Neometrix / Seat Belt Test Rigs / Seat Belt Test Rig / NMX-SBR-44

NMX-SBR-44 · ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — FIT · PULL · HOLD · CHECK · COMPARE · RECORD

Seat Belt Test Rig. A belt is only as strong as its anchorage.

Name: Seat Belt Test Rig
SKU: NMX-SBR-44

A seat belt holds nothing by itself. It passes the load into the vehicle body at the points where it is bolted on, so those points have to carry the pull as well as the belt.

So the rig has two jobs. It pulls through body blocks that reproduce the path the belt would take, and it holds the load for the full required time, so the anchorage is proved by the load it will really see.

Discuss a seat belt test rig Capability note (PDF)

A seat belt anchorage test rig on a test bay floor: a heavy grey steel reaction frame with two hydraulic actuators, and two plain grey straps running from a bare steel seat frame, over two plain steel loading blocks, to the actuators, and no people

Fig · 01 — A seat belt anchorage test rig: a reaction frame, two actuators, and straps running from a bare seat frame over two loading blocks — illustrative render.

The pull

through a body blockthe way the belt would pull

The load

set by the standardand by the vehicle category

The method

fit, pull, hold, checkthen compare and record

The record

force, time and movementone record per test

Status

engineered to orderno rig yet delivered

ISO 9001ISO 14001UN Regulation No. 14 and No. 16 referencesFMVSS 210 and FMVSS 209 references

Overview

Why a seat belt is proved at the point it is bolted on.

Because the strap is only the middle of the load path. The ends are a floor, a pillar and a seat, and they are what the rig tests.

Fig · 02 — The rig in one picture: the vehicle held, body blocks on, a pull that rises and holds, and a check of what held and how far it moved.

The anchorage is proved by the pull it will really see.

What the rig is for

It pulls on the anchorages of a seat belt, or on a complete belt assembly, and records the force, the time and the movement. The anchorage is checked after the pull as well as during it.

Why the body block matters

A belt does not pull straight at its fixing. It pulls through the wearer's body. A body block reproduces that path, so the load reaches the anchorage at the angle and in the place the belt would put it.

Why the rise and the hold matter

A standard names how the load is applied and how long it is held. A peak reading cannot show either. The rig records force against time, so the trace shows whether the load was reached and whether it stayed.

Why movement is recorded

An anchorage that holds the load but gives a long way is not the same as one that barely moves. The movement is recorded with the force, so the result is a curve and not only a pass.

Why the belt assembly is tested too

A belt is a chain of webbing, buckle, tongue, adjuster and fittings. Pulled in tension between grips, the weakest part shows itself.

Why the seat position changes the test

Front seats, rear seats and the seats of larger vehicles differ in where the anchorages are and in the load that applies. The rig stays the same. The positions and the loads change.

The method

Fit, pull, hold, check, compare, and record.

Six steps in a fixed order. The two shaded steps are the ones a peak-only check never shows.

FIG · 02SEAT BELT TEST RIG · FIT / PULL / HOLD / CHECK / COMPARE / RECORD — THE ANCHORAGE IS PROVED BY THE LOAD IT WILL SEE

The step people underrate is the hold. A load that touches the level and comes straight off has been reached, but it has not been carried.

Fig · 03 — Three outcomes the force trace shows: holds, sags and lets go — a drawing of the idea, with no values.

1 · Fit

The vehicle body or seat structure is held down on the rig, and the body blocks are placed on the belt path.

2 · Pull

The load rises at the rate the standard sets, through the body blocks, in the direction the belt would pull.

3 · Hold

The load is held for the full required time, with the actuator keeping it there as the structure gives.

4 · Check

The anchorage is inspected for cracks, tearing and loosening, and the movement is read from the record.

5 · Compare

Force, time and movement are set against what the standard requires for that seat and that vehicle.

6 · Record

Everything is kept, one record for each test, so the result can be checked later.

Work content

What the rig contains, element by element.

Read it as a checklist: a rig missing a row will buy that row back later, usually as a result nobody quite trusts.

A single two-column vertical tensile test frame holding a plain grey fabric belt strap between two steel wedge grips, with a plain stainless buckle and tongue joined in the middle of the strap, a plain cylindrical load cell below the lower grip and a small hydraulic actuator at the base, and no people

Fig · 04 — A belt assembly held in tension between two wedge grips, with a load cell in line — illustrative render.

