Published: 6/22/2015

Smithers announced that its tire and wheel testing laboratory in Ravenna successfully completed a laboratory alignment for the measurement of tire rolling resistance with the Global Network of Reference Laboratories defined in (EC) No1222/2009.

The correlation extends Smithers' capabilities as a leading independent tire test facility for United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation No. 117 (R117). R117 provides requirements for maximum tire rolling sound emissions, minimum wet grip performance, and the maximum rolling resistance for tires that are imported into the European market.

“Expanding our ability to test to the R117 standards at our U.S. lab provides our global customers with a network of certified Smithers laboratories to test their tires,” said Dr. James A. Popio, Vice President and General Manager of Smithers. “We can now service customers who manufacture tires for the European market at our testing laboratories in Ravenna, Ohio and Suzhou, China.”

The fully correlated Smithers Tire and Wheel Test Laboratory now allows European approval authorities’ and their clients to confidently state rolling resistance data for European type approval, conformity of production (CoP), and the EU labeling requirements that are increasingly being adopted globally. Testing to the R117 standard can be performed on C1 (passenger car) and C2 (light truck) tires. Tires that meet the ECE R117 standard are clearly labeled with a sticker to make consumers aware of key tire performance characteristics so they can make informed purchase decisions.

R117 corresponds to the ISO 28580 specification that is commonly used for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay verification, which is used to qualify truck tires for fuel efficiency used by fleets.

Smithers global network of ISO 17025 accredited tire test laboratories perform a wide variety of SAE, ASTM, ISO, UNECE and EC tests supporting raw material suppliers, tire manufacturers, and OEMs.