Utilizing virtual vibration tests to optimize physical endurance tests

Physical tests are performed at various stages of the development cycle of a product, from prototype validation to product qualification. Although costly, there are growing demands for qualification tests like endurance vibration testing to be more representative of the real world. At the same time there are growing demands to assess the durability of these items based on FEA simulation. In this paper, we will explain how to set up a CAE-based test and how to correlate the results with some physical measurements. Specific assumptions will be explained and some advantages of using virtual tests will be highlighted such as the reduction of the number of prototypes needed, investigations on failures, evaluation of the level of reliability via sensitivity analysis, evaluation of the margins are at the end of a successful test. This presentation will therefore focus on explaining and showing how virtual tests can enrich the exploitation of physical tests.