Laba7 is bringing its Electromagnetic Actuator Test System (EMA) to Automotive Testing Expo Europe. The system is primarily used for vehicle damper testing, but also has applications wherever damping is involved.

The company will introduce two features to improve real-life simulation capabilities. The first of these is Free-Fall Testing. Suspension testing follows a defined motion profile and measures forces generated by dampers. It doesn’t show what happens when a damper is compressed and allowed to return under its own force. Understanding this behavior is critical because the purpose of a suspension is to keep wheels in controlled contact with the surface. Engineers can now measure how rebound damping changes the return curve and how spring stiffness affects the motion, and adjust accordingly.

The second new feature is Torque-Based Testing. Most tests are position-based along a defined motion and measure forces generated by dampers. They don’t always reflect how suspension behaves in reality, where it reacts to load rather than not motion. Potholes and bumps create a force that causes movement. Instead of displacement, the system commands force overtime and measures how the damper moves in response. The result is a more realistic view of suspension behavior, so engineers can reproduce estimated real-world loads in a controlled, repeatable environment.

Booth 1664