AKRON, OHIO — The Suzhou, China, operations of Smithers Group's Smithers Rapra unit has achieved ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation through A2LA.
As the company's customer base in China expands, Smithers said implementing a comprehensive, internationally recognized quality system to meet and exceed customer expectations became a key piece of its strategy for growth.
"We established our China operations in Suzhou to better serve our existing global clients as well as serve a growing market in China for tire, rubber and polymer component testing," said Jim Dowey, president of Smithers Rapra. "This accreditation requires rigorous processes and procedures that ensure that our operations meet the highest standards for independent testing accuracy and quality."
The Smithers Rapra Suzhou, China, lab joins the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio, in being an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited supplier of dynamic tire testing. Both labs conduct a variety of tire testing specifications including SAE, GMW, ASTM and ISO tests.
The Suzhou laboratory also has received a number of automotive OEM approvals to provide critical third party independent testing to the global automotive industry and its tire and wheel supply chain, according to Akron-based Smithers. High speed testing, endurance, plunger, beat unseating, wheel cornering fatigue and radial fatigue testing will become available in the next several months, the company said, as capacity is expanded to meet customer demand.
The following tire testing specifications can currently be conducted:
SAE J1269—Rolling resistance measurement procedure for passenger car, light truck and highway truck and bus tires;
SAE J2452—Stepwise coastdown methodology for measuring tire rolling resistance;
GMW 14996—Tire rolling resistance test;
ISO 18164—Rolling resistance measurement procedure for car, truck, bus and motorcycle tires; and
ISO 28580—Passenger car, truck and bus tires—methods of measuring rolling resistance—single point test and correlation of measurement results.
Derek Read, general manager of Smithers Rapra (Suzhou) Testing Co. Ltd., said the company "has been dedicated to establishing an accredited tire and wheel testing laboratory in China that builds on our years of industry expertise in the North American and European markets.
"With the milestones that we reached in 2013, we can now assure our customers that the independent testing experiences they value in other regions of the world can be provided in China as well."
Smithers Rapra said it provides customers in the automotive industry a wide range of testing services including tires and wheels, to polymer based components, to automotive components, and the effects of winter conditions on tire traction and vehicle safety systems.