Camber Ridge launches a state-of-the-art indoor tyre test track facility

Camber Ridge, LLC has announced its financial partnership with Teton Capital, LLC of Jackson, Wyoming, to launch a new state-of-the-art facility for vehicle tyre characterisation, which will begin operations in 2016. The facility aims to offer all the advantages of testing
real tyres on real surfaces, but with the precision, environmental control and repeatability of a laboratory environment.

The new facility is located in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) just seven miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and in the midst of the region's growing automotive research and manufacturing cluster. Teton Capital is backing the commercialisation of Camber Ridge patented tyre testing and characterisation technologies that promise to deliver new scientific insights into tyre performance that are required to serve the automotive industry's commitments to fuel efficiency, safety and future technologies such as autonomous driving.

Unlike traditional tyre testing laboratories that use stationary test equipment, Camber Ridge will test tyres on a unique indoor test track, a paved 0.5 mile oval, using specially developed test carriages that are propelled along a guide rail system. Operations will begin with Camber Ridge's 'Genesis' tyre test carriage, a 9,000N capacity force and moment testing rig intended for passenger vehicle and light commercial tyres up to 34-inch diameter and at speeds up to 65 mph. Initial running will be on dry reference surfaces at a controlled ambient temperature but the facility is being designed for phased introductions of additional paved surfaces, water testing and other controlled conditions.

"Our approach is to combine the best features of traditional laboratory testing with the best features of proving ground testing, such that tyre measurements are both repeatable and accurate," said Dr. James F. Cuttino, CEO, Camber Ridge.

Posted in: Accessories,North America,United States