Bofors Test Center
www.testcenter.se

Test to be best

Bofors Test Center, located in the middle of Sweden in Karlskoga, has assets including a fully functional proving ground. The overall length is 30 km and the width is 5 km. Together with the neighbouring training field of the Swedish Armed Forces, they hold control of an area larger than 200 km2.

The proving ground is privately owned and its area is restricted to the general public. This restricted status is permanently enforced for a distance of 18 km downrange and may be extended to the entire area whenever needed. Ready access is also available to the Swedish Armed Forces firing range in Älvdalen, with an area of 440 km2.

The supporting facilities include; a complete workshop for assembling testing or reference items, stores containing frequently used propellant and high explosives as well as shells and cartridge casings, which make it possible to supply the essentials for the testing of different components. There is also a mechanical workshop for overhauling barrels as well as complete guns. Due to the large size of the working area, Bofors test Center has its own transport organization that includes ADR license certification for the managed transport of dangerous goods. There is a road system on the proving ground that totals more than 200 km. A small part of this road system is the test track for armoured vehicles, the test area for demining purposes as well as off-road track making various types of cross-country tests possible.

One day is never the same at the proving ground. There are five stationary test sites that can operate simultaneously and can handle a wide variety of tests, for example:

Testing can be performed on either complete systems or on the component level. For example, propellants, complete charges, barrels and different parts of a missile system can be tested on the component level.

The measurement department can freeze the fastest event using their transient recorders. Together with the many sensors and transducers they can provide you all the data that you want after a test. Various types of Doppler radar are used daily to record velocities, in the bore, muzzle and trajectory. For the fastest events, flashed X-ray photo technique is used that gives exposure time less than 50 nanoseconds.

Many components are tested separately: warheads and missiles is tested against relevant targets or in arena set ups so that they can be tested at striking velocities achieved either by means of an air gun or by a rocket sledge on a 400 m track. The flash X-ray photography can record essential data before and in the impact event.

On site there is also a wind tunnel in which fins, rudders and radomes are subjected to aerodynamic stress. The tunnel is capable of speeds starting at 30 m/s up to mach 3.6. High-velocity aerodynamic performance is studied using scale models. At lower velocities or on smaller test objects full-scale tests are possible.

The ability to test components withstanding bore acceleration by firing, followed by soft recovery is done in different ways:

To locate the object specially trained dogs can be used.

Most of the tests are carried out after exposing the products to simulated harsh environment in the Environmental Stress Laboratory. It is a complete laboratory and most Mil spec demands can be carried out and tests can comply with MIL-STD 810.

One area in which Bofors Test Center is growing is the ability to test munitions according to Insensitive Munition (IM) standards. Growth is also evident within the field of life surveillance for munitions.

Bofors Test Center
Bofors Skjutfält 201
SE691 52 Karlskoga
Sweden

www.testcenter.se
info@testcenter.se

 

 

Click here to obtain a copy of WORLD DEFENCE SYSTEMS