The Composite Test Procedure (“CTP”) has been under discussion for about four years as an alternative to the lateral Full-Scale Test (“FST”). In 1988 the European car manufacturers represented by the CCMC decided to promote this alternative method. This approach was then also supported by American and Japanese car manufacturers and is now being developed in a joint effort by ACEA, the new association of European car manufacturers, JAMA and MVMA. Proposals for an ISO Standard and a Draft Directive for the United Nations Economic and Social Council have been formulated for the CTP. Within its working party, WP 29, it was decided to set up an ad hoc group demonstrating the equivalence of the CTP and FST. A work program has been defined and will be started this year.

The new approach in automotive compliance testing consists of the combination of quasi-static testing and calculation, thus providing dynamic outputs like the FST, but in laboratory conditions. This kind of approach may be the first step towards future compliance testing. In general the CTP provides a variety of advantages when compared with FST.

The CCMC and JAMA approaches initially consisted of a step-by-step procedure with one body interior loading device. During the new computer-controlled CTP (“CC-CTP”) test with independent thoracic and pelvic loading devices, a personal computer controls the motion of test rig cylinders to measure the force/deflection characteristics of the front and side structure and the interior door padding. These characteristics are used to compute the dynamic event, occupant and vehicle loads of the simulated lateral FST.

In order to evaluate these loads, a mathematical model of the colliding vehicles and of the occupant was developed in a first step for the US-SID and EUROSID. In a second step, data required for the modelization of the human being will be collected.

To perform CTP tests, a test rig has been developed which consists of mechanical equipment, actuators, hydraulic supply system, digital and analog electronics. Any barrier can be used as an exterior loading device. The shape of the interior loading devices is related to the simulated occupant.

The first results demonstrate that the CC-CTP can be seen as an alternative to PST with good repeatability and low cost.