Nicola Valeri manages the indoor testing group at Dallara. Within this area Dallara has two rigs controlled by the Servotest Pulsar controllers. A Corner Rig for fatigue testing and a 7 Post Rig for tuning complete cars. Here, Nicola talks about partnering with Servotest to add SCRAMnet functionality to the Dallara 7 Post vehicle ride simulator.
In 2020 we were looking for a way to expand the system. More open systems are extremely appealing and will be ever more important going forward as we expect data to take a more central role in all our work. The added value we can provide as a company is sometimes dependent on the systems we use being open to modifications, to better align with our clients’ needs, as was the case in this project. Once we learned that there was a way to extract data in real-time from the Servotest Pulsar controller, using a very high-performance tried-and-tested technology, we set to work figuring out the implementation details. Our customers ask a lot of Dallara and we have to be flexible in what we provide. Servotest operates in a similar manner offering products open to modifications to better align with clients’ needs.
For this project partners absolutely had to demonstrate competence with similar projects. Having partners with experience on projects of this type that have already developed the necessary skills was essential to carry out the final project. Having the certainty that we were not beta-testing a new solution was important for our clients, as was the fact that the Servotest system was already in use at various customer sites around the world. The whole team agreed that Servotest was the right partner for this project.
Dallara has been a Servotest customer for over 25 years. More recently, Servotest has supported us with consultancy and in the development of both of our rigs, bringing them both to a high standard. So Servotest has earned our trust over time. That trust has been very well placed. We completed the project in a short time and without many problems. We were particularly happy with the high level of technical knowhow and competencies of the Servotest engineers who worked with us on the project. The ability to deploy experience and capability when there are problems to be solved is invaluable in the business of motorsports, and we place it above all else in our evaluation and consideration of partners.
For this project to progress smoothly both partners must have integrity, dependability and technical expertise. All three are needed and we expect these to be demonstrated from the inception, as do our own clients. The approach from Servotest is similar to the way we work at Dallara, with small multi-skilled teams who are dependable. This was fundamental in solving the problems that arose during the development phase of project.
These partnerships take time to develop and we have been collaborating with Servotest for many years in the development of new test methodologies and in maintaining the efficiency of our benches. Reciprocal trust is important when dealing with highly technical projects such as this one; each side needs to know the other is capable and willing to invest the time and effort necessary for the desired outcome. Servotest was willing and able to invest the time and effort to really work with Dallara. Servotest committed to the project and understood our fundamental needs to guarantee the result. This whole project was conducted during the Covid pandemic, which complicated the logistics and sharing of hardware and data. To make this work both sides had to act with integrity, dependability and technical expertise. Of course, we have a good working relationship with Servotest. It is a real benefit to have the connection to key staff and we are constantly in contact with Servotest to update and develop our rigs in the best possible way. At Dallara we always work to make it right for the client. Servotest demonstrated the same approach on this project which further developed the trust in this partnership.
Through this project both Servotest and Dallara have acquired greater knowledge on this type of rig which certainly resulted in a very high level of performance. It has enhanced the reputation of both Dallara and Servotest as a key partners for ride simulation equipment and testing.
When it came to crunch time when installing, testing and debugging the system we noted the extra effort that Servotest engineers invested to make sure we had a working system for our client. In terms of functionality the system works exactly as expected. Servotest certainly exceeded our expectations and I’m sure in the future we will be partner again for projects of this kind that will further develop the knowledge of both companies.