Durability testing: ensuring the quality and durability of Custom Auto structural spare parts

I. Importance of durability testing
Custom Auto structural spare parts are usually used in key areas, such as frames, suspension systems, engine mounts, etc. These parts need to maintain their structural integrity and functional stability over long periods of use, and be able to withstand stress, temperature changes, and chemical corrosion in a variety of working environments. Without effective durability testing, products may be damaged, fatigued, deformed, or even cause car accidents during use. Durability testing is an important means to ensure that products meet safety, reliability, and durability standards.

The core goal of durability testing is to predict the performance of products in long-term use by simulating and accelerating the conditions in actual use. Through these tests, the quality of automotive structural spare parts can be verified to avoid customer complaints and market recalls caused by product defects.

II. Types of durability testing
Fatigue testing
Fatigue testing is a test method to detect how many cycles automotive structural spare parts can withstand under repeated loads. Automotive parts, such as frames, suspension systems, etc., experience multiple load changes during driving, especially on rough roads. Fatigue testing evaluates the durability of spare parts by simulating these repeated stress changes.

Specifically, fatigue testing focuses on the following aspects:
Number of load cycles: Testing how many cycles a spare part can withstand under a specified load change without breaking or performance degradation.
Stress concentration points: Analyzing areas where spare parts may break under stress to ensure that there are no potential defects in design and manufacturing.
Through fatigue testing, the service life of automotive structural spare parts in actual use can be predicted, and necessary improvements can be made.

High and low temperature testing
Automotive parts are often exposed to extreme temperature conditions, especially in cold or hot climates. High temperature testing evaluates the performance of spare parts under long-term high temperature by exposing them to high temperature environments, including material strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, etc. Low temperature testing simulates cold weather conditions and checks the brittleness, hardness and crack propagation behavior of spare parts at low temperatures.

These tests ensure that automotive structural spare parts can still maintain good mechanical properties and structural integrity under different climatic conditions.

Wet heat testing
Wet heat testing simulates the effects of corrosion, deformation and strength degradation that automotive structural spare parts may suffer under the combined effects of humidity and high temperature environments. Humidity and temperature have a particular effect on metal materials, which may accelerate oxidation and corrosion. Through wet heat testing, the corrosion resistance of spare parts in humid and high temperature environments can be tested.

Chemical corrosion testing
Automotive parts may be exposed to various chemicals during use, such as salt water, automotive paint, cleaning agents, etc. Chemical corrosion testing evaluates corrosion resistance, surface discoloration or material fatigue by exposing spare parts to these corrosive substances. This is essential to prevent corrosive damage to structural components and extend their service life.

Impact testing
Impact testing is used to simulate the ability of a car to withstand collisions, bumps or other unexpected events. Automotive structural spare parts are especially required to withstand large impact forces in a very short period of time without breaking. Impact testing can not only verify the strength and toughness of spare parts, but also determine their ability to protect car owners and passengers in extreme situations.

This test usually simulates actual collisions in unexpected events through acceleration instruments and impact tables to ensure the impact resistance of spare parts.

Environmental aging testing
Environmental aging testing aims to evaluate the durability of spare parts by simulating long-term exposure to factors such as air, sunlight, oxygen and water. UV rays, oxidation and other environmental factors accelerate the aging process of materials, which is particularly important for exposed parts. Environmental aging tests can evaluate the degradation of automotive structural spare parts that may occur in long-term use, such as surface color changes, material strength reduction, etc.

Vibration test
Vibration testing simulates the vibration and fluctuations generated by the car under different road conditions, especially structural parts such as chassis and suspension systems. These parts need to be able to resist the impact of road vibrations to avoid fatigue or cracking after long-term use. Vibration testing can reveal the durability of spare parts and possible failure modes.

3. How to conduct effective durability testing
Test plan formulation
Before conducting durability testing, it is necessary to first formulate a detailed test plan based on the functions, use environment and technical requirements of automotive structural spare parts. The test plan should include test standards, test conditions, test equipment, test time, etc. to ensure the comprehensiveness and representativeness of the test.

Standardized test procedures
When conducting tests, international or industry standards such as ISO 9001, SAE J1939, etc. should be followed to ensure that the test results are comparable and verifiable. Standardized test procedures can help ensure the reliability of test results and ensure that products meet market and regulatory requirements.

Data Collection and Analysis
During the durability test process, advanced sensors and data acquisition systems must be used to record data at each stage. This data can be used to analyze the performance of spare parts under different conditions and identify potential design defects or performance degradation trends. Through data analysis, the design of spare parts can be further optimized.

Simulation and Control of Test Environment
High-precision test equipment can simulate a variety of environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. In durability testing, it is crucial to control the test environment and ensure the stability of test conditions. Ensure that each test environment can accurately simulate the actual use scenario to obtain the most accurate test data.

Continuous Improvement
Durability testing is not only a tool to verify product quality, but also a process of continuous improvement. Any potential problems found during the test should be transformed into improvement measures to ensure that subsequent products can better meet customer needs.