Damper NVH Testing

Determine the noises and vibrations created by dampers in real-world use cases and assess their impact on vehicle occupants.

Damper NVH testing identifies and quantifies the sounds and vibrations generated by dampers, helping engineers ensure that ride quality meets vehicle and occupant expectations. OEMs, tier-one suppliers, and R&D labs perform these tests to detect resonance, friction noise, and other vibration sources early in development. By isolating dampers in a controlled laboratory environment, engineers can analyze performance under precise motion and force inputs, enabling targeted improvements that enhance vehicle comfort, reduce warranty issues, and support accurate model correlation.

Test Methods
Damper NVH testing methods replicate forces and motions encountered during real-world operation. Engineers apply sinusoidal sweeps, random vibration profiles, and multiaxial force inputs to measure damper responses. Road-load simulations and variable-speed displacement inputs reproduce transient conditions, capturing both structure-borne and airborne noise components. Multi-channel sensors measure damper force, stroke, and vibration to isolate NVH sources. Frequency response, coherence, and modal analysis techniques are used to quantify performance. Test setups allow for the evaluation of both linear and non-linear damper behaviors under controlled temperature, preload, and lubrication conditions. By systematically correlating laboratory measurements with vehicle-level behavior, engineers can optimize damping characteristics and NVH performance, reducing on-road testing and improving product quality.

Test Results
NVH test data allow engineers to identify the sources of undesirable noise and vibration in dampers, enabling design adjustments before full-vehicle integration. OEMs, R&D labs, and suppliers use these results to validate damper design, improve occupant comfort, and ensure consistent product quality across production vehicles.

MTS Product Solutions
MTS provides a complete damper NVH testing portfolio. FlexTest® Controllers deliver precise multi-channel actuation for accurate force, displacement, and vibration input. Damper NVH Test Systems replicate real-world loading to evaluate structure-borne and airborne noise in a laboratory environment. MTS Damper Software automates test control, acquisition, and analysis, ensuring repeatable results, enabling rapid NVH diagnosis, and supporting faster correlation to vehicle-level performance.

  • FlexTest Controllers provide high-precision, multi-channel control of actuators, enabling repeatable motion, force, and vibration inputs to damper specimens for accurate NVH testing and correlation to vehicle-level behavior.
  • The electric Model 853 Damper NVH Test System applies controlled force, displacement, and vibration inputs to dampers, capturing structure-borne and airborne noise. Engineers analyze modal, frequency response, and coherence data to identify and mitigate NVH issues effectively.
  • MTS Damper Software automates NVH testing, acquisition, and analysis, ensuring repeatable results. It enables real-time feedback on damper noise and vibration, helping engineers optimize damping characteristics and achieve reliable vehicle-level NVH performance.

Product Solutions for this Application

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