Function

To continuously improve the safety of all persons involved in road traffic (passengers, pedestrians, cyclists), further developments of safety systems are indispensable. Especially in the case of pyrotechnic objects, the safe function of the safety device is of outstanding interest.

Due to the extensive expertise in the field of damage analysis and airbag or airbag propellant field events and the modern testing facilities, workshops and laboratories, GWP is able to provide valuable contributions and findings for your new or further development already in the early stages of product development. In addition to established test procedures, e.g. according to OEM specifications or standards, own innovative tests can also be performed at GWP mbH in order to find the appropriate answer to the questions of the respective development.

Use and service life

The service life of occupant protection systems is a major concern in the design and procurement of devices - particularly those containing pyrotechnic formulations, such as airbag inflators, seatbelt pretensioners and actuators. Artificial aging, as provided for in current standards, provides an estimate of product life. However, it often reaches its limits when it comes to predicting the safe service life of pyrotechnic compositions. Complications in age prediction arise from the nontrivial chemical processes involved in the aging of propellant materials. The multitude of environmental influences and vehicle-dependent design differences require a multitude of assumptions and simplifications that lead to discrepancies between prediction and reality.

GWP is able to make well-founded statements on chemical compatibility, possible degradation and failure paths through targeted investigations tailored to the new development (e.g. propellant charge, gas generator design, etc.). This allows timely optimization of developments and elimination of failure paths at early stages - a benefit for manufacturers, OEMs and consumers!

GWP's expertise in simulating a wide range of environmental and disturbance influences is an advantage for customers when it comes to carrying out efficient simulations, obtaining reliable data and gaining sound knowledge from them.