Glendale-based Johnson Controls Inc. has opened a new, industry-leading North American crash test facility at its automotive seating headquarters in Plymouth, Mich.
The 6,000-square-foot testing center includes a Seattle Safety ServoSled, a device that allows for highly accurate and standardized seat safety testing across the company’s global footprint. It also has testing facilities in Burscheid, Germany; Changchun and Shanghai, China; and Yokohama, Japan.
The lab meets strict governmental seat safety specifications and industry standards. The closed-loop system can be monitored in real time to evaluate seat behavior as testing occurs. Johnson Controls will use the equipment to perform high-precision tests to evaluate the stability and dynamic behavior of seat structures and the effectiveness of head restraints in preventing whiplash.
“The investment in this new North American crash test facility reinforces our commitment to innovation and technology as well as the safety of our products,” said Jeff Williams, group vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls Automotive Seating’s global Complete Seat and Supply Chain group. “There are only 44 ServoSleds worldwide and only 10 in the United States. Johnson Controls has one of the largest sled testing networks globally.”
