Following this intensive development programme, the M-Class now has the potential to pass all international ratings with the best possible results. And there are 1500, 2500, 3500, and 4500 options that give fleet operators payload ratings that run from 1,298 to 3,395 kg. There are five different choices of filing status, but you can only qualify for one or two in any given year, depending on your circumstances. There are no returns on airbags, electrical, fuel, high performance parts, or previously installed parts. When it detects the need to do so, a rollover sensor system can activate side and window airbags, as well as belt tensioners. The extremely robust occupant compartment of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, together with the front and rear deformation zones, forms an effective basis for the occupant protection system. The spare wheel well forms an integrated part of the steel floor, and a steel flexible bumper bracket carries the rear bumper covering and is connected to the rear structure via two steel crashboxes. AMG’s Chief Operating Officer Emmerich Shiller said the new process is 25-30 percent more efficient for the engine builders who take about two hours to hand-build each turbo-4 engine. These are only two of a long list of programs that firms can draw on for investment support.
To support new technologies or the evolution of existing systems, the engineers carried out numerous crash tests which went way beyond the tests normally specified, such as the roof-drop test for example, as well as various rollover tests. A crash joint ensures that the mudguard is pushed away at the driver's door, and prevents the door from jamming after the impact. A special impact test conducted to check tank leakage gives an indication of the exceptional load capabilities of the rear part of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class body. The test involved running a crash carriage into the rear of the M-Class at 80 km/h. The rear area too of the M-Class also protects the sturdy passenger compartment in crash situations thanks to specific deformation work, therefore minimising the loads on the occupants. Additionally, Active Blind Spot Assist can counteract a possible collision by specific application of the brakes on one side of the vehicle, if the driver does not react to the warning.
The 2018 CLA is one of those rare cars that looks bigger than it really is. However, the top of the range E 63 AMG variant captivated readers with its menacing looks and 518bhp (386kW) 6.3-liter (6208cc) V8 engine. A wide range of applications are conceivable. Whether in industry for power stations, (wind) generators, pumps or conveyor systems, in the home for refrigerators, washing machines, dryers and lawnmowers, or for transportation applications involving ships, trains or planes - the optimisation potential of disparate technologies to save energy could be analysed in detail with the consistent usage of this technique and implementation recommendations made. The "energy-transparent vehicle" process which is exclusive to Daimler enables the development engineers to highlight and leverage optimisation potential both for cars with conventional internal combustion engines as well as hybrid, electric or fuel-cell drives. The idea for the "energy-transparent vehicle" stemmed from the failure in the past to verify or demonstrate clearly the many factors affecting consumption and the interaction between fuel-saving measures. The "energy-transparent vehicle" development tool, created in-house by Mercedes-Benz, was piloted as part of the M-Class development process. Using the "energy-transparent vehicle" tool, the engineers can now detect detailed potential optimisation measures by breaking down energy flows into cause and effect and analysing energy interactions within the entire vehicle.
This enables the energy efficiency of individual major assemblies and components as well as the entire vehicle to be analysed and quantified. An exact and meticulous examination of the flow of energy throughout the vehicle (tank to wheel) helps the development engineers to optimise every single assembly that has an impact on fuel consumption, right down to individual components, such as wheel bearings. This cooperation focuses on design, or the properties of the materials used in individual vehicle components such as wheel or axle bearings. Once the specialists have identified a vehicle component with energy shortcomings, they team up with the relevant specialist departments to devise solutions. The lower part of the B-pillar, an important component in side impacts, is highly compressible, whereas its upper part is extremely rigid. As a result, intrusions and the speed of intrusions in the lower area are reduced, while in the upper area high-strength steels on the exterior sides of the pillar prevent it from buckling unfavourably in a side impact. In the case of front impacts, the engineers were able to achieve more uniform deceleration, and therefore a lower peak load on the occupants. The focus of the work here has been the tangible reduction of the loads exerted on the occupants.
