New Test Method for Dynamic Foam Fatigue Test for Vehicle Seating Materials
1. Scope
This test determines the long and short term performance of a vehicle seating material. The long term aspect relates to the usage life of the material and short term applies to operational comfort performance.
Keywords
Dynamic; Fatigue
Rationale
The current fatigue test used by many automotive seating companies and OEMs is over 50 years old and it is not compatible with current technology. it does not take advantage of the availability of modernized equipment and data acquisition that is able to acquire real time data during the fatigue test instead of just pre and post measurements. The collection of real time data facilitates the calculation and monitoring of the foams stiffness and support levels during the test, which greatly impact user comfort in a seat.
This test also shortens the duration of the fatigue cycle form 23 to 6 hours, which allows for a test to be completed in one work day shift instead or having to run over night. This is possible because 90% of the foam fatigue occurs within the first couple hours of testing.
The title and scope are in draft form and are under development within this ASTM Committee.
Work Item Status
Date Initiated: 01-06-2026
Technical Contact: Mark Weierstall
Item: 000
Ballot:
Status: