Mobility Aid Testing Information & Videos

Convaid is an industry leader in product testing of our lightweight wheelchairs! We subject our adult and pediatric wheelchairs to vigorous testing to ensure that when you buy a Convaid folding portable wheelchair, you are buying the safest, most durable product on the market. Convaid performs a full range of tests to check for safety, strength, stability, and endurance. The following links allow you to read / view the actual tests performed on the premises.

Crash Test
Repetitive Drop Test
Strength Test
Stability Test
Wrack Test

Crash Test [Back to Top]

Convaid is at the forefront of transit safety! We were the first wheelchair manufacturer to design a transit wheelchair for use in a bus or van. Additionally, we invented the red tie-down anchors and coined the term “transit chair”.

Our transit wheelchairs are designed and extensively tested for use as a seat in a motor vehicle. As a result of this extensive testing, our mobility aids meet and in most cases exceed WC19 performance requirements. We have our own crash test facility built specifically to duplicate the WC19 conditions for preliminary testing. Results are then validated by crash testing our folding portable wheelchairs at a leading University in Michigan.

During a preliminary crash test, a fully loaded transit wheelchair is accelerated down a 140’ track at 30 MPH and brought to a controlled impact, creating 20g’s. What this means, is that everything weights 20 times its original weight (our 170 lb crash test dummy weighs 3,400 lbs during impact!).

Click here to view the Crash Test video.

Repetitive Drop Test [Back to Top]

The Repetitive Drop Test measures the strength and endurance of a lightweight wheelchair. It involves lifting a fully loaded folding portable wheelchair 4 cm off of the ground and dropping it in a repetitive cycle. A complete test contains 6,666 drops and is remarkably severe. This test follows the guidelines of The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA), Volume 1 / Section 8.

Click here to view the Drop Test video.

Stability Test [Back to Top]

The Center of Gravity Test, known as the “Stability Test”, measures an adult or pediatric wheelchair for stability. This test uses a tilting platform to determine the center of gravity of a fully loaded wheelchair with the brakes applied. By discovering the center of gravity, we can design a well balanced / steady wheelchair.

The tilt machine is also used as a research and development tool - it is used to determine wheel spacing and tilt angles so that we can manufacture the safest wheelchair possible. The Stability Test conforms to guidelines set by The American National Standard Institute.

Click here to view the Stability Test (Center of Gravity Stability) video.

Strength Test (Bumpy Road Test) [Back to Top]

The Accelerated Fatigue Strength Test, known as the Bumpy Road Test, is our most severe test. This test simulates the harshest conditions to ensure durability. Using a twin drum device, we subject a fully loaded lightweight wheelchair to a grueling 100 hours of simulated bumpy road strain. One hundred hours is TWICE the National Standard and gives Convaid the confidence to offer a lifetime warranty on our lightweight wheelchairs.

Click here to view the Bumpy Road (Accelerated Fatigue Strength) video.

Wrack Test [Back to Top]

Many Convaid folding portable wheelchairs use a “spring loaded” frame design that allows for the frame to flex when going over bumps or uneven surfaces, providing natural shock absorption. To test the frame for this flexibility, we developed The Wrack Test. The Wrack Test machine grabs the wheels on the wheelchair, and twists the frame back and forth. After 10,000 cycles at 8-degrees deflection, all Convaid wheelchairs tested still tracked straight. Currently, we are the only wheelchair manufacturer that subjects our mobility aids to this type of test.

Click here to view the Wrack Test video.

Contact us for more information regarding our quality testing of all lightweight wheelchairs and pediatric strollers. For durability, safety, and quality look no further than Convaid for your mobility aid.