The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has purchased new VI-grade driving simulators, including a dynamic model, which the company says is a first for tire manufacturers.
Goodyear has selected a Compact Simulator recently delivered to the company’s innovation center in Luxembourg, and a Dynamic Driving Simulator DiM250 (Driver-in-Motion) that will be installed in Akron, Ohio, in the coming months.
“This level of simulation sophistication will allow Goodyear to drive breakthroughs in future tire creation, leading to an enhanced customer and driver experience,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. “I’m proud to say that Goodyear is leading the industry with VI-grade and our simulation solutions, and we look forward to sharing that benefit with our customers.”
The automotive industry trend toward a virtual development cycle provides an opportunity for tire development and this new simulation avenue will allow Goodyear to work more collaboratively with automobile manufacturers on original equipment fitments, the company says.
In May 2018, Michelin also partnered with VI-grade to integrate TameTire – a thermomechanical simulator developed by Michelin on the basis of tire – with VI-CarRealTime, VI-grade’s flagship product for real-time automotive simulations.
For Goodyear, the driving simulators will be used for virtual development and tuning of dynamic performances of tires, aided by the ability to simulate a range of driving conditions, Goodyear says.
