Todays vehicles are far different than they were just a few years ago. As a manufacture of emergency vehicle equipment, we (D&R Electronics) take very careful consideration as to how we develop our mounting products and consoles. we work with the manufacture in terms of where the primary strength point are on a vehicle and then design around those areas.
just bolting to the floor of a vehicle you can interfere with structural integrity, secure items to weak points and drill or bolt through venting, wiring, sensors etc. We take note of every sensor in a vehicle, and these include everything from seat position sensors, starting sensors and wireless sensors for the control of start buttons vehicles. Some that control air bag, or vehicle starting, remote control receivers are placed in areas that are not to be removed or relocated as per the manufacture. Also some must not be touched by other metal so these must be carefully considered when floor mounting plates are designed and installed.
When we design a floor plate, or a console for a new vehicle we strip the vehicle of all the seating and them obtain 3D CAD models from the manufacture which we in turn, integrate our 3D cad systems to create a solution that meets the manufacture specifications and does not interfere with the manufactures components.
recently we have create da dash kit for the ford Interceptor Sedan and utility where we relocate the dash and design a mounting system to place a tablet dock or a separate computer screen in the dash. Not only does this create an environment that does not take up a lot of space but also a safe cockpit for the officers driving the vehicle. We also spend up to $10K in blowing airbags to ensure the safety of the components we develop for vehicles.
By no means is the day of just bolting to the floor anymore. Those that to, your risking serious to fatal injuries in the event of an accident if items are not secured properly they will become projectiles.
