Smither Rapra will be opening a new product testing facility in Suzhou, China. The 4,000 sq.ft. facility is on the same site as its own tire and wheel testing lab. The company’s effort to grow and expand in the region is clear, and the company stated that it wants to evolve with its clients in the changing local automotive market.
The lab can test coolant hoses of international and OEM standards and custom benchmarking programs to help with research and development. Derek Read, vice president, global development, Asia region, said that the lab will also help with an air leak and burst, cleanliness, material properties, salt spray, and pressure, vibration and temperature testing.
The product testing lab, and, the wheel and tire testing lab, will be sharing resources to conduct their operations. Derek Reed said, “For example, our salt spray chamber is commonly used as part of our wheel testing services, and now will also be used to conduct corrosion testing on various automotive components, such as metal hose fittings and clamps. Equipment such as our tensile tester, which has been used to test physical properties on rubber tire components, will now be used to test the resilience of hoses and their components.”
Smither provides testing services such as material chemistry, product durability testing, tire testing, and winter testing through labs in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Image Courtesy of Smithers Rapra
