News Feature: The Story Behind China’s First Super-Slide Platform

　　On December 16-17, 2016, the Simulated Slide Table Laboratory at Jinzhou Jinheng Automotive Safety Systems Co., Ltd. became the gathering spot for over 60 experts, scholars, and media representatives from automotive design and R&D institutions, testing organizations, academic research institutes, automakers, and automotive component manufacturers—both domestic and international. Together, they were there to witness the "Super Slide Table's" first-ever domestic demonstration of a "pitch-forward frontal collision simulation test," as well as the world's first demonstration of a "side collision simulation test."

　　With the rapid growth of the automotive industry, traffic accidents have surged accordingly, making them one of the three leading causes of human workforce loss and even fatalities—alongside pandemics and natural disasters. As a result, research into automotive collision safety has drawn increasing attention from people worldwide. Governments and institutions across the globe are also gradually recognizing the critical importance of crash safety, prompting them to establish stringent standards and regulations that set new benchmarks for vehicle safety. Meanwhile, major research institutes, automobile manufacturers, and relevant authorities have all prioritized automotive collision safety as a key area of study within the broader field of passive vehicle safety.

　　The crash test bench experiment involves conducting impact tests on new vehicle models, followed by statistical analysis of traffic accident and injury data. The findings are then used to provide guidance and improvement suggestions to automotive manufacturers. Common types of car collisions include frontal crashes, side impacts, and rollover collisions.

　　In China, frontal collision protection systems have already become standard equipment in most vehicles, while the national standards for side-impact protection systems are still not fully developed. As a result, side-impact protection systems available on the market still have certain flaws and limitations. However, with continuous advancements in technology, side-protection systems are expected to gain wider adoption over time—eventually becoming commonplace even in mid- and low-end car models. This makes a well-designed side-impact system increasingly essential and highly valuable.

　　The design concept for the "Super Slide Platform" was proposed by Liu Chongqing, Technical Director of Jinheng Company, and was jointly developed and built in collaboration with Seattle Safety Inc. of the U.S. The entire process took four years. While traditional slide platforms can only achieve horizontal movement along the collision direction, the Super Slide Platform goes a step further—it enables advanced simulations like pitch and yaw motions, which are impossible with conventional systems. Moreover, it can precisely replicate a wide range of side-impact scenarios, including vertical side collisions, angled side impacts, and even side-on pole collisions, all according to international standards such as Chinese, U.S., European, C-NCAP, and E-NCAP guidelines. This capability allows for a more accurate assessment of driver protection effectiveness, effectively filling a critical gap in China’s passive safety field.

　　On the afternoon of December 16, 2016, the company held a "Super Slide Activation Ceremony." At 2:30 p.m., with a loud crash, the Super Slide made its debut—performing a "pitch-forward frontal collision simulation demonstration." The following day, it successfully completed a "side collision simulation demonstration." According to documented reports and internet search results, these two experimental demonstrations represent unprecedented milestones: the first of their kind in China and the world, respectively.

　　Currently, China's research and development testing of passive side-impact restraint systems for vehicles primarily relies on full-vehicle tests, which require scrapping a car for each experiment. The introduction of the super-slide rig, however, has significantly reduced the cost of these experiments—and also marks Jinheng Company's simulation slide laboratory reaching an internationally advanced level in terms of both experimental capabilities and expertise.