Element	What it does	What matters
Reaction frame	holds the vehicle body or seat structure	stiff enough that the frame does not move when the anchorage does
Actuators	pull on the belt path	servo-hydraulic, in the direction the belt would pull, with the stroke the anchorage needs
Load cells	measure each pull	one in line with every strap, traceable, and read on the same clock
Body blocks & fixtures	reproduce the belt path	made to the standard's drawings, so the load arrives where the belt would put it
Belt assembly frame	holds webbing, buckle and fittings in tension	grips that do not cut the webbing or let it slip
Controller	sets the rate and holds the load	closed loop, so the load stays where it was set as the structure gives
Movement measurement	records how far the anchorage gave	read at the anchorage, not at the actuator, and kept with the force
Data acquisition	logs force, time and movement	one clock for every channel, one record per test
Procedure	fixes the sequence	fit, pull, hold, check, compare and record, the same for every seat
Testing & documentation	prove the rig, then every test	a load check against a reference and a record the customer's laboratory can use

The element that decides whether a rig proves an anchorage is not the actuator. It is the load path. A rig whose body blocks do not reproduce the belt path pulls on a structure the belt would never have loaded in that way.

Fig · 05 — One rig, three seat positions: front seats, rear seats, and the seats of larger vehicles, with the loads set by the vehicle category.

Full specification — expand

Rig	A reaction frame that holds the vehicle body or seat structure; servo-hydraulic actuators with a load cell in line with each pull; body blocks and fixtures that reproduce the belt path; a belt assembly frame with grips for webbing, buckle and fittings; a closed-loop controller that sets the rate and holds the load; movement measurement; data acquisition on one clock; a written procedure; and testing and documentation before handover
The One Idea	A seat belt is only as strong as its anchorage. The rig pulls the way the belt would, through a body block, so the anchorage is proved by the load it will actually see
Why The Anchorage Is What Is Tested	A seat belt holds nothing by itself: it passes the load into the vehicle body at the points where it is bolted on, so those points have to carry the pull as well as the belt
Why The Body Block Matters	A belt pulls through the wearer's body, not straight at its fixing, so a body block reproduces that path and the load reaches the anchorage at the angle and the place the belt would put it
Why The Rise And The Hold Matter	A standard names how the load is applied and how long it is held, and a peak reading cannot show either, so the rig records force against time and the trace shows whether the load was reached and whether it stayed
Why Movement Is Recorded	An anchorage that holds the load but gives a long way is not the same as one that barely moves, so the movement is recorded with the force and the result is a curve, not only a pass
Why The Belt Assembly Is Tested Too	A belt is a chain of webbing, buckle, tongue, adjuster and fittings, and pulled in tension between grips the weakest part shows itself
Standards	UN Regulation No. 14, FMVSS 210 and AIS-015 are the public references for seat belt anchorages. UN Regulation No. 16, FMVSS 209 and IS 15140 are the public references for the belt assembly. ISO/IEC 17025 is the public reference for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. None of them is reproduced here: the load, the rate and the hold time for a particular seat and vehicle are set by the standard and by the customer, and this page prints none of it. Approval of a vehicle or a belt rests with the customer and the authority they name; none is claimed here
Configurations	An anchorage frame that pulls through body blocks, a belt assembly rig that holds webbing, buckle and fittings in tension, and a combined facility that does both on one control and record system
Scope Boundary	This is the rig that pulls on seat belt anchorages and belt assemblies and records force, time and movement. It is not a roll-over protective structure rig (see ROPS test rig), not a headrest impact rig (see head impact test rig), not a general-purpose load frame (see servo-hydraulic fatigue testing machine), and not a dynamic sled test, which is a different facility and is not claimed here
Status	Neometrix engineers seat belt test rigs to order, and no delivered seat belt test rig is claimed.

Configurations

One method, three ways to supply the rig.

The method, the record and the checks are shared. What changes is what the rig pulls on and the size of the frame.

Anchorage frame

Pulls through body blocks

A reaction frame, actuators and body blocks that load the anchorages of one seat position after another.

Belt assembly rig

Webbing, buckle and fittings

A frame with grips that holds the belt in tension and records where it lets go.

Combined facility

Both on one record

An anchorage frame and a belt assembly rig on one control and record system, so the anchorage and the belt are proved in one place.

Fig · 06 — Three ways to supply the rig, one method: an anchorage frame, a belt assembly rig, or a combined facility.

And the part that is not equipment at all, yet decides all three: the procedure. It fixes the rate, the hold, the checks and the rule for judging every test, so each seat is read the same way.

Where it is used

Wherever a seat belt has to be trusted.

The common thread is a belt whose anchorage nobody has pulled to the level it will one day carry.

Vehicle makers

Where an anchorage design is proved on the body before a vehicle goes into production.

Seat and belt suppliers

Where a seat structure or a belt assembly is proved before it is fitted to a vehicle.

Test houses

Where a laboratory tests anchorages and belt assemblies to a public standard for its customers.

Builders of larger vehicles

Where the seats of buses, trucks and coaches carry belts whose anchorages must be proved on the finished body.

FAQ

Common questions.

Longer answers, for readers who want the reasoning.

Q · 01 Why is the anchorage tested rather than just the belt?

Because the belt passes its load into the vehicle body at the points where it is bolted on. A strong belt on a weak anchorage is only as strong as the anchorage. The public anchorage standards, UN Regulation No. 14, FMVSS 210 and AIS-015, test the anchorage on its own by pulling through body blocks, and the belt assembly standards test the belt on its own in tension. The two tests answer two different questions, and a vehicle needs both answered.

