14 DAY TRIAL // Building satellites that can be delivered into orbit safely and unharmed is no easy deal, especially considering the enormous amount of delicate and intricate machinery that goes into one of those things. Designing its casing in such a manner that all components stick together while suffering tremendous shakes and speeds has been one of the aeronautic industry's main challenges. When rocket scientists finally managed to overcome it, they also thought of the automotive industry, and passed the shock-absorbing technology to it as well.
The Smart Passive Damping Device (SPADD®) is the main reason why satellites do not disintegrate on their way to the heavens, and French company ARTEC Aerospace managed to devise a similar shock-absorbing material to be used by the car industry. The technology transfer was endorsed by the European Space Agency (ESA), through its Technology Transfer Program Office (TTPO). The Technology Transfer Network (TTN) was used to pass the required information to German car manufacturer Daimler Chrysler AG.
The company already employed the new material on its Mercedes Roadster CLK, which used to suffer from the same problem all convertibles generally do – a lack of stiffness in their structure, due to the fact that the roof is gone. On a self-sustaining construction, the roof is crucial, and German engineers have this far solved this problem by simply adding excess weight in the lower parts of the car. As a result, all roadsters are now usually 40 to 50 kilograms heavier than the saloon version of the same car.
According to both ARTEC and Daimler, SPADD tests done so far have been very promising, and the partners are currently looking for other investors in order to expand the range of the new technology in more products of the German manufacturer. The technology exchange seems to have paid off, as the new Mercedes CLK Roadster weighs 30 to 40 kilograms less than previous models that do not employ the SPADD system.