Kumho opens European tyre testing facility

A new tyre testing facility has been added to Kumho’s European Technical Centre (KETC) in Papenburg, Germany. The 1,000 square metre premises will facilitate the upwards of 3,000 tyres that the KETC tests a year and it houses a nine-strong test team along with all the required tyres and wheel rims. Kumho says the adjacent proving ground has been particularly designed to encompass subjective handling, wet handling characteristics, aquaplaning, driving comfort, interior/exterior noise and braking on all surfaces. These activities are supported by GPS-based measurement systems and digital evaluation of the tyre footprints.

The new centre will manage all KETC’s outdoor test requirements, while any additional needs will be catered for by a mix of the facilities at Idiada (Spain), Nardo (Italy), Nürburgring (Germany) and Ivalo (Finland). Commenting on the new resource at Papenburg, KETC’s manager of outside testing, Sven Rath, said: “The creation of this self-contained test centre is another important milestone in our latest product strategy, and invaluable in terms of our research and product development for the European market.”