Experience with a vibration test stand for seats

European Economic Community (EEC) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards, dealing with driver's comfort problems, specify methods for measurements, evaluation and acceptance level of the whole-body vibration transmitted through the seat to the operator, during laboratory-simulated machine vertical vibration; the EEC document being concerned with tractor seats and ISO with seats used in earth-moving equipment. A seat vibration test stand for agricultural and construction machinery, capable to perform tests prescribed by either Standard, has been developed jointly by the Institute for Agricultural Mechanization (IMA) and the Earth-Moving Machinery and Off-Road Vehicles Institute (CEMOTER), both of the National Research Council (CNR). This paper describes the main design and construction features of the seat test stand. The results of tests carried out on a limited number of different seats representative of those most frequently used in Italy (in terms of units and machine types), are presented and discussed. © COPYRIGHT 1987 SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS, INC.