Hyundai engineers accelerate durability testing 100 times to ensure quality

The Hyundai Motor Company MSV Durability Test Team uses an accelerated evaluation model to reproduce damage to vehicle chassis and body parts up to 100 times faster than actual customer usage. Researcher Bae Sang-hun is currently focusing on improving durability performance for flagship vehicles to compete in the Indian market.

Before a new car is delivered to a customer, there is a process where the vehicle experiences and endures the harsh environments it will face on the road for several years. The Hyundai Motor Company MSV Durability Test Team builds brand reliability by verifying vehicle performance and quality under conditions much harsher than actual road environments.

According to a job introduction video released by HYUNDAI, the MSV Durability Test Team performs the role of optimizing the durability performance of new MSV models to secure market competitiveness. In particular, researcher Bae Sang-hun stated that he is focusing on securing product competitiveness and improving profitability by managing the durability performance development of flagship vehicles for the increasingly competitive Indian market. Recently, he has also been attempting to integrate generative AI into practical work to increase operational efficiency.

Beyond simple lifespan, the core is quantitative prediction of 'damage mechanisms'

While 'durability' is generally thought of as how long a vehicle can last, the definition of durability quality handled by engineers is much more specific. Bae Sang-hun defined durability quality as a combination of three indicators. First is identifying different damage mechanisms such as fatigue, wear, corrosion, and degradation for each part, and quantitatively predicting how many cycles or years they can withstand under various environmental and load conditions.

Second is the stage of verifying how well core product qualities, such as RnH (Ride and Handling) or MbH (Motion and Braking Handling), are maintained over time. The last is the 'precise simulation of actual customer usage environments,' which serves as the premise for all these evaluations. In other words, the essence of this role is the comprehensive verification of three pillars: quantitative prediction of damage mechanisms, maintenance of product quality, and the reliability of the evaluation, moving beyond simple lifespan.

Replicating customer environments 100 times faster using potholes and Belgian roads

One of the core technologies of durability testing is the 'accelerated evaluation model' that compressively reproduces actual road environments. The video explains a method of combining harsh road conditions, such as potholes or Belgian roads, to implement damage that would occur over several years in the field within a short driving distance. Damage applied to parts constituting the basic skeleton of the vehicle, such as the chassis or body, can be reproduced by accelerating it up to approximately 100 times compared to actual customer usage conditions.

The sophistication of such an accelerated evaluation model is directly linked to development efficiency. This is because the earlier a problem is discovered during the development stage, the exponentially more the cost and time invested in design changes can be reduced. Therefore, how accurately actual customer conditions are reflected becomes a key factor in catching both quality and cost.

Goal to grow into an engineer with data analysis capabilities

Durability evaluation engineers are required to have expertise covering a vast range of knowledge and the tenacity to dig into problems until the end. Since the entire vehicle system must be evaluated, firm expertise to make engineering judgments is essential, and it is important to be proactive in analyzing root causes and communicating with related departments to find solutions when facing difficult problems.

“Durability evaluation may be an area that is not easily visible, but it is the work of creating the trust that allows customers to drive with peace of mind from the moment they take the car until many years later,” Bae Sang-hun said, expressing pride. He predicted that the automotive industry will change rapidly with the advancement of AI and virtual verification technologies, and expressed his ambition to grow into an engineer who precisely connects the field and the durability evaluation process by developing data analysis capabilities.

Source: original video (YouTube)