data logger: is for the recording of measurement data
Driver Display: shows pressure, pedal travel, temperatures (discs/pads), deceleration
Temperature sensors: temperatures measured in discs/ pads/ brake fluid (measures from -200°C to 1000°C)
Valves: switch off rear/ front axles to measure the performance on one axle
Steering and suspension parts also undergo rigorous testing, to ensure their ability to withstand everything that the road, and driver, throws at them. Parts are tested individually as well as part of an axle. TRW owns a laboratory, which runs an advanced test rig – the parts are ‘stressed’ thousands of times to check how they withstand pressures from all angles.
“At TRW Aftermarket, we use OE standards as our own and are happy with nothing less. The safety of the person driving the vehicle to which our parts are fitted is at the top of our agenda at all times. You can trust that we don’t take any chances with your safety.”