ESI Group’s BioRID-II dummy for PAM-CRASH 2G minimises whiplash

ESI Group (ESIN FR0004110310), a leading provider of digital simulation software based on the physics of materials, has announced the release of Version 2.0 of its BioRID-II biofidelic dummy for PAM-CRASH/PAM-SAFE 2G. Using BioRID-II with PAM-CRASH/PAM-SAFE 2G makes it possible to simulate, with accuracy, the acceleration, force and kinematics of a car occupant, in order to minimise the whiplash injuries which can occur during a rear crash.

[ClickPress, Wed Oct 31 2007] “This finite element (FE) dummy model brings a leading-edge advantage to the design and optimisation of car seats so as to improve protection from whiplash injuries and, therefore, meet the challenge of the sixth star at EuroNCAP. By using BioRID-II dummies, car manufacturers can enhance seats’ frame structure so that they absorb more energy and reduce rebound effects, which is decisive in ensuring the safety of car occupants during a crash,” says Peter Ullrich, Crash Safety & Impact Product Manager at ESI Group.

This first industrial version of the latest BioRID-II dummy has an articulated thoracic/lumbar spine similar to a human spine (24 vertebrae). The neck is maintained under pretension load via a muscle substitute, which consists of a single damper mounted in parallel with a flexor and an extensor spring. The abdomen is filled with a water cavity and the torso texture is soft silicon rubber.

The BioRID-II dummy model was validated on a series of component tests over the torso, head, neck and spine assemblies and on sled tests. The sled tests were performed for three representative pulses on a test device with a deformable back rest calibrated so as to reproduce the behaviour of typical car seats.

Whiplash hurls the head violently backwards (hyperextension) and forwards (hyperflexion). The injury is even worse when the neck is turned to the side at the time of the accident. Whiplash is the most common cause of injuries in car crashes. One in every seven whiplash victims will still suffer significant pain more than three years after the original accident. These kind of injuries are associated with serious medical consequences (damage to intervertebral joints, discs and ligaments, cervical muscles and nerves) as well as significant costs to society. Claims resulting from whiplash injuries amount to €500 million each year in Germany alone (GDV, German Insurances Report, 2004/2005). Reducing these numbers is a challenge for all engineers involved in improving the safety of car passengers.

This FE model was developed by a FAT (German Association for Automotive Research) Project in cooperation with German car manufacturers (Audi, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Karmann, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen), seat manufacturers (Hammerstein, Johnson Controls and Keiper), and Denton COE, the manufacturer of the hardware dummy.

PAM-CRASH 2G, the virtual testing solution for crash and safety professionals, comprises three main components. Firstly, a solver offers state-of-the-art physics-based models for crash and other impact problems – its key capabilities include advanced material models, coupling with manufacturing process simulation, a mesh-free CFD method for airbag modelling, and a highly scalable parallel solution. Secondly, the Visual Environment portfolio is a suite of highly productive CAE process automation products. Finally, there are validated compute models, including crash test dummies, impactors, barriers, and a unique family of human body models (HBM – used to simulate the potential discharge when a human touches an electronic device and characterise the susceptibility of an electronic device to damage from electrostatic discharge).

About ESI Group

ESI Group is a pioneer and world-leading supplier of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. ESI Group has developed an entire suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications to simulate a product’s behaviour realistically during testing, to fine-tune the manufacturing processes in accordance with the desired product performance, and to evaluate the environment’s impact on product usage.

ESI Group’s products, which have a proven track record in manufacturing and have been combined in multi-trade value chains, represent a unique collaborative, virtual engineering solution, known as the Virtual Try-Out Space (VTOS), enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous manner. By drastically reducing costs and development lead times, VTOS solutions offer major competitive advantages and make it possible to eliminate gradually the need for physical prototypes. This integrated protocol allows all the company’s solutions to work with each other and with applications developed by independent software vendors. By significantly reducing costs and development lead times and enabling product/process synergies, VTOS solutions progressively eliminate the need for physical prototypes during product development, thus offering major competitive advantages.

ESI Group is listed on the Eurolist compartment C of Euronext Paris, and generated sales of €66m in 2006. The company employs over 600 high-level specialists worldwide, and covers more than 30 countries.

Virtual Try-Out Space® and VTOS® are registered trademarks of ESI Group. All other products, names and companies mentioned in this press release are brands, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

For further information, please go to: www.esi-group.com


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