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Advanced Driving Simulator for Vehicle Testing
Simtec engineered a suspended driving simulator for DLR, enabling real-world vehicle testing in height-restricted facilities.
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HEXaDRIVE®: Reproducing Real-World Motion
Controlled, repeatable 6-DOF motion for reproducing complex real-world movements — configured for your test requirements.
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Product Description
HEXaDRIVE® is Simtec’s family of configurable 6-DOF hexapod motion test systems for industrial testing and simulation. Based on a hexapod architecture, the motion platform reproduces defined static positions and dynamic motion sequences under controlled laboratory conditions, enabling repeatable reproduction of real-world test scenarios in the test environment.
This makes it possible to investigate how a product or system responds to changing motion conditions without relying solely on field testing. Across the HEXaDRIVE® family, platform configuration and dynamic performance are matched to the requirements of the respective test setup — from the required payload and motion characteristics to the mechanical integration of the test object.
Real-World Motion Reproduction
Combine translational and rotational movement into coordinated 6-DOF profiles that reproduce complex motion encountered under real-world conditions.
Motion Capture & Replay
Capture real-world motion with Simtec’s optional MDAS and reproduce the recorded profiles on HEXaDRIVE® under controlled laboratory conditions.
Configured for Your Requirements
HEXaDRIVE® configurations cover different payloads, travel ranges, velocities, and accelerations to match the motion required by the test.
Electric or Hydraulic Drive
HEXaDRIVE® can be engineered with electric or hydraulic actuation. The drive concept is selected according to the motion, payload, and overall system requirements of the application.
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Engineered Around Your Test
The required motion profile, payload, and laboratory setup determine how a HEXaDRIVE® system is configured. Simtec adapts the platform to these requirements — from the drive concept and required motion envelope to the mechanical integration of the test object. Custom load interfaces and fixtures ensure that components and assemblies can be integrated into the setup in a way that matches the actual test task.
Where the test extends beyond motion alone, HEXaDRIVE® can become the motion core of a broader test environment. Simtec accessories expand the setup with additional capabilities for test control, data acquisition and environmental simulation. Depending on the application, systems such as HEXaCONTROL, MDAS, and the Environmental Simulation Dome (ESD) can be integrated around the platform to create a test environment tailored to the specific requirements.
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HEXaDRIVE® Specifications
The HEXaDRIVE® family covers different payload and performance classes for a wide range of test requirements. Compare the standard platform configurations by payload, operating frequency, and power to identify the closest fit for your application.
EP – Higher Payload Configurations
HEXaDRIVE® EP variants are designed for applications with increased payload requirements, extending the load capacity within the respective platform class.
Ex – Hazardous Environment Configurations
Selected HEXaDRIVE® platforms are available in Ex-protected configurations for operation in potentially explosive atmospheres.
HEXaDRIVE® 5
Max. Payload
500 kg
Max. Operating Frequency
5 Hz
Power
18.5 kW
HEXaDRIVE® 10 / HEXaDRIVE® 10 Ex
Max. Payload
200 kg
Max. Operating Frequency
10 Hz
Power
37 kW
HEXaDRIVE® 10 EP / HEXaDRIVE® 10 EP Ex
Max. Payload
700 kg
Max. Operating Frequency
10 Hz
Power
55 kW
HEXaDRIVE® 20
Max. Payload
350 kg
Max. Operating Frequency
20 Hz
Power
55 kW
HEXaDRIVE® 20 EP / HEXaDRIVE® 20 EP Ex
Max. Payload
1500 kg
Max. Operating Frequency
20 Hz
Power
132 kW
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Have an idea, a specific requirement or a challenging space to work with? Talk to us about your project. We will connect you with the right specialist at Simtec.
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Alexander Bresinsky
Director Business Development
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The Best Trust Simtec
Simtec is proud to have provided products and services to world-famous brands and companies.
Testimonial
“Simtec’s simulators bring real-world conditions into a controlled environment.“
The German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Test Systems References
Review our successfully deployed test rigs at global OEMs and research labs validating tomorrow’s technologies under strict laboratory control.
HEXaDRIVE®: Advanced Test Rig Manufacturing & Motion Simulation
Multi-Industry 6 DOF Motion Platforms and Environmental Simulation
As a leading test rig manufacturer, Simtec Systems delivers high-fidelity motion simulation environments that expand across a vast array of commercial sectors, industrial niches, and academic research institutions. Our standard-setting 6-DOF motion platforms, globally recognized under the HEXaDRIVE® brand, are explicitly engineered to replicate complex multi-axis forces inside advanced testing laboratories. This dynamic versatility is vital for packaging validation, offshore maritime safety, hydrogen storage tank analysis, military applications, and specialized SCR testing arrays where components face harsh cyclic stresses and aggressive fluid sloshing behavior. To maximize testing depth, these heavy-duty hexapods combine smoothly with an integrated environmental simulation dome. This module enables operators to run synchronized kinetics alongside rapid temperature loops (–30°C to +60°C), absolute altitude pressure drop, and variable relative humidity profiles simultaneously inside a single setup.
By establishing a fully controlled, repeatable test loop, the HEXaDRIVE® architecture ensures that validation procedures remain completely traceable and automated for rigorous compliance audits. From chemical flow evaluation to green energy testing, Simtec provides the ultimate multi-disciplinary platform solution for leading global industries and university testing spaces.
Bespoke Custom Test Solutions and Tailored Dynamic Trajectories
For validation challenges that demand technical setups beyond standard catalog boundaries, Simtec utilizes its deep in-house engineering capabilities to develop bespoke custom test solutions from scratch. We understand that specialized automotive human factors analysis, advanced drone landing trials, and academic aerospace investigations often require non-standard kinematics and adaptive load interfaces.
Our multi-disciplinary engineering team designs and manufactures unique custom motion system architectures that integrate open software environments, localized safety barriers, and tailored media conditioning networks seamlessly. By treating movement as a controllable, safety-critical system component, we deliver highly reliable custom test rigs explicitly engineered for a structural design life of at least twenty years under continuous normal operating profiles.
Partner with Simtec to transform your unprecedented testing challenges into repeatable, operational laboratory realities today.
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