It is in the two laboratories of the Titu Technical Center, 45 minutes northwest of Bucharest, in Romania, that engineers and technicians doggedly test the overall quality of Dacias.
Their objective ?
Guaranteeing customers that their car will withstand the attacks of time.
Their method?
Accelerated aging.
Thus, in just a few weeks, years of life are simulated under various conditions.
UV, extreme temperatures and stretching
Shaped and molded into a wide variety of shapes, plastic is a major component of car interiors, and inevitably, if it is not of good quality, a large part of the vehicle will deteriorate with the passing of time. weather.
For example, UV rays, heat and weathering can cause whitening, loss of color or alter the shine of the plastic.
In the laboratory tanks, dozens of samples are placed daily under UV for a period of up to 3,000 hours.
The parts thus absorb radiation equivalent to several years of exposure to the sun.
In addition, they spend several weeks in cabins that subject them to extreme temperature and humidity conditions, ranging from -40 to +100°C.
After these shock treatments,
The appearance of plastic is also threatened by the simple use of the car.
Keys or a ring, for example, can cause damage and leave lasting marks on the bodywork or a part of the passenger compartment.
To avoid this, all plastics undergo the onslaught of a tool designed to simulate scratches.
In concrete terms, a metal screw moves back and forth lengthwise and widthwise on a sample.
Scratches, inevitable, must remain superficial and not alter the properties of the plastic.
Over time, parts can also twist, warp, or even break.
In the durability laboratory, a pulling machine therefore also has the task of stretching the plastic to test its breaking strength.
Only materials that pass all the tests are accepted.
Rust hunting
Another unique laboratory is housed in Titu: the corrosion center, inaugurated in 2015. It is here that all the metal parts are screened, thanks to an accelerated corrosion chamber.
On a new car, the paint protects the metal.
But an accident or scratch can strip it bare and expose it to corrosion.
In addition to small samples, whole parts like the hood, tailgate, doors and rolling base also undergo testing.
Chrome and galvanized parts such as brake discs, screws and emblems are also checked.
They are immersed in the corrosion enclosure in extreme climatic conditions where the temperature, humidity and even the composition of the air vary.
Leaving this chamber, the corrosion around the scratches is analyzed.
Moreover,
As for the gravelling, it consists of the high pressure projection of gravel on a metal part to judge the damage caused to the bodywork.
Painting, chrome plating, zinc plating, etc., all the protective layers are thus evaluated in order to guarantee the best quality for the vehicles.
It is only once this battery of examinations has been successfully passed that the parts and materials are validated and can be integrated into the new Dacia vehicles.
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