Working Principle

Air-ROPS offers the world’s first Automatically Deployed RollOver Protective Structure (AD-ROPS) for off-road vehicles.

Air-ROPS technology relies in automotive state of the art components. From safety electronics to proven and reliable airbag gas inflators. The electronic control unit continously monitors the inertial condition of the vehicle until an irreversible rollover condition is achieved. When the rollover is actually happening, the electronic control unit activates the gas inflator releasing the stored gas inside the telescopic structure. The gas increases the internal pressure deploying the structure until it’s fully expanded position when the latching mechanism firmly locks the structure.

Automatic

Air-ROPS technology anables fully automatic rollover protection system for off-road and agricultural machinery. Fully automatic means that rollover protection does not rely any more in the operator willingness to unfold the ROPS

  •  AD-Structure The AD structure is the mechanical element that provides real protection and energy absortion after the rollover.Learn More  
  •  Gas Inflator The gas inflator is the energy storage that commanded by the ACU unit deploys the AD structure. Learn More  
  •  ACU The ACU sensors and electronics constantly monitors de vehicle dynamics and the system status. Learn More  

1 Air-ROPS Control Unit (ACU)

The ACU is the electronic unit that manages the system safety functions and operator warning alerts. Automotive safety components assure the functional safety and reliability requirements for harsh environments.

It consists of inertial motion sensors, logic, pyrotechnic drivers and outputs to monitor the vehicle motion, manage the pyrotechnic inflator and alert the operator of the system status.

Safety – The ACU has been certified according to Functional safety, mechanical, electrical and environmental standards for electronic control units:

  • ISO 25119: Funcional safety for electronic control systems
  • ISO 15003: Mechanical, electrical and environmental testing of electronic control units
  • Enclosures protection
  • Air pressure resistance
  • Mechanical shock and vibration
  • EMC resistance (emission, inmunity, discharge)
  • Electrical resistance (overvoltage, undervoltage, transients, short circuit, reverse polarity)

Active safety – The ACU provides active safety protection. The system will provide warnings when the stability and dynamics of the vehicle can pose risk or rollover

Passive safety – The ACU will accurately activate the squib driver when the triggering condition is achieved

2 Gas Inflator

The gas inflator is the element responsible for expanding the structure from the collapsed to the extended position.
Air-ROPS gas inflators are homologated according to the highest autmotive standards and are thoroughly validated in the electric, environmental and mechanical domain. Standards include:

  • “ISO 12097: Road vehicles -Airbag components (Inflators validation)
  • “ISO 14451: Pyrotechnic articles for vehicles (directive 2007/23/CE)
  • AK – LV 09: Pyrotechnic articles for vehicles
  • USCAR 24-2: Pyrotechnic articles for vehicles
  1. The electrical impulse from the ACU ignites the initiator. Initiator charge ignites the propellant.
  2. The generated overpressure opens the isolation disk which releases a shock front into the gas bottle.
  3. The shock front propagates the length of the bottle and ruptures the burst disk.
  4. Gas flows through the nozzle and into the diffuser where it is diffused into the deplyable structure.
  5. The inflator generates the internal pressure to deploy the telescopic bars.
  6. Burst time of the gas generator depends on size and power oscillating between 15 and 50 ms.
  7. Total deployment time of the structure can vary from 120ms up to 250 ms max.

3 Expandable ROPS structure

The structure consists of telescopic tubes that remain collapsed with a minimum footprint and perfectly suited for low clearance operations.

The structure can simultaneously deploy in 2 dimensions (vertically and horizontally) increasing the safety space from its reduced footprint when collapsed

The latching mechanism of the structure maintains the structure locked in its expanded position. Its failsafe design is embedded inside the structure providing outstanding protection against the environment elements.

The air-ROPS system design and latching mechanisms have been validated according the OECD standards for agricultural tractors and ISO 3471 for machines up to 5000 kg

Advantages