Smithers has announced that ISO 19447 testing has been added to its scope of accreditation. ISO 19447 outlines a method for measuring the relative ice grip performance of passenger car tires. The company conducts all its testing programs at the Smithers Winter Test Center (SWTC) in Brimley, Michigan.
The testing method is extremely similar to ECE R117 C1 Braking, which is pending approval in Europe. Both methods are part of the European Union’s new Ice Grip (Alpine) label.
ISO 19447 testing is carried out on a flat, polished ice surface that must be prepped at least an hour before testing begins. The ambient temperature must be between -15°C and 4°C, with the ice temperature measuring between -15°C and -5°C.
Following surface preparation, nine test runs are conducted three times, on separate days and surfaces. The highest and lowest scores of each nine-run test sequence are deleted and the remaining data is used to calculate ice grip.
“There is building demand for ISO 19447 testing right now, and very few companies who offer it. That’s largely due to the fact that ISO 19447 requires a prepared surface and a fairly extreme winter environment,” said Eric Pierce, principal engineer at Smithers Winter Test Center. “At Smithers, we have the experience to prepare the specialized surface required for ISO 19447 and the ideal environment, putting the latest ice grip test methodology right at our clients’ fingertips.”
Jim Popio, PhD, vice president of the Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division, said, “As snow and ice traction testing methods for tires evolve, our goal is to continuously expand our capabilities at our proving grounds so our clients can keep pace with the latest innovations. The addition of ISO 19447 to our scope of accreditation is one of many investments we’ve made in recent years to ensure a world-class experience for our valued clients at the Smithers Winter Test Center.”
