Shake and bake: a recipe for testing

Vehicles, components endure much in-lab abuse before they enter the commercial-vehicle market.

Off-highway equipment has to survive some of the roughest conditions in the world, and many vehicles have lifetimes that make passenger cars seem as transitory as cell phones. To meet these requirements, manufacturers spend plenty of time testing components and systems in a range of simulated environments.

A growing number of tests are now being performed in the virtual world, saving the expense of building models. Once prototypes are produced, they undergo extensive testing in real-world tests that simulate the harshest conditions equipment will face. These tests occur at elevated temperatures and often have constant vibrations, leading many to dub this the shake-and-bake portion of development.