Towbar Testing
Tow bars are a critical piece of infrastructure to enable a vehicle to transport additional goods via towing a trailer. In Australia, towbars must meet the requirements of Australian Design Rule 62/02 in order to be used on a road vehicle.
Our Towbar testing services
BTT Engineering is capable of assisting clients with all stages of the design and testing process, ensuring that their towbar products are engineered to meet the required standards.
Design verification
For manufacturers wishing to have a preliminary idea on the performance of their products, BTT Engineering can complete 3D Finite Element Analysis to determine possible failure points and any design improvements which could be made prior to testing. This can give peace of mind and help ensure that any design flaws can be identified prior to failure occurring during testing.
Load testing
Our test facility has rams set up to apply load in the longitudinal, vertical and transverse directions, enabling testing to be conducted to the static requirements of ADR 62 or AS4177 depending on the rating of the towbar. Our jig can fit a towbar of almost any size and is suitable for testing up to a 6000kg rating. Load testing is an efficient option to carry out testing for clients wishing to validate a concept or design without access to 3D modelling software or if the towbar is too complex to assess in a cost effective manner via FEA such as a hinged design with shock absorbers.
Safety chain attachment points
Safety chain attachment points need to be physically tested to meet the Road Vehicle Standards legislation requirements. These have their own specific loading conditions to withstand as defined in ADR 62 and are typically tested at the time time as the bar they are designed to be attached to. For clients with a towbar that has already been tested or analysis to ADR 62 through the approved calculations pathway but requires a chain attachment to be validated, a representative sample of the towbar can be supplied with the chain attachment bracket and the attachment method tested in isolation
What types of vehicles require towbar testing?
Any towbar designed for use on a road vehicle requires compliance to ADR 62, regardless of whether the towbar is a light duty item fitted to a passenger car or designed for use in heavy road train combinations. A towbar does not require physical testing as the only avenue to compliance but physical testing can be an attractive option in terms of being able to prepare a sample at short notice along with being a point of different for advertising your products.
Our towbar testing process
The towbar testing process with BTT Engineering typically involves the following stages:
Client contacts BTT Engineering with details of towbar design
BTT Engineering provides quote for testing services
Client supplies sample to BTT Engineering and if required, hardware for mounting to the test jig
BTT books in testing date
BTT conducts towbar testing and advises client of outcome
BTT provides compliance report for towbar testing in line with RVSA requirements for a test facility.
How long does the towbar testing process take?
Once a towbar testing timeslot is booked in with BTT Engineering and a sample of the bar provided to our test facility, results from testing should be obtained within a couple of days of testing commencing. A report detailing the entire testing process will be compiled in provided in the weeks after testing is completed. Lead timing for testing will depend on the availability of our test facility at any time of the year due to other testing projects already booked in.
Why Choose BTT Engineering for towbar testing?
BTT Engineering holds a Test Facility Approval (TFA) under the new RVS legislation, enabling testing reports provided by our team to be used for ROVER approval applications. Our team has experience in towbar design, analysis, testing and certification of towbars therefore enabling us to have a comprehensive understanding of the required standards and real world understanding of what design changes may or may not work.
Our past testing projects range from complete design and testing of a custom towbar and drawbar combination to be used for an entire fleet of vehicles through to testing of a client's unique towbar design with a vertical pivot and airbag support. Whatever your testing requirements, BTT Engineering can devise a suitable test regime to meet your product's needs.
Related towbar testing services we can help with
How much does towbar testing cost?
Customers looking for assistance with their towbar testing should contact BTT Engineering for an obligation free quote.