Italian manufacturer AMS provides safety by using honeycomb panels

Italian road safety firm Industry AMS has developed and patented high efficiency energy absorption systems provided with special metallic honeycomb panels. The SMA Crash Cushion was certified to the European Standard EN1317. It also tested successively against the US standard NCHRP in a frontal impact with a pickup truck provided with an anthropomorphic traffic device - and obtained the best Euro NCAP score.
May 6, 2016 Read time: 3 mins

Italian road safety firm Industry AMS has developed and patented high efficiency energy absorption systems provided with special metallic honeycomb panels.

The SMA Crash Cushion was certified to the European Standard EN1317. It also tested successively against the US standard NCHRP in a frontal impact with a pickup truck provided with an anthropomorphic traffic device - and obtained the best Euro NCAP score.

According to 7403 Industry AMS, the efficiency is guaranteed by high-tenacity steel which permits absorption through plastic deformation of the hexagonal cells of the impacting systems. On the basis of such honeycomb absorbing system, Industry AMS srl has developed a Crash Cushion Family (parallels and wide) certified according to EN1317, for the speed classes of 50, 80, 100 and 110km/h.

The use of a honeycomb absorbing system produces almost uniform absorption of energy during the entire crash cushion deformation. This prevents force peaks and consequent deceleration peaks, which are common in discontinuous energy absorption systems.

The company says that the energy absorption system is so efficient that it has been considered appropriate to prove the compliance of SMA Crash Cushion even with the stricter tests of the American NCHRP standard.

The Crash Cushion SMA 110, already tested and certified according to EN 1317, was subjected to a lateral and frontal test with a 2tonne pickup, according to the impact scenarios and TL TL 3:37 3:31 of NCHRP 350. In the case of frontal impact, the vehicle was equipped with crush test instrumented dummy able to calculate the biomechanical parameters related to the head, neck and chest and establish the damage and/or injury which would affect the vehicle occupants.

The use of a crush test instrumented dummy is then a direct method for the determination of injury to the occupants of the vehicle.

The ultimate goal of a road safety device is, in fact, to ensure safety of the occupants in case of impact and by using an instrumented dummy we quantitatively verified how the SMA Crash Cushion responds to this purpose.

In fact, the parameters that determine the performance of an impact Crash Cushion according to the 1317 standard, NCHRP and MASH are parameters of the vehicle and literature data show that these are not always related to the injuries to the vehicle occupants.

Ultimately, the SMA 110 Crash Cushion successfully underwent two additional shocks performed according to NCHRP 350. The company says that makes it almost completely compliant with the two main reference standards.

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • TRL delivers its vision
    July 31, 2012
    The UK's world-renowned TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) is celebrating its 75th birthday this year, and the objective of its work has not changed In 1938 Richard Stradling, director, wrote that "the objective of all the research work at RRL [now TRL] is to accumulate that body of scientific knowledge which is an essential factor in the economical and efficient construction and maintenance of our roads. Practical application of the results must be the aim throughout." While TRL's remit today is far more
    Read More
  • VF Venieri to showcase range of wheel loaders
    March 7, 2018
    VF Venieri will present two wheel loaders and one that comes with a telescopic arm as part of the Italian company's goal to be a strategic partner for the construction industry and earth moving machinery. The multi-purpose articulated wheel loader, the VF 1.63C comes with a 37kW Yanmar engine with Stage IIIa / Tier 3, which aims to reach high torque already at low revs. The VZKP kinematic allow a 3.8tonnes breakout force, while maintaining parallelism when using forks and equipment. It also features 4 s
    Read More
  • Stronger crash barriers may be needed for heavier trucks
    November 26, 2012
    The European Road Federation (ERF) has voiced its concern that roadside barriers in Europe may have to be upgraded. Meanwhile the UK’s Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has called for roadside barriers to feature post protection so as to reduce the risk of injuries to motorcyclists. According to the ERF, the recent decision of the European Commission to allow cross-border movement of longer and heavier trucks, it is keen to raise awareness of the important implications such a move may have for road barr
    Read More
  • AFRY Helps Scania Drive Toward Sustainable Transport with New Autonomous Vehicle Test Track
    March 10, 2023
    With the rapid development of autonomous and electrified vehicles, Swedish heavy truck and bus manufacturer Scania is developing a new test track in Södertälje, 40 kilometers southwest of Stockholm. To design the track to simulate multiple scenarios, Scania hired AFRY for their design and engineering expertise. The test track includes 19 kilometers of roads with more than 60 intersections and junctions, though complex, hilly ground conditions that will make layout difficult. Since changing any single element would impact numerous others, AFRY needed a flexible, accessible design environment.
    Read More

Highlighted Content