Where the Rubber Hits the [Off] Road
The word unique is arguably overused in the tyre business, however in the case of Michelin’s Almeria proving ground it is certainly appropriate. Situated in the south of Spain, Almeria is the largest purpose built EM/OTR test facility in the world, which means Michelin has free reign to put products such as the new XHA2 (see textbox) through all manner of torture in the name of product development. It also provides the valuable opportunity for discrete and detailed original equipment testing, something that vehicle manufacturers will clearly appreciate.
Michelin bought the 4,500-hectares of land the Almeria off-road tyre test facility is now built on in 1977. The site was chosen because it is one of the driest places in Europe with the express purpose of developing it into a centre of excellence for earthmover/off-the-road tyre developments. More than three decades after Michelin moved in, the latest generation of OTR tyres are tested on surfaces ranging from thick mud to sharp objects designed to literally stretch the company’s tyre treads to the limit. In total there are over 100 kilometres of track where automated long term testing “robots” circle various courses ad infinitum to measure durability. Throughout the site modern testing equipment is used on some of the newest and largest machines in the business. For example you can’t miss the fact that Michelin’s Almeria centre is home to the only CAT 797 currently operating in Europe.