With the new B-Max, Ford has tried to make car cleaning jobs easier for mums and dads by “child-proofing” the new small family-car.
Engineers subjected the new B-MAX to laboratory tests that simulate the toughest treatment that children and pets can dish out, including soaking materials in milk and fizzy drinks, testing fabrics and pounding plastics with a heavy rubber ball.
Samples of all leathers and fabrics used in the Ford B-Max’s interior were tested for stain resistance and ease of cleaning after being soaked for 24 hours in the liquids and being smeared with soil and grease.
Engineers also tested resistance to damage that can be caused by abrasive zips and fasteners found on children’s clothing and bags. The “mace test” used a metal ball with needle-sharp spikes to brush fabrics 600 times and replicate the effect of snagging zips and studs.
Engineers also carried out a special test to repeatedly rub the seat material with Velcro. Fabrics were rubbed 60,000 times in a 17-hour non-stop wear test; metal spikes were scraped across plastic parts to test scratch resistance; and carpets were checked for durability on a special test rig fitted with rough abrasion wheels.
23 Jan 2013
0
