Millbrook , UK – Millbrook Group is expanding its Test World site in Finland with a view to making the facility “Europe’s leading location for tire testing”, the company has announced.
The project will increase the capacity for testing on natural snow and ice, and introduce wet and dry braking, aquaplaning and split friction surfaces, said a 12 June statement.
Customers, noted Millbrook, can already test tires and vehicles on natural snow at Test World 12 months of the year. The site currently has two indoor winter test facilities which can be used in the milder months when the outdoor snow and ice tracks are not available.
The proposed expansion will create three additional indoor areas, doubling the amount of indoor testing space.
The wet and dry braking facility will open Test World to a new market, attracting customers who wish to test winter tyres on wet and dry surfaces as well as on snow and ice, the company said.
The length of the extended facility will allow Test World to test brakes on passenger cars at higher speeds than possible in the existing space, the statement added. The adjustable temperature and humidity will give an advantage to development, certification and labelling testing for tires by allowing greater environmental control.
“Once complete, the laboratory will provide the majority of objective tests required by tire manufacturers at one facility, year-round,” said Millbrook. “The results of tests conducted indoors on natural snow at Test World are comparable to outdoor results, and so tire manufacturers now have more of an appetite for such tests.”
New garages will be added as part of the expansion to support the increased number of tests.
The expansion is something customers have been asking for, according to Janne Seurujärvi, managing director, Test World.
“The new capabilities will allow us to provide a fuller service to our current and prospective customers, ultimately saving them time and money by providing more services on a single site,” Seurujärvi said.
