Product Validation Testing
The VisiLok nut has been subject to an extensive program of testing to ensure successful operation in the most extreme conditions.
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Millbrook Testing
Road tests were undertaken at the Millbrook Proving Ground using a Volvo FM9 26 tonne refrigerated box van.
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Visilok Brochure
A PDF version of our brochure can be viewed, saved or printed by clicking the link below. (Please note the file is 1mb).View the Visilok Brochure»
Lotus Engineering
Lotus Engineering is delighted to be working with VisiLok to design and validate a solution to the potentially fatal problem of wheel detachment.
The statistics for wheel loss in trucks and buses are alarming and when VisiLok approached Lotus Engineering with their solution to the problem, we were pleased to add our expertise to the task of combating this major industry challenge.
Using an existing VisiLok design, Lotus modified the locking device to enable manufacturing feasibility for the most effective solution for commercial vehicle operators. Following manufacture of parts, rigorous testing was carried out to validate the performance of the road safety device under the most arduous operating conditions.
The modifications made to the original VisiLok design included a more powerful spring, resulting in a more aggressive flag deployment, and moving from an open ended circular spring to a closed one for a more consistent spring load.
Laboratory and workshop based tests at the Lotus headquarters in Norfolk included operation at 140 degrees C with ambient water quench; operation at -20 degrees C; pressure wash-testing; fitting and removing tests using new and worn wheelnut sockets; and immersion in a typical vehicle cleaning fluid.
An on-vehicle testing programme at Millbrook proving ground in Bedfordshire last September included 300 miles with one nut triggered on a ten-stud wheel and a further 300 miles with a second nut triggered. Crucially, there were no adverse effects on either the wheel nut, or the wheel.
The VisiLok device is a simple mechanical solution and the requirements from VisiLok were that it should be compatible with existing commercial vehicle manufacturers products and suitable for after-market use. With the changes made to the original design, the VisiLok solution is robust, simple to use and cost-effective to produce.
As a business, Lotus Engineering is all about efficiency and innovation. We look forward to examining other ways and industries such as maritime, rail and defence in which the VisiLok nut could make a difference.