Tire Testing: An Essential Practice for the Tire Industry’s Future
The latest issue of Tyre Trends magazine explores the critical role of tire testing, driving safety, and sustainable technologies. It features exclusive insights from Ilkka Lehtoranta, Head of Tire and Material Development at Black Donuts Inc., highlighting the synergy between simulation tools and real-world tire testing in tire development.
Lehtoranta emphasizes that while simulation tools like Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are crucial during the design and validation stages, real-world tire testing remains irreplaceable for assessing performance and safety. Simulations are powerful for initial assessments, but physical testing in outdoor environments offers valuable insights that cannot be replicated by simulations under diverse and challenging conditions.
As he stated in his interview with Tyre Trends: “Alongside advanced laboratory equipment and various simulation methods, real-world tire testing remains essential now and in the future. Testing tires in diverse physical conditions is crucial for final evaluation and validation. This will continue to be a key part of tire development moving forward.”
Comprehensive Testing Facilities
Black Donuts offers comprehensive tire testing services through its subsidiary, BD Testing. Their facilities in Northern Sweden cater to winter testing, while year-round testing is conducted in Finland. Tires are rigorously evaluated for grip, handling, noise, and comfort on various surfaces. A combination of skilled engineers and experienced drivers ensures accurate and actionable test results, enabling tire designs to be refined based on real-world performance data.
Additionally, Black Donuts supports tire homologation and certification processes. BD Testing provides accredited testing services and official reports for regulatory authorities, including European homologation tests for snow and ice performance. Specialized assessments, such as road wear impact evaluations for studded tires, are also offered to address Scandinavian market needs.
The company conducts internal testing to benchmark performance, monitor market trends, and gather valuable data. As Lehtoranta explains: “This continuous research helps us to identify industry standards and emerging trends, ensuring that our tire development projects remain innovative and competitive.”
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