For further information contact: Joseph H. Canova, P.E. Vice President Engineering Dynamics Corporation (503) 644-4500 FAX: (503) 526-0905

Flat Bed Tire Test Data Now Available

BEAVERTON, OR — February 25, 1999 — A comprehensive set of tire performance data is now available for vehicle engineers and safety researchers to use in vehicle handling simulations. Engineering Dynamics Corporation recently sponsored the 'Tire Week' testing program at the Calspan TIRF facility. A combination of 26 passenger and light-truck tires were subjected to a series of tests on a flat bed test machine to determine performance parameters under various conditions. The data include cornering tests (Fy vs slip angle, Mz vs slip angle), braking tests (Fx vs longitudinal slip) and radial stiffness at three loads, two speeds and two inclination angles. The 'Tire Week' testing program represents the single largest publicly available set of tire data since the Department of Transportation sponsored the 'Extended Tire Testing' program in 1983.

Accurate tire test data is important for valid 3-D simulation of vehicle handling maneuvers and real-world crashes. Design engineers and safety researchers using the HVE simulation environment can use robust tire models built with the data from the tire tests. The tires are selected from a HVE-compatible database according to manufacturer, model and size. Test data and videos of the flat bed tire tests may be purchased by contacting Engineering Dynamics Corporation at (503) 644-4500.