Tire Testing Equipment Solutions

Cleat and High-Speed Uniformity Machine

The Cleat and High-Speed Uniformity machine is used to assess ride and comfort for a vehicle and to generate accurate tire models. This is a special machine that is used to apply prescribed impacts onto the tire or to measure the subtle differences in ride between various tires. In both cases, the tests demand superior stiffnesses and highly sensitive instrumentation to ensure that the data are not affected by machine compliance and vibrations.

KEY BENEFITS

• Top of Class performance ideal for tire modeling and ride and comfort studies
• Easy to use ProLINK interface provides unmatched ability to tailor tests to customer’s needs

KEY FEATURES

• Rigid, 2.4 meter (8-foot) drum.
• Stiff structure with natural frequencies approaching 200 Hz.
• Various cleat sizes in both transverse and diagonal orientations
• ProLINK complete programming flexibility
• Kistler P530 measurement head provides industry-standard reliability

Talk to An Expert

321 Flat Belt Machine

The 321 Flat Belt Machine supplies a flexible and efficient platform for tire performance characterization on a flat belt. The system combines advanced technology with proven hardware and software, resulting in dependable, repeatable, and accurate testing in support of tire development process.

KEY FEATURES

Compared to existing flat-belt designs, LINK and Calspan’s 321 Flat Belt design brings three unique aspects: a hexapod tire positioning mechanism, an off-board motor, and a longitudinal slideway allowing for static testing. These distinct features result in a more capable machine that can tackle a wide range of tire testing parameters. Key features include:

• Hexapod tire positioning mechanism
  • Allows for precise control of all 6 axis
  • Adds tire degrees of freedom not present in other flat-belt designs (longitudinal and lateral translation)
• Steel plate on a longitudinal slideway
  • Can be moved under the tire to perform stiffness tests on the same machine
  • Can be used for complicated parking forces testing
• Modular system, separating tire manipulator, drive motor, and roadway
  • Makes for easier/simpler repairs

APPLICATIONS

The 321 Flat Belt machine achieves an accurate assessment of forces and moments applied to the tire under realistic operating conditions, but without the limitations found on many conventional force and moment machines. So not only can LINK and Calspan’s 321 Flat Belt machine conduct standard force and moment tests, it can also replicate the motion of the tire caused by suspension geometries, with the following capabilities: 

• Ability to offset the tire from the rotation (SAE-Z) axis to replicate a scrub radius 
• Ability to replicate kingpin inclination angles and resulting motions during a steering event 

Force generation is complex when the tire experiences both rotations and sliding caused by scrub radii and changing inclination angles. Modeling these forces is even further complicated when the kingpin inclination angle shifts the contact patch from one sidewall to the other during the steering event. 

The 321 Flat Belt system provides the unique capability of testing the exact conditions the tire will see, long before a prototype vehicle is developed. This gives the automotive customer insight to optimally size power steering pumps and related equipment early in the design cycle.

Talk to An Expert

All-in-One Rolling Drum Machine

A rolling drum type machine is used for a large variety of standard tire test procedures. High-speed uniformity, cleat and enveloping, rolling resistance, durability, and even wear tests can all be performed on rolling drum machines. Each test focuses on different aspects of the tire, so various drum machines have been designed to specialize on each type of test individually. LINK and Calspan’s All-In-One drum machine is designed as the perfect middle-ground for all these tests, offering reliable and accurate data for any type of drum test, all on one machine.

KEY FEATURES

The All-In-One drum machine features two stations with differing capabilities and specialties. One station has controllable camber and steer, and the other head only controls the radial load. This way, tests that require control of camber and steer can be performed without impacting the data needed from a stiffer sensor head.

• Piezoelectric Station
  • Controlled Z-axis
  • Ideal for High Speed Uniformity or Cleat testing
• Strain-Gauge Station
  • Controlled Z-axis, Camber, & Steer
  • Ideal for Rolling Resistance, Wear, Durability, and Playback tests
• Changeable surface shell

APPLICATIONS

As its name suggests, the All-In-One machine can do it all! The 8-foot diameter drum reaches the perfect compromise between cyclic tests such as cleat testing, and tests that desire a flat footprint such as wear testing. The Piezoelectric station has higher stiffness, necessary for sensitive tests such as high speed uniformity. The Strain-Gauge station allows additional control for camber and steer, necessary for playback & force and moment testing.

Instead of needing multiple machines to perform a suite of tests, this machine will do everything. Some of the common types of tests this machine can perform are listed below:

• Cleat testing, including enveloping tests
• High/Low speed uniformity
• Rolling resistance testing
• Wear simulation, including convoy playback capabilities
• Durability tests
• NVH measurements, with optional anechoic chamber

Talk to An Expert