As a partner who supports the safety of automobiles. An engineer of ARC talks about the importance of collision experiments of automobiles

What if I had a collision accident now, ... If you are a driver, you probably have considered it at least once. Aioi Nissay Dowa Automobile Research Center (ARC), which provides a wide range of services to automobile agents and dealers with its accumulated knowledge of automobile repair, has a department that conducts collision experiments of automobiles. The department measures the impact on the passenger and automobile at the time of collision using products of Kyowa Electronic Instruments (Kyowa). In this feature article, we interviewed Ms. Aki Sugiyama, Chief Researcher of Test Laboratory that conducts collision experiments. She told us about her challenging tasks with a twinkle in her eyes, the relationship with Kyowa, and the future prospect of the company that will soon celebrate its 30th year in business.

Supporting automobile manufacturers with data to ensure the safety of automobiles

Tell me about the business details of ARC, and the task that you are primarily responsible for.

Our company provides technical training related to automobiles and consultation on maintenance services, and also conducts experiments and research. More specifically, the company has a department that provides training for automobile agents and dealers, a department that provides advice on automobile maintenance, and the Experiment Research Department, which includes the Experiment Group that I belong to. The task of the group is to conduct automobile collision experiments in response to requests from automobile manufacturers and to provide reports on experiment results.

What do you actually do in a collision experiment?

We measure the deformation made by an experiment and the impact wave generated by a collision. Through an experiment, we find the level of impact that the automobile can endure and the amount of deformation caused by the impact. Automobile manufacturers often order a collision experiment of a new model before the completion of development. So, we are helping them to ensure safety, so to speak.

Do you sometimes get involved in the improvement of an automobile body based on the measurement result?

We are not directly involved, but the research group sometimes provides technological advices. Our mission is to obtain data on automobiles provided by manufactures. We do not know details on how the data is used because it is the responsibility of automobile manufacturers. They sometimes change the shape and structure of the body based on the obtained data.

Your job is important to provide safe automobiles to the public. In your job, how do you use products of Kyowa?

In a collision experiment, we install meters called "acceleration meters" at many points of the subject automobile and obtain data by an in-vehicle device called "data logger." We use products of Kyowa as these meters and devices. We install about 20 acceleration meters for a collision experiment mainly under the hood. To measure the force exerted on the passenger and on the hood, we also set a dummy sitting on the passenger seat.

Tell me about how your company decided to use products of Kyowa.

A major automobile manufacturer that we have been dealing with was using products of Kyowa. I think our company decided to use products of Kyowa because otherwise there would be inconsistency in the accuracy of the obtained data. It is 12 years since I joined ARC, and as for data loggers, I have almost only used products of Kyowa.

Kyowa' products that evolve with the needs of clients

What relationship do you have with Kyowa other than using its products?

We feel free to consult the person in charge about anything that we need. In our job, once we decide the date of a collision experiment, we seldom change the schedule. It is because of the due date for submitting the data to the automobile manufacturer. Therefore, if there is any problem with a meter, we must take quick action. When we consult Kyowa by phone, they instantly provide an answer, or if it is difficult to solve it on the phone, a technician will soon visit us. These quick responses help us a lot.

We often had problems with meters in environments that have static electricity, but now the consultation of Kyowa has improved it greatly. We have not experienced a static electricity problem in the last five or six years.

So, products of Kyowa are evolving rapidly.

I myself feel their evolution. For example, the data logger was about 20 kg, so that it was difficult for a female member to carry it alone. A company rule stipulated that an object of 20 kg or heavier must not be carried by one person. So, it required two persons just to carry it. Now, the data logger is so small and light that I can carry it by one hand. I think, if we speak of a small problem tentatively about a product that we use, they take it seriously.

The same applies to the software that we run on computers. If we make a requirement, they will soon reflect it with frequent version updates. In the past, the software was not easy to use with many operation steps. But now, it has been improved to an easy-to-use software where even a new employee can obtain data smoothly.

Collision experiment is a one-time chance. A challenging but rewarding task that does not tolerate a mistake

How often do you conduct collision experiments?

One or two experiments a day in a busy period. I feel pain in the stomach during a busy period because we make collision every day. After a collision, if I found that I had forgotten to turn on the meter, I might faint away with the shock. For a collision experiment, we use an automobile that is built during the development stage. It takes more time and labor to build such an automobile than ordinary ones, and we cannot obtain the same one forever. We can never fail in the experiment. So, when the countdown starts five seconds before collision, I always pray in my mind.

You are facing the pressure every time.

Yes. It might be easy to say "We could not get data due to a problem of the sensor," but then the person in charge of the automobile manufacturer gets in trouble. So, I do my best to avoid such a situation. The job involves many challenging things, but I feel it is worth the effort.

Next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the company. The company is looking forward to take on new challenges with Kyowa

You look very lively and it is charming. What part of your current job do you feel rewarding?

Of course, I am aware that my job concerns the safety and security of automobiles, and I am acutely reminded of that in some occasions. When I see a car accident, I consider many things such as "Did the air bag work properly?" or "What was the angle and speed of the collision." When I relate such an accident with collision experiments that I do every day, I remember that my job concerns human lives and feel myself straightening up.

Finally, tell me about the future vision of your company and the relationship with Kyowa.

We want to tackle a new thing in addition to collision experiments. We are considering colliding objects other than automobiles. As a new business, our company started a drone school last year. It is unexpectedly well received although not very related to Automobile Laboratory. I think our company is growing steadily, and will mark the 30th anniversary next year. I would like to take on various challenges toward the anniversary.

I often talk with the person in charge of Kyowa about new collaboration that we want to start when Kyowa develops a new product or when we start collision experiments of something different from automobiles. Of course, support from Kyowa continues to be essential for automobile collision experiments. We contribute to the safety of automobiles through collision experiments, and Kyowa supports our collision experiments. We cannot conduct our business without Kyowa, and I hope that we continue collaborate with Kyowa as a good partner to move forward together.