Australian Design Rule (ADR) Testing
The Australian Design Rules (ADRs) are a set of legislation which outlines the standards particular components or systems on motor vehicles and trailers must comply with. Many of these standards have a requirement for physical testing to be carried out in order to demonstrate compliance with the relevant national standards in regards to vehicle safety.
Testing for road vehicles or components seeking approval to be supplied to the Australian market under the Road Vehicle Standards (RVS) legislation must be carried out by a testing facility registered with the Australian government through the ROVER portal.
Our ADR testing services
BTT Engineering is a registered testing facility under the RVS legislation and has access to mobile and permanently affixed testing equipment to enable us to carry out testing or be a testing oversight body for a wide range of applications.
Comprehensive ADR testing wherever needed
Testing for a number of Australian Design Rules requires in-motion testing to be carried out such as noise and brake testing and therefore track hire at a suitable location needs to be arranged. BTT Engineering can travel anywhere in Australia and manage track hire and access to alleviate the stress of finding someone local or transporting a vehicle across Australia for those requiring ADR testing.
In-house ADR test capabilities
Our Port Melbourne office houses our testing rig, which is capable of conducting static testing on a number of different products. Our rig contains adjustable rams in all three dimensions which can suit any test sample provided. All testing is supported by load cells and strain gauge amplifiers which are calibrated regularly, ensuring that all results obtained are accurate and suitable to be used to show compliance to the ADR standards.
Some of the components which can be tested via our test rig are
Safety chains
Safety chain attachments
Towbars
Couplings
Drawbars
Vehicle seats
Homologation support
Upon completion of testing to the relevant ADRs, BTT Engineering can assist with completing applications in ROVER for vehicle certification through the vehicle type approval (VTA) pathway or certification of vehicle components under a component type approval (CTA). This is a critical part of the ADR certification process as testing results on their own don't allow for a vehicle to be on the road - the results need to be submitted as part of supporting an approval application. Obtaining component type approvals for a component being tested is a clear indication to prospective customers that your product complies with the ADR requirements and also allows for component manufacturers to provide the CTA number instead of handing out their full ADR test report to every customer using their products.
List of approved vehicles and component ADR compliance testing capabilities:
ADR 03/00, 03/01, 03/02, 03/03, 03/04 - Seats and Seat Anchorages
ADR 05/00, 05/01, 05/02, 05/03, 05/04, 05/05, 05/06 - Anchorages for Seatbelts
ADR 13/00 - Installation of Lighting and Light Signalling Devices on other than L-Group Vehicles
ADR 14/00, 14/01, 14/02 - Rear Vision Mirrors
ADR 18/00, 18/01, 18/02, 18/03 - Instrumentation
ADR 22/00 - Head Restraints
ADR 28/00, 28/01 - External Noise of Motor Vehicles
ADR 31/00, 31/01, 31/02, 31/03, 31/04 - Brake Systems for Passenger Cars
ADR 34/00, 34/01, 34/02, 34/03 - Child Restraint Anchorages and Child Restraint Anchor fittings
ADR 35/00, 35/01, 35/02, 35/03, 35/04, 35/05, 35/06 - Commercial Vehicle Brake Systems
ADR 38/05 - Trailer Brake Systems
ADR 58/00 - Requirements for Omnibuses Designed for Hire and Reward
ADR 59/00 - Standards for Omnibus Rollover Strength
ADR 62/00, 62/01, 62/02 - Mechanical Connections Between Vehicles
ADR 63/00 - Trailer Designed for Use in Road Trains
ADR 65/00 - Maximum Road Speed Limiting for Heavy Goods Vehicles and Heavy
Omnibuses
ADR 66/00 - Seat Strength, Seat Anchorage Strength and Padding in Omnibuses
ADR 68/00 - Occupant Protection in Buses
ADR 83/00 - External Noise
ADR 84/00 - Front Underrun Impact Protection
ADR 91/00 - Rear Underrun Impact Protection
ADR 92/00 - External Projections
ADR 93/00 - Forward Field of View
ADR 94/00 - Audible Warning
ADR 95/00 - Installation of Tyres
Who might require ADR testing?
Vehicle Manufacturers
A vehicle manufacturer needs to be able to demonstrate compliance with the applicable ADRs in Australia to enable market access. Without having the necessary ADR evidence, manufactures will be ineligible to obtain a vehicle type approval (VTA) or concessional RAV entry (CRE) approval.
Component Manufacturers
Component manufacturers looking to supply their parts to the Australian market should ensure that they can demonstrate compliance with the applicable ADRs for their products. With vehicle type approval and concessional RAV entry holders becoming increasingly aware of their requirements, failing to provide proof that a product has been through ADR testing will likely result in alternate suppliers being sought instead.
Vehicle Modifiers
ADR testing is not limited to new vehicles, with many modification codes within Vehicle Standards Bulletin 6 (for heavy vehicles) and Vehicle Standards Bulleting 14 (for light vehicles) requiring proof of ADR compliance as an essential item as part of certification of in-service or second-hand vehicles.
Our ADR testing process
Initial consultation
Clients looking to have ADR testing carried out should first send through details of their product or vehicle that requires testing. From there, BTT Engineering can determine the applicable ADR test requirements relevant to that product
Testing phases
Upon providing the sample product or vehicle for testing, BTT Engineering will complete any necessary preparation for testing. This could include adapter plates to enable a sample to fit our test jig or the necessary sensors on a vehicle prior to taking it to the testing location. BTT Engineering will then complete the necessary tests in the most efficient and logical order and report back to the client as to the results.
Timeline and deliverables
Depending on the test required, clients will be advised of an expected timeline upon booking an ADR test with BTT Engineering. All successful tests will be accompanied by a detailed test report in line with the RVS testing facility requirements including photos, load charts and graphs as applicable.
Why Choose BTT Engineering for ADR testing?
BTT Engineering has been a registered testing facility since the previous road vehicle certification system (RVCS) and has been trusted with testing numerous different vehicles, components and systems throughout this period. Our team has a detailed knowledge of the ADR regulations and the ROVER system, allowing us to handle various stages of the certification process of approving new vehicles and components for road use. As signatories in Victoria and Tasmania (along with being recognised nationally by the NHVR) we can also complete certification after testing is conducted on an in-service vehicle.
BTT Engineering's testing is supported by high quality calibrated testing equipment, highlighted by our Racelogic VBOX 3i. We are committed to ensuring that our clients receive a premium testing experience through the equipment available, expertise of our team and client-based focus we possess.