Global website English Log in Learn Products Commercial Dealers Information About us Start / About us / Equal Safety ABOUT US Corporate presentation Equal Safety Working at BraunAbility Press Contact us Equal Safety In addition to getting people out on the road there's one thing we take very seriously - Safety. Our philosophy is that everyone should be able to travel safely in a vehicle regardless of adaptation needs. As a global leader, it is our responsibility to continuously strive for a higher level of safety within the vehicle adaptation industry. One way of achieving this is to offer high-quality products that are both safe and functional. To guarantee our end-users’ safety, BraunAbility products are designed and tested according to relevant directives and standards. We also work together with users, organisations, the automotive industry and other interested parties to constantly push for increasingly stringent safety requirements. BraunAbility Safety Centres To remain in the front line among producers of safe and reliable vehicle adaptation products we have invested in multiple inhouse test facilities. Here our products must pass various tests before being released onto the market. Dynamic crash tests, static pull tests, climate tests, vibration tests and cycle tests are examples of tests that we perform at our BraunAbility Safety Centres. For the tests we don’t perform in-house we team up with a number of accredited test houses for specific and general testing, these include: RISE (Sweden) TÜV (Germany) Millbrook Proving Ground (UK) TASS International (Netherlands) Where applicable our products are independently witnessed and reported on by approval authorities such as VCA, UTAC, RDW, TÜV depending on the test parameters and other local requirements which may vary from country to country. Sweden laboratory - Static In April 2009 the BraunAbility Safety Centre in Stenkullen was accredited by Sweden's national accreditation body, SWEDAC, according to ISO/IEC 17025. This was the first accredited pull test lab in our industry. This accreditation means that our lab in Stenkullen has the authority to serve as a test institute and issue certifying documentation within applicable parts. Selection of Equipment Used: Pull test rig with six hydraulic cylinders Drop test rig with two accelerometers measuring G-force at impact H-Point Measuring Machine (dummy) Climate test facility with temperatures ranging from -30° to +80° Celsius Flexible test stations with pneumatic control systems for endurance testing UK Laboratory – Dynamic and Static In our tradition of being at the forefront of safety, we were also the first UK manufacturer of wheelchair safety systems to have our own dynamic laboratory for crash tests. Through our close working relationships with approval authorities, we are able to offer both in-house dynamic testing for development work and witness testing for approval to European regulations. Selection of Equipment Used: Deceleration Sled with a maximum payload of 800kg Robust drive system producing repeatable in-bound velocity accuracy High-speed camera with 1400 frames per second Advanced Data Acquisition Unit conforming to SAE J211 Hybrid II and Hybrid III 50%ile dummies Pull test rig with nine hydraulic cylinders with closed-loop control In our dynamic and static labs, we carry out tests on our own products to the requirements of ISO 10542 as well as ECE R14, ECE R17 and 2018/858/EU relating to our products. We can also perform dynamic tests in a vehicle environment for individual customer specifications. We have a dedicated engineering team who understand UK and European legislation and work closely with customers according to their needs. Testing to ensure Quality and Safety As testing is a vital part of product development it is used frequently throughout the design phase to single out the best design or material. The below list will give you a basic understanding of how we perform the various tests and wherein the design process the test is used. In short, what we mean when we say that one of our products is “test approved”. Our tests are performed in accordance with the nearest applicable standard. Crash test approved The product is accelerated to a specific speed before being brought to a stop, simulating a vehicle crash. This form of testing is performed to ensure that the design is safe and are a requirement for ECE R17. Pull test approved The product is subjected to a traction force for a specific period of time. Essentially, hydraulic cylinders pull on test points of the product itself and its floor and belt attachment points. Pull tests are a requirement for ECE R14 and, R16 however the test can also be used during the design phase to select a design or a material. Environmental test approved The product undergoes various operational testing for extreme environmental conditions. This can include operation at temperatures ranging from -20° to +60° Celsius to ensure its performance under these weather conditions. It can also include exposure to UV light and corrosive elements, amongst others, to ensure the performance will meet the requirements throughout the life of the product. Life cycle test approved The product is loaded to its maximum capacity plus an additional twenty per cent. The purpose is to simulate everyday use as closely as possible: in other words, to perform a complete life cycle. EMC test approved The product’s electronics are tested to ensure that it does not cause interference nor is affected by interference from any other electronics in the vehicle. This is normally referred to as ECE R10. Vibration test approved The product is exposed to vibration for a given period of time. Vibration testing is performed to ensure that the design and fixings are safe. Flammability Test This can be a number of various tests depending on the material. To simplify one can say that the product is tested to ensure that it will not act as fuel if subjected to fire. Quality Standards Are used across the business to ensure that we produce consistent products that meet our specifications. These also ensure that we assess the risks associated with both our business and products on a regular basis. Our Quality Standards are assessed and approved by external bodies nationally. ISO 9001:2015 As an ISO 9001:2015 quality standards company, we have a strong commitment to safety. We aim to meet or exceed, all regulatory requirements and Codes of Practice, on all products, which we manufacture and supply. It is our objective to give customers and end-users complete confidence in the ability of our products to offer safety during travel, provided they are installed and used in the correct manner. ISO/IEC 17025:2018 This standard specifies the general requirements for operating a testing laboratory. For example, competence, impartiality as well as consistent operation of the laboratory. Compliance to this standard is a vital part of the accreditation of our static lab in Sweden. It is our objective to give customers and end users complete confidence in the ability of our products to offer safety during travel, provided they are installed and used in the correct manner. Standards and guidelines in relation to products CE labelling For a product to be granted a CE label, a number of risk analyses must be performed for each product, which must also be accompanied by descriptive documentation in line with the selected regulation. ISO 10542 All BraunAbility wheelchair safety products are tested to the requirements of ISO 10542 using our dynamic laboratory and have been witnessed by the Vehicle Certificate Agency (VCA). All the results are supported by independent test reports. ECE R16 and ECE R17 All BraunAbility seat lifts, swivel seats and seats are tested to the requirements of ECE R17. For safety belts and restraints systems not regulated by ISO 10542, we test to the requirements of ECE R14. Testing to ECE R14 and 17 is performed in house at our static laboratory or at RISE. Products with electrical parts are tested to ECE R10 for electromagnetic compatibility. EN 1756 This regulation specifies safety requirements for the design of lifts in vehicles. All BraunAbility wheelchair lifts are EN 1756 compliant. Products Carony Turny Evo Turny Low Vehicle Chair Topper Carospeed Classic Wheelchair lifts Products E-Series lift SpaceFloor Rails Seat legs Information Learn News User manuals Videos Testimonials About us Equal safety Corporate presentation Working at BraunAbility Contact us For more information about our solutions, contact our Dealers Contact us | News | Press | Dealer home © 2021 BraunAbility Europe AB. All rights reserved. Terms of use | Privacy policy | Cookies This website uses cookies By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Click on "Cookies Settings" if you want to select which cookies you accept.Cookie declaration Reject All Accept All Cookies Cookies Settings