News
IAV conducts first crash test with a biofidelic dummy
Last week, at IAV’s crash test facility in Großmehring, the first crash test with a breakable biofidelic dummy was successfully conducted. This high-speed crash test focuses specifically on potential injuries to the driver.
After the test, the dummy was transported back to CTS and is being thoroughly examined in the specially equipped autopsy lab for possible fractures and crush injuries.
We sincerely thank Dr. Burkhard Scholz, Erik Pechthold, and Henrik Liers (VUFO) for the constructive collaboration.
Successful technical assessment in accordance with DIN ISO/IEC 17025:2018
CTS once again confirms, without any deviations, its competence as a testing laboratory for the testing of road restraint systems, support structures for road equipment, access barriers, and safety devices at roadworks.
In addition, the flexible accreditation has been converted to the new category designation. CTS is now flexibly accredited according to the new Categories A and B.
Due to the flexible accreditation in Category B, we are able — within the testing scopes specified above and without the need for prior notification to or approval from DAkkS — to freely select standardized test methods or test methods considered equivalent (with the exception of EN 1317).
CTS and SWAN RESCUE launches New Rescue Dome
Realistic Training for Firefighters, THW, and Armed Forces
We are excited to introduce the new Rescue Dome at crashtest-service (CTS) – a state-of-the-art training facility designed for firefighters, THW, and the armed forces. The Rescue Dome allows highly realistic rescue and recovery scenarios to be practiced under safe, controlled conditions.
From complex vehicle accidents and building collapses to water rescues and technical assistance operations, the Rescue Dome provides teams with practical, hands-on experience in challenging environments.
A key highlight: Our training partner Paul van der Zwaan and his Team, an internationally recognized instructor and specialist in technical rescue (Lukas Rescue Team) , collaborates with our team to ensure the highest level of professional training.
The Rescue Dome offers:
Realistic scenarios with actual vehicles and damage simulations
Cutting-edge technical rescue equipment
Workshops and training programs for units of any size
Expert guidance and customized training concepts
Interested organizations can book training sessions now:
event@crashtest-service.com or +49 2506 70 99 070.
Significant Increase: Biofidelic Dummies in Military Applications
This year, CTS has seen a marked rise in the use of our biofidelic dummies in military contexts.
Their realistic replication of human tissue and bones makes them ideal for tests under lifelike conditions — whether for evaluating protective equipment, ballistic materials, or operational scenarios.
Our biofidelic dummies help to better understand injury risks and improve protective systems in a targeted way, making a crucial contribution to the safety of personnel in the field.
We are grateful for the trust of our partners and proud that our technology contributes to the advancement of modern protection concepts.
CTS has opened new autopsy laboratory
Crashtest-Service (CTS) has opened a new autopsy laboratory that brings all analyses together in one location. The laboratory offers both manual autopsies and X-ray examinations, providing detailed insights into accident mechanisms and damage patterns. With this facility, CTS strengthens its expertise in safety research and delivers practical, well-founded results to its clients. “Our goal is to gain targeted insights for accident research and safety development,” explains the CTS team. The laboratory is now available for internal analyses as well as client projects.
Special visit from Jean Pierre Kraemer, JP Performance GmbH
Artikel "DIE ZEIT"
Professionally, he smashes cars and builds silicone chickens for turbine tests: Peter Schimmelpfennig runs Germany’s largest private crash-test center. We paid him a visit.
An interview by Dagny Lüdemann
Photography: Max Slobodda
First public X-ray crash test
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed Dynamics EMI use X-ray diagnostics in crash tests to visualise the behaviour of internal structures during an impact. At the 5th Dummy Crash Test Conference in Münster, 2 - 3 July 2025, they presented the first public X-ray crash test.
A crash lasts only 0.1 seconds, but the consequences are often severe. Even at 27 km/h, serious or fatal injuries can occur, as the impact forces act directly on the occupants while vehicle parts deform. For decades, industry and research have been working to increase the safety of occupants. This also includes understanding the complex processes inside a vehicle during a crash.
The Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed-Dynamics EMI uses the X-CC method (X-ray-Car Crash) for this purpose — a short-term X-ray technology that makes high-dynamic deformation processes visible under crash conditions. At the Dummy Crash Test Conference, Fraunhofer researchers publicly demonstrated the creation of such X-ray images for the first time. In a live test, a car collided with a pole at a speed of 27 km/h. The X-ray images showed how the vehicle structures deformed and how and when the internal structures interacted. (Text: Freunhofer EMI)
