(Akron, Ohio) – Smithers, a leading provider of testing, consulting, information, and compliance services, announced that it has moved its tire, wheel, and product testing operation in Suzhou, China into a new 7,200 square meter building in the Xiangcheng district. The new space supports the company’s continuous growth plans and ongoing commitment to high-level services for its global clients.

Moving to the new building has allowed for significant expansion of each testing group’s laboratory footprint. The size of the product testing lab has increased by 90%, with plans to invest in more testing equipment to further expand testing capabilities. Currently, the lab’s testing capabilities include:

●       Pressure

●       Vibration

●       Temperature, including thermal cycling and humidity

              ●    PVT/Durability (Pressure, Vibrations & Temperature)

●       Impulse

●       Burst and leak

●       Vacuum

●       Fluid compatibility

●       Fatigue

●       Corrosion

●       Cleanliness

Smithers also added a new slip angle and camber angle tire durability machine to its Suzhou-based tire and wheel testing laboratory. This new tire durability testing machine is able to provide dynamic camber angle and dynamic slip angle control from -5 degrees to 5 degrees, expanding the lab’s test capabilities to meet the requirements of OEMs. The new equipment has a maximum speed of 350 kilometers or 217 miles per hour and a maximum testing load of 3000 kilograms or 6614 pounds. The tire and wheel lab also expanded its IPLR chamber to accommodate truck and bus tires in addition to passenger and light truck tires.

In addition to laboratory space, the new building includes state-of-the-art classrooms and conference rooms for on-site training and industry meetings.

“This new space offers a significant opportunity for us to increase our service portfolio in support of our clients in Asia. We are already working to determine the next steps of our plan to invest in additional testing capabilities,” said Derek Read, Vice President of Asia Operations, Materials Science and Engineering, Smithers. “Additionally, we look forward to hosting our industry partners and peers in our new gathering spaces in the future.”

Both the product testing laboratory and the tire and wheel testing laboratory are fully operational in the new space and are already conducting testing work for clients.

Smithers established tire and wheel testing operations in Suzhou in 2011 to serve its existing global clients and a growing market in Asia. The Suzhou-based product testing lab was opened in 2017. Both laboratories are ISO 17025 accredited.