With the opening of a new indoor facility for testing winter tyres, Yokohama Rubber says it can improve the accuracy of its test data and thus develop more advanced technologies. The indoor test centre is located at Yokohama Rubber’s Tire Test Center of Hokkaido (TTCH) facility in Asahikawa City, Japan, and began testing tyres on 5 January ahead of its official inauguration on 30 January.
Rubber, plastics and composites testing specialist Smithers Rapra recently ran training at the Tire Technology Training Course, which was organized by The Rubber Institute of Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China along with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
Davanti Tyres has been awarded TÜV SÜD accreditation for its DX390 high performance car tyre. The company states that the accolade helps to set Davanti aside as a trusted brand, reinforcing its commitment to safety, reliability, and durability. The DX390 was tested against several mid-range competitors; in gaining the TÜV seal the tyre’s weighted outcome outperformed all tested rivals in most safety-relevant criteria, like wet and dry braking. Davanti added that its close cooperation with the testing organisation during the testing process has also led to significant improvements in quality and performance.
Hankook opened its Technotrac winter tyre testing facility in Ivalo, Finland early in 2017. With facilities ready for both commercial vehicle testing and future expansion, the facility will help the manufacturer push forward its winter and all-season ranges for the European and global markets. Tyres & Accessories spoke to vice president Klaus Krause, head of the Europe Technical Center about its European Technotrac winter testing facility and the segment in general.
Following on from the TÜV SÜD testing carried out for Membat last year, the tyre brand commissioned the testing and certification specialist to once again compare Membat tyres against rival products. This time the Membat Passion was tested in size 205/55 R16 91 V against B segment brand products manufactured by Michelin and Continental (Membat hasn’t disclosed the specific brand or product family). Membat comments that “the results speak for themselves.”
Millbrook Group is to expand its Test World site in Finland, which will see it become Europe’s leading location for tyre testing. The project will increase the capacity for testing on natural snow and ice, and introduce wet and dry braking, aquaplaning and split friction surfaces. News of the expansion project was announced on 12 June.
Horiba Mira has improved its capabilities in Electromagnetic Compatibility testing, investing in a range of new components to add to its world-class facilities. As part of the £0.5m investment, Horiba Mira has acquired a range of products which support the latest developments in plug-in vehicle technology.
Six tyre manufacturers – Bridgestone Americas, Continental Tire, Cooper Tire & Rubber, Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Hankook Tire and Michelin North America – and independent, third party laboratory Smithers Rapra have announced a testing partnership to introduce a new MTS Flat-Trac CT Plus tyre test system at the Smithers Tire and Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio.
Goodyear has opened its new Tire Test Laboratory at its Innovation Center in Luxembourg. The manufacturer said it will measure tyre development performance, conduct regulatory and homologation tests, and perform quality control at the state-of-the art facility. The lab includes the latest technology for testing car, light truck and commercial truck tyres.
Pirelli has defined the development programme for its 2018 slick and wet weather Formula One tyres in agreement with F1’s teams and the FIA. Starting with the recently completed Bahrain test, the programme will conclude with testing on 14-15 November at Interlagos, Brazil.
Pirelli has conducted its first in-season test of 2017 at the Bahrain International Circuit, which hosted last weekend’s grand prix. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel tested next year’s development tyres with Pirelli throughout Tuesday, for one of the two days, driving a total of 130 laps on the tyres. The next test will take place from 16-17 May in Barcelona, where Renault and Toro Rosso will try out some 2018 development tyres on behalf of Pirelli.
Smithers Rapra has launched new mixing technology at its lab in Akron, Ohio. The new MXI 1L Lab Kneader Mixer, installed at the company’s analytical laboratory, allows for higher precision and more efficient mixing of custom compounds.
The 2017 summer tyre test season is over and the winners and losers have been determined. While the winter tyre tests last autumn were dominated by a handful of premium manufacturers, most notably Continental, during the current test season the products from many more tyre makers gave convincing results. Falken, Fulda, Toyo and Vredestein are […]
Rubber, plastics and composites testing company Smithers Rapra recently held its first Tire Technology Symposium in China. According to the research and testing firm, the event brought together about 70 members of the Chinese tyre industry to share technical knowledge, regulatory expertise and business insight. The symposium covered the industry supply chain, including automotive OEMs, tyre manufacturers and retailers.
Pirelli has revealed its first test of the new, wider 2017 specification Formula One tyres will be on 1-2 August at Ferrari’s Fiorano circuit, near Modena in northern Italy. The tyre supplier will use a modified Ferrari SF15-T, at the test, during which the track will be artificially dampened in order to carry out tests with Cinturato intermediate and full wet tyres. Testing will continue immediately on 3-4 August, when Red Bull will test the new P Zero slick tyres at Mugello.
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