Smithers has invested in new equipment to measure footprint, load deflection and inflation pressure loss rate at its Tire & Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio.
The new footprint and load deflection machine can accommodate passenger, truck and bus radial tires, including Super Singles, the company says. The machine can conduct footprint shape and pressure distribution and offers a second station for longitudinal, lateral and vertical spring rate testing. It was custom built for the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center to improve testing lead times and support clients’ evolving data requirements, the company says.
Smithers has also invested in the capability to condition and measure inflation pressure loss rate (IPLR) to most industry standards. The new testing room, which is also located at the test center in Ravenna, is equipped with multiple HVAC systems offering two independent temperature zones for evaluating the rate at which a tire loses air pressure over a given time period.