Strength testing of a modular trailer with a sandwich platform

The article presents the experimental strength evaluation of modular car trailers with a maximum permissible total mass of up to 3500 kg and its application to assess the mechanical strength of box-type car trailers. Tests were carried out using an original test bench dedicated to fatigue testing. They aimed to compare a trailer made in traditional technology with a trailer equipped with a load-carrying structure containing a sandwich panel. As a result of the conducted work, the displacement values of the measurement points were measured. The deformation form of the trailer made in the traditional technology was compared with the trailer containing the sandwich panel. The proposed method of experimental strength evaluation of modular car trailers enables a quantitative assessment of the mechanical strength of the load-carrying structures of trailers. This results in improved safety of trailer operation in road traffic by identifying the critical elements of the load-carrying structure at the early design phase before the trailer is allowed to run on the road.