SUZHOU, China — Smithers Rapra has expanded tire-testing capabilities at its tire and wheel testing facility in Suzhou, with the addition of six machines that cover cleated tire and wheel endurance testing; wheel impact; salt spray; and tire air permeation.
"The new testing equipment gives the Suzhou lab a 35-percent boost in capacity and broadens testing capabilities," Smithers Rapra said, without disclosing the scale of investment.
"Since the opening of our Suzhou lab in 2012, we have strived to evolve and grow with our local clients to support them with world-class testing technology and service," Smithers Rapra President Nat Leonard said.
The lab expansion, he added, is part of a strategy to grow in line with client requirements.
"We will continue to invest in new technologies and capabilities to meet the needs of the global tire and wheel industry," he said.
This is the latest of a series of investments Akron-based Smithers Rapra has disclosed of late. Others include the installation of a Flat-Trac CT Plus machine at the Smithers Tire and Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio, and an expansion of the company's winter testing facility near Brimley, Mich.