Goodyear is to install a second DiM250 Dynamic Driving Simulator, supplied by VI-Grade, at its Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg.
Goodyear will use the simulator in conjunction with another DiM250 recently installed at the company headquarters in Ohio, USA. Both innovation sites also have previously installed VI-Grade Compact Simulators to assist with virtual tire development.
Guido Bairati, VP global sales and marketing at VI-Grade, commented, “With DiM250 and Compact simulators on both sides of the ocean, Goodyear is now at the forefront of virtual tire development and gains a significative competitive advantage when it comes to collaboration with automotive OEMs and accelerated product development.”
Goodyear says the new simulator will enable its engineers to develop, test and validate concepts early in the design process, helping to ascertain critical parameters before the time-consuming process of building prototypes begins. This, Goodyear hopes, will allow it to better adapt to the changing demands of OEMs.
Chris Helsel, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Goodyear, added, “This level of simulation capability is a clear technology leadership advantage. We are always looking to improve the development process and maintain our status as the preferred supplier for our customers.”