Automotive performance has always been measured by power and speed, but today's performance demands efficiency and flexibility, while minimizing costs, materials, and time. With this need for lowering costs and accelerating product-to-market timelines, automotive companies need to quickly and accurately capture the performance specifications of their products. These include vehicle performance attributes such as lateral and longitudinal acceleration, speed and braking distance, as well as system and component performance specifications such as:

  • Engine horsepower and torque
  • Transmission performance
  • Axle and differential torque capacity
  • Brake system performance
  • Steering system performance
  • HVAC performance
  • Hand clutch and throttle effort (Motorcycle, ATV)
  • Foot pedal effort (Brake, Clutch, Accelerator)
  • Closing efforts (Glove Box, Hood, Trunk, Doors)
  • Seat motor performance

Vehicle Performance Testing

PCB® offers a variety of sensors and instrumentation for the most demanding performance testing. PCB Series 3711F (uniaxial, single ended), 3713F (triaxial, single ended), 3741F (uniaxial, differential), and 3743F (triaxial, differential) variable capacitance MEMS (VC MEMS) accelerometers are designed to meet the rugged requirements of vehicle testing. Hermetically sealed in titanium housings, these capacitive silicon VC MEMS sensors provide excellent performance while being protected from harsh contaminants. These sensors are inherently insensitive to base strain and transverse acceleration effects and offer high frequency overload protection, a must in minimizing the effects of road impacts. These sensors are ideal for measuring vertical road inputs as well as vehicle lateral and longitudinal acceleration.

The requirements for power and torque have increased steadily over the last 25 years as efficiencies in combustion have made it possible to increase horsepower without sacrificing fuel economy. These advancements have been made possible with the facilitation of dynamometer testing. PCB Series 5300D TORKDISC® In-line Rotary Torque Sensor Systems are specifically designed for these applications where axial space is at a premium. Series 5300D incorporates dual high level filtered analog outputs, AC and DC coupled, providing both static and dynamic torque measurement capability that can be recorded separately and independently scaled; which is particularly beneficial when high DC levels are present or when low levels of AC content is of particular interest, as in rotational dynamics. These sensors are vital for vehicle performance, emissions, and fuel economy testing or for component performance testing on transfer cases, axles, differentials, pumps, fans, and electric motors.

Component and Systems Performance Testing

Whether its measuring load required to engage a clutch pedal, brake line pressure during a panic stop, or the maximum vibration of an antenna motor in operation, PCB products can quickly and accurately measure performance criteria of your automotive components and systems. PCB manufactures accelerometers, force sensors, load cells, microphones, pressure transducers, strain sensors, torque sensors, signal conditioners, cables and accessories designed to meet all your component and system performance testing requirements.


Choose PCB for your component & system performance sensors

To discuss specific applications, please contact us or request a quote. You can also visit our online shop to find in stock sensors.