How reliably do vehicle access systems perform in extreme cold, heat, or high humidity? How do mechanical stresses affect the interaction between individual components? WITTE’s newly established testing area at its Wülfrath site now provides additional capabilities to answer these questions.
Testing Complete Vehicles Under Extreme Conditions
At the heart of the approximately 450-square-meter testing area is a drive-in climate chamber with a volume of 76 cubic meters. The chamber accommodates complete vehicles, including vans and commercial delivery vehicles.
WITTE products can be tested for reliable performance under demanding conditions, with temperatures ranging from -40°C to +80°C and humidity levels of up to 95%. Tests can also account for different vehicle inclinations.
The key advantage: Testing systems directly in a complete vehicle makes it possible to examine how mechanical components, different materials, and vehicle electronics interact. This provides valuable insights that cannot be gained by testing individual components in isolation.
Extensive Testing Capabilities for the Entire WITTE Group
In addition to the large vehicle climate chamber, the facility features three smaller climate chambers with capacities of 340 and 600 liters. Up to eight endurance test rigs can operate simultaneously.
The testing facilities support products from across the WITTE Group. Regular testing helps ensure the long-term performance and reliability of our vehicle access systems.
Strengthening Wülfrath as a Center of Expertise
The new testing area was established within existing facilities, with planning and implementation carried out primarily by WITTE’s own specialists. Alongside stamping technology, testing is now becoming another core competency at the Wülfrath site.
“With the new testing area, we are strategically strengthening Wülfrath as a technology and competence center within our Group. We are preserving valuable technological expertise in Germany while creating added value for the entire WITTE Group,” says Rainer Gölz, CEO of WITTE Automotive. “Especially in today’s challenging market environment, it is essential that we continue to build on our technological strengths.”