Q · 02 What is a body block, and is it a dummy?

A body block is a rigid block that stands in for the wearer's body in a static test. The belt is laid over it, and the pull goes through it into the belt, so the load reaches the anchorage by the same path the belt would use. The shape and the position of the block come from the standard, and this page prints neither. It is not a dummy. A dummy is used in a dynamic sled test, which is a different facility and is not claimed here.

Q · 03 Why does the rig record force against time instead of the peak?

A peak says only that a load was reached. The standards also name how the load is applied and how long it is held, so the real question is whether the anchorage carried the load for the full time, not whether it touched it. Force against time also shows whether the structure sagged or let go, which a peak cannot. The movement is recorded alongside, so the result shows how far the anchorage gave as well as whether it held.

Q · 04 Is this the same as the roll-over rig, the head impact rig or the general load frame pages?

No, and the differences are worth stating precisely. The ROPS test rig page proves a roll-over protective structure against energy and clearance, and the head impact test rig page drives an impactor into a seat headrest, so neither pulls on a belt anchorage. The servo-hydraulic fatigue testing machine page is a general-purpose load frame for fatigue and structural tests, where this page describes a rig built around body blocks and a belt path. This page does not replace any of them, and it does not claim what they claim a second time.

Q · 05 What can a rig not do?

It tests a structure; it does not approve one. A vehicle or a belt is approved by an authority, not by the rig that produced the record. It is also a static rig: a dynamic sled test, which decelerates a seat or a body shell with a dummy, is a different facility and none is claimed here. How good the test is depends on the stiffness of the frame, on the body blocks matching the standard's drawings, and on a load that is set and held under closed-loop control. It also does not make a laboratory accredited: accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 belongs to the customer's laboratory and its assessors, and this page claims none.

Q · 06 Has Neometrix built one of these?

We would rather answer this plainly than let a page imply otherwise. Neometrix engineers seat belt test rigs to order, and no delivered seat belt test rig is claimed. What stands behind the offer is adjacent: Neometrix engineers servo-hydraulic test systems with reaction frames, actuators, load cells and closed-loop control (see the servo-hydraulic fatigue testing machine and ROPS test rig pages). The actuators and load cells are catalogue items or Neometrix's own servo-hydraulics, and the body blocks and fixtures are made to the standard's drawings, not invented. What Neometrix engineers is the rig around them: the reaction frame, the load train, the fixtures, the control, the data acquisition, the procedure and the records. So the honest position is that the rig is engineered to order, the neighbouring disciplines are in the building, and the first rig of this exact kind will be built around the customer's own vehicles and standard rather than lifted off a shelf.

Q · 07 Which standards apply, and who sets the load?

UN Regulation No. 14, FMVSS 210 and AIS-015 are the public references for seat belt anchorages. UN Regulation No. 16, FMVSS 209 and IS 15140 are the public references for the belt assembly. None of them is chosen here: which one applies depends on the market the vehicle is sold in and on its category. The load, the rate of rise and the hold time are set by that standard and by the customer's own approval route, and this page prints none of it. Acceptance of the finished rig, including its proving runs before handover, rests with the customer and whatever authority they name.

Q · 08 What do you need from us to quote?

Six things, and most of them describe your vehicles rather than the rig. First, the standard you test to and the market it serves. Second, the vehicle categories and the seat positions. Third, the load, the rate and the hold time that standard sets for them. Fourth, whether you test anchorages, belt assemblies or both. Fifth, the vehicle or seat structure: its size and how it is held down. Sixth, the site: the floor, the power, the oil supply and who will run it. From that we come back with a layout drawing, a written method you can check, and a budgetary price.

The neighbouring test-rig pages, and how they differ from this one.

Three neighbours: a structure rig, an impact rig, and a general-purpose load frame.

↗ A different structure

ROPS Test Rig

Proves a roll-over protective structure against energy and clearance - it does not pull on a belt anchorage.

↗ A different test

Head Impact Test Rig

Drives an impactor into a seat headrest - an impact test, not a static pull on an anchorage.

↗ A general-purpose frame

Servo-Hydraulic Fatigue & Structural Test System

A general-purpose load frame for fatigue and structural tests - not a rig built around body blocks and a belt path.

Browse all Neometrix product lines.

Get a quotation

Tell us the standard, the seat positions,
and the vehicle.

The projects desk replies within two working days with a layout drawing, a written method you can check, and a budgetary quotation. Write to [email protected] or use the form.

Enquire — seat belt test rig Capability sheet (PDF) +91 7777 876 876

ISO 9001 / 14001 ENGINEERED-TO-ORDER CLASS — SEAT BELT TEST RIG FIT · PULL · HOLD · CHECK · COMPARE · RECORD — THE ANCHORAGE IS PROVED BY THE LOAD IT WILL SEE ENGINEERED IN NOIDA · INDIA