Apollo says it has become the first tire manufacturer in India to gain accreditation from the NABL, the country’s governing body for outdoor regulatory testing.
Following the tire manufacturer’s collaboration with the Global Automotive Research Centre (GARC) to bring tire labeling and certification tests to India, Apollo has received an ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for track testing of wet-grip and coast-by-noise tire tests.
Apollo’s new testing capability comes as the Indian government plans to introduce a star rating for tires, in line with the new tire labeling regulations being introduced in Europe. The main objective of the project is to improve the safety, costs and environmental efficiency of road transport via safer tires that are more fuel efficient and create less noise. Furthermore, the new AIS 142 automotive industry standard is being prepared in line with UNECE R 117. The regulation applies to the evaluation of tires in regard to rolling noise emissions, tire adhesion on wet surfaces and rolling resistance.
“The new testing capabilities developed by Apollo Tires show a very good level of accuracy and reliability, and the test results are well accepted by European homologation authorities,” commented Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer at Apollo Tires. “This will enable Apollo Tires to reduce time-to-market for its products, along with a reduction in testing costs.”
When the country’s government originally planned to implement star ratings, there was an inadequate amount of NABL-accredited testing infrastructure in India. The NABL, also known as the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, has since given the Apollo Tires test center a certificate of accreditation for ‘general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories’. The accreditation has also been extended to cover track tests for wet grip and coast-by noise for C1, C2 and C3 categories of tires, which are also covered under the labeling program.
Satish Sharma, president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), at Apollo Tires said, “Being the leaders in the Indian tire industry, we would like to further the cause of testing the tires and provide highest-quality tires to our customers across geographies. We are proud to be the first among Indian tire manufacturers to get the coveted accreditation, meeting UNECE R 117 standards in India, thereby upping India’s self-sufficiency in tire technology. This facility will help us test not only the tires for the Indian market but also the ones that are exported and need to meet the regulatory and labeling requirements.”
