Automotive Vibration – ISO 16750-3

What Is Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3?

The automotive vibration test reproduces, on a shaker table in the laboratory, the mechanical loads that arise while the vehicle is running. ISO 16750-3 defines different loading profiles according to the equipment's mounting location on the vehicle.

Purpose of Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

The purpose is to show that the component withstands, without damage, the vibration it will be exposed to over the vehicle's lifetime. Solder fatigue, connector loosening, cable abrasion and resonance-induced fractures become apparent in this test.

Which Products Is Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Applied To?

On-engine and engine-compartment electronics
Body-mounted control units
Sensors and actuators
Wiring harnesses and connectors
Battery management and power-electronics modules

In Which Sectors Is Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Used?

AutomotiveElectric VehicleBatteryElectronics

Standards Related to Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

ISO 16750-3mechanical loads on vehicle equipment test

Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Conditions

Mounting position: The profile is chosen within the standard according to the component's location on the vehicle
Vibration type: Random, sinusoidal or mixed — depending on the profile
Axis: Applied separately in three perpendicular axes
Temperature: The profile may be combined with a temperature cycle

Equipment for Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

Electrodynamic shaker system and power amplifier
Vibration control unit and accelerometers
Temperature chamber (for combined tests)
A fixture representing the real mounting connection
Monitoring-while-operating (functional check) rig

Sample Requirements for Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

The component must be mounted on the fixture in the same way it is connected in the vehicle
The mounting location and declared use class must be stated
If it will be operated during the test, a supply and communication interface must be provided
Fixture design directly affects the result; the vehicle bracket should be used if possible

Duration of Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

Duration per axis depends on the profile; a three-axis programme generally takes several days. Duration extends for profiles combined with temperature.

Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Procedure

1The specimen is mounted on the fixture as it is in the vehicle.
2Accelerometers are placed at the control and monitoring points.
3A resonance search is performed (if requested).
4The selected profile is applied in the first axis.
5Functional monitoring continues during the test.
6It is repeated in the other two axes.
7Visual inspection and functional checks are performed at the end of the test.

Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Acceptance Criteria

The method standard defines how the experiment will be performed, not at what level it will be performed. The severity level comes from the product standard, customer specification, or the use environment class of the product.

Evaluation of Results

The result is evaluated by the absence of loss of function, intermittent contact or structural damage during and after the test. In the resonance search, a frequency shift between before and after the test indicates structural weakening.

Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3 Report

Sample description, serial number and configuration
Applied standard and year of printing
Selected intensity level and basis for the level
Experimental setup and measurement points
Functional checks performed during the experiment
Observations, measurement results and photographs
A statement that the result applies only to the specimen submitted for testing

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Component requirements under UNECE type approval
Product-approval (PPAP) requirements under IATF 16949

Standard-Based Tests — What Does This Group of Pages Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Automotive Vibration test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Standard-based tests are test pages whose address comes from a standard number. What the user is looking for is often not the name of the test but the code written in their specification: not "salt spray test" but "ASTM B117", not "drop test" but "IEC 60068-2-31", not "vibration" but "MIL-STD-810 Method 514".

This preference reflects the reality in the field. An engineer sees a code in the specification received from a customer and searches for that code; they do not need to know the name of the test. The code is the identity of the test and distinguishes the different adoptions of the same test by different bodies.

This group addresses the different adoptions of the SAME TEST separately. The same physical phenomenon may be published under different numbers by ISO, ASTM, EN, IEC, DIN and JIS. Even where the numbers are the same (as with ISO 6892-1 and EN ISO 6892-1), specimen preparation, conditions, calculation details and reporting may differ; adoptions may carry national annexes. The code written in the specification therefore governs, and "similar" is not accepted.

Searching at code level meets a different need from searching at scope level. A user searching for "corrosion testing" wants to learn about the field; a user searching for "ASTM B117" has a specification in hand and wants to know the feasibility, duration and price of that test. Two different intents require two different page structures.

The page for a code describes the scope of that code, the test field it belongs to, the product groups in which it is required and how it differs from neighbouring codes. Test conditions, durations and acceptance criteria are NOT CARRIED: these are defined in the copyrighted text of the standard and in the product specification. This boundary is a deliberate choice; a wrong duration or acceptance criterion means directly incorrect work.

Different parts of the same code and different adoptions of the same number are linked between pages. A user searching for IEC 60335 also sees 60335-2-40; a user searching for ISO 6892-1 also sees the EN ISO 6892-1 and DIN EN ISO 6892-1 adoptions. These links are derived from the number of the code rather than written by hand.

The edition year is NOT CARRIED in the library. It is held as "ASTM D638" rather than "ASTM D638-22", because the edition in force changes over time and the address of the page should not age with the edition. If a year is stated in your specification, that edition governs; if not, the most current edition is applied.

Method groups in this field

Searching by code
Direct search for the code written in the specification; it is found in the library with its code, scope title and issuing body.
Searching by scope title
A test whose code is not known is searched by its subject; a search for "salt spray" brings up the related codes.
Series and part relationships
The other parts of the same series are shown, derived from the number of the code.
Adoption relationships
Different bodies' adoptions of the same number are matched; the claim is kept limited to "the same number".
Superseded codes
Withdrawn codes are not held in the library but, when searched for, the user is directed to the counterpart in force.

Commonly confused in this field

Different adoptions of the same number are not identical texts; they may carry national annexes.
The code written in the specification governs; a technically similar code cannot be substituted.
If an edition year is stated, that edition is applied; the most current edition is not automatically accepted.
A code page carries no test conditions or acceptance criteria; these are in the copyrighted text of the standard and in the product specification.
A part code (for example -2-40) may not be sufficient on its own; the general part of the series is applied as well.

Which decisions these results support

Matching the code written in the specification to the correct laboratory scope
Distinguishing between equivalent adoptions
Clarifying the scope and edition at the quotation stage
Finding the current counterpart of withdrawn codes

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Automotive Vibration — ISO 16750-3

Why does the fixture matter so much?

The fixture transmits its own resonances to the specimen. A fixture that does not represent the real mounting applies loads to the specimen that the standard does not intend, invalidating the result.

Are vibration and shock performed in the same test?

They are generally applied separately. ISO 16750-3 defines both; the sequence is specified in the product specification.