In the course of the overall evaluation of the vehicle fleet carried out by the Office of Armaments and Defense Technology in 2006, it also became necessary to inspect the army vehicles deployed with the foreign contingents in Kosovo and Bosnia. The procurement of a mobile test stand was initiated for these and other tasks.
The test stand is a professional mobile test lane for cars, trucks and buses, 20″ foot container with test unit, office and power generator, networking with MAHA Eurosystem, weather and sun protection thanks to retractable roof. The complete test lane is ready for testing in around 25 minutes: wheel alignment tester for all vehicles, brake test for vehicles up to 18 tons axle load, wheel load scales, axle play tester with inspection area for tester, chassis tester (optional), exhaust gas tester, diesel smoke gas tester, headlight tester, brake fluid tester, independent hydraulic system for lifting and lowering the entire container, opening and closing the ramps and opening the roof. Weight around 13,000 kilograms. The periodic inspection of vehicles is regulated by § 57a of the Motor Vehicle Act (KFG 1967), also known colloquially as the “Pickerl”. The § 57a inspection checks the traffic and operational safety as well as the environmental pollution of the vehicles according to the current state of the art. This is not only for the soldiers’ own safety, but also for the protection of other road users. The legislator delegates the periodic vehicle inspection to suitable test centers and suitable persons, such as vehicle technicians. These must therefore meet strict requirements. The test center must have suitable equipment and keep clearly traceable documentation of all vehicle tests. This is done with the so-called EBV (Electronic Assessment Administration). This program is also used to generate the certificate required for further operation of the vehicle.
Daily driving, as well as different weather conditions, can lead to defects in the vehicle despite the utmost care. Many are indicated by sophisticated electronic systems, but there are also countless cases of mechanical damage that go unnoticed despite the latest technology, such as tires that are damaged on the inside or fuel lines that are leaking. This makes it all the more important that vehicles are inspected annually in accordance with § 57a. In the course of this inspection, over 130 points that contribute to road and operational safety are checked for their condition. During this inspection, 30 vehicles were checked for road and operational safety.
