WORKING OF SAFETY AIR BAGS

AND THEIR MANUFACTURING

By
S a n d e e p K ur i akose
D e s i g n a n d Manufac tur i ng
D e p a r t m e n t of M e c hani c al E n g i n e e r i n g
Nati onal Insti tute of Te c hnol ogy, Silchar.
P re s e n t e d on:-08-09-13
 INTRODUCTION TO AIR BAG

 An air bag is an inflatable

cushion designed to
protect automobile occupants
from serious injury in the case
of a collision.
 The air bag is also known as an
air cushion restraint system
(ACRS) or an air bag
supplemental restraint system
(SRS).
 This is because the air bag is
A car air bag
designed to supplement the
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protection offered by seat
belts.
 AIR BAG SYSTEM

1. An air bag module

2. Crash sensors.
3. A diagnostic monitoring
unit(ECU).
4. A steering wheel Air bag module Crash sensor
connecting coil.
5. Wiring and connectors.

Diagnostic monitoring unit Steering wheel connecting c l

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AIR BAG SYSTEM WIRING DIAGRAM

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HOW AIRBAGS WORK
1. The crash sensor senses the impact.

M. Tech- Design and Manufacturing, NIT Silchar.

2. The diagnosis unit decides.

3. An electric signal is transmitted to the inflator

assembly.
4. The electrical signal then ignites the igniting agent.

5. The gas-generating agent ignites and generates gas.

6. "Airbags" inflate, while the "seatbelt pretensioner"

simultaneously fastens the seat belt and absorbs the
shock received by the passenger.
*Note: actions 1-6 above occur within 50 milliseconds.
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 AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT

Before deployment
After deployment

A front air bag deployed A side air bag deployed

The airbag system ignites a solid propellant (NaN3), which burns extreme
rapidly to create a large volume of Nitrogen gas to inflate the bag. The bag 6
then literally bursts from its storage site and a second later, the gas quickly
dissipates through tiny holes in the bag, thus deflating the bag.
THE MANUFACTURING OF AIR
BAG
1. The propellant
2. The inflator assembly
3. The air bag
4. Final assembly of air bag module
5. Other components

An air bag manufacturing factory

 RAW MATERIAL S

I. The air bag:-a woven

nylon fabric
II. Air bag coating:-
silicone and urethane
III. The inflator canister or Nylon thread A woven air bag Nylon fabric
body:-stamped stainless
steel or cast aluminum
IV. The propellant:-Sodium
Azide (NaN3)combined
with an oxidizer.

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Inflator canister Applying silicone and
And propellant urethane coating
 1.P ROP ELLANT
 The propellant consists of sodium
azide mixed together with an
oxidizer, a substance that helps the
sodium azide to burn when ignited.
 From storage, the sodium azide and
the oxidizer are then carefully
blended under sophisticated
computerized process control in
isolated bunkers.
 After blending, the propellant
mixture is sent to storage. Presses are
then used to compress the propellant
mixture into disk or pellet form. 9
 2. INFLATOR ASSEMB LY
 The inflator components, such as
the metal canister, the filter
assembly(stainless steel wire
mesh with ceramic material
inside)and initiator (or igniter) are
assembled on a highly automated
production line to form inflator
sub assembly .
 The inflator sub-assembly is
combined with the propellant to
form the inflator assembly.
 The inflator assembly is then tested
and sent to storage until needed.
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A cut section of inflator assembly

3. AIR BAG
 The woven nylon air bag
fabric is inspected for any
material defects.
 The air bag fabric is then die
cut to the proper shapes A die cut air bag fabric to the shape
and sewn, internally and
externally, to properly join
the two sides.
 After the air bag is sewn, it is
inflated and checked for
any seam imperfections.

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An inflated air bag for checking

 4. FINAL ASSEMBLY OF AIR BAG
MODULE
 The air bag is then
mounted to the tested
inflator assembly.
 Next, the air bag is
folded, and the
breakaway plastic horn
pad cover is installed.
 Finally, the completed
module assembly is
inspected, tested and
packaged. Assembly of an air bag module

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 5. OTHER COMPONENTS
 The remaining components of the air bag system—the crash
sensors, the diagnostic monitoring unit, the steering wheel
connecting coil, and the indicator lamp—are combined with the
air bag module during vehicle assembly.
 All the components are connected and communicate through a
wiring harness.

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Connecting air bag module to vehicle

AIR BAG TESTING

This is a test rig which is set up in the laboratory.

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 DEPLOYMENT

This is a top view of the deployed driver and passenger airbag 15

(Volvo).
 CRASH TESTING

Front air bag crash testing Side air bag crash testing

The airbag systems are crash tested under various

temperatures with and without loadings on the bag.
The results of the test are then fed to the computers where
the results are analysed 16
 REFERENCES
 Crouse W. H. and Anglin D. L, Automotive Mechanics,
Tata McGraw - Hill Education (2006).
 Kirpal Singh, Automobile Engineering, Standard
Publishers (2011).
 http://www.madehow.com

 http://auto.howstuffworks.com

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M. Tech- Design and Manufacturing, NIT Silchar.
QUESTIONS ???
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M. Tech- Design and Manufacturing, NIT Silchar.
THANK YOU
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