Vehicle & Product Solutions
Center of Gravity and Inertia Testing
S-E-A is a long-time leader in testing & safety and custom engineering solutions for the transportation and consumer products industries. Our Vehicle Inertia Measurement Facility (VIMF) is the premier, state-of-the-art system for measuring mass, center of gravity (CG), and inertia properties for a broad range of vehicle types. The S-E-A Vehicle Evaluation Center houses testing equipment that is relied upon by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to measure the Static Stability Factor (SSF) of all new model vehicles in the United States as part of the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
That same state-of-the-art equipment is available for use by clients who need the most accurate results possible. The equipment can measure overall mass, center of gravity, and the moments and products of inertia on anything from components up to large vehicles.
Types of Center of Gravity and Inertia Testing
Center of gravity and inertia measurements can be performed on new vehicles and equipment to predict how it will perform in different scenarios. Our facilities are large enough to test everything from individual components up to heavy machinery and military vehicles. The tests are computer controlled with database management capability and provide accurate feedback.
Commonly tested items include, but are not limited to, the following, and S-E-A is equipped to handle one-off cases for other items as well:
- Passenger vehicles
- Off-Road Vehicles (ATVs, ROVs & Golf Carts)
- Military vehicles
- Heavy trucks
- Engines and powertrains
- Wheels and tires
- Seat assemblies
- Recreational vehicles
Most of the items S-E-A tests in this manner are from the automotive and transportation industries because this information is most relevant to their specific needs. Inertia measurement of engines and powertrains can help determine the optimal location for engine mounts and reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH).
Center of Gravity and Inertia Testing Services
The Vehicle & Product Solutions team has the capability of conducting CG and inertia measurements for vehicles and components at S-E-A’s corporate headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.
Do you want to test your vehicle on the same equipment that the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA) uses for their New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) ratings? Contact [email protected] to see how we can help meet your testing needs.
Customized Equipment
S-E-A has provided CG and inertia equipment to the automotive industry for over 25 years. These machines have been installed at facilities all over the world, including the United States, Japan, Korea, China, and India.
In 1994, the S-E-A Vehicle & Product Solutions team built our first ever Vehicle Inertia Measurement Facility (VIMF), our acclaimed system for measuring vehicle mass, center of gravity, and inertia properties. We were proud to sell our first VIMF to Ford Motor Company then, and we are proud to supply them a new, state-of-the-art, larger capacity VIMF 27 years later.
Thank you to our friends at Ford for trusting the S-E-A Vehicle & Product Solutions team to help them preserve the design quality of their vehicles for years to come.
CG and Inertia Testing FAQ
Related Services
RELEVANT PAPERS
NHTSA: 2023 NCAP Rollover Stability Measurements Final Report
NHTSA: 2022 NCAP Rollover Stability Measurements Final Report
NHTSA: 2021 NCAP Rollover Stability Measurements Final Report
NHTSA: 2020 NCAP Rollover Stability Measurements Final Report
NHTSA: 2019 NCAP Rollover Stability Measurements Final Report
NHTSA: Measured Vehicle Inertial Parameters-NHTSA’s Data Through November 1998 1999-01-1336
NHTSA: Measured Vehicle Center-of-Gravity Locations - Including NHTSA's Data Through 2008 NCAP 2010-01-0086
NHTSA: "An Overview of a Vehicle Inertia Measurement Facility”, in 27th International Symposium on Automotive Technology and Automation, ISATA Paper 94SF034
NHTSA: The Design of a Vehicle Inertia Measurement Facility
NHTSA: Measured Vehicle Inertial Parameters - NHTSA’s Data through August 2020 2021-01-0970
NHTSA: Development of a Passenger Vehicle Seat Center-of-Gravity Measuring Device
How can we help?
S-E-A brings experience and expertise, coupled with the latest technology to our clients – contact us to find the right professionals and solutions for you.