13 Jan 2025
Cooling equipment installed at Japanese site extends use of R&D facilities from two months to four months
Nayoro, Japan – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has upgraded its winter tire development centre with the installation of a cooling system at its indoor ice testing facility in Nayoro.
Located at SRI’s Nayoro tire proving grounds service, Nayoro indoor ice field (NICE) serves as the company's winter tire development base.
In a 17 Dec statement, the Japanese tire maker said the development period for winter tires is becoming shorter every year due to warm winters.
The cooling system will ensure stable tire development that is not affected by weather changes, it added.
The additional equipment will enable the main development period to be extended from two months (January to February) to four months (December to March).
In addition, it will also make it possible to carry out development testing at road temperatures of -5 degree C to -15 degrees C – as required for the "ice grip symbol" on tires.
Operational since January 2021, NICE features a building area of 3,000m2; a braking test track with total length of 100m and a turning test track of 30m x 30m.
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