Tire Testing
Millbrook provides independent tire test facilities and services to manufacturers and suppliers across the globe. It offers winter tire comparison tests, certification and labeling.
Its Finnish winter tire test facilities span two winter proving grounds and a mile of indoor cold-weather tire test tracks which are operational year-round.
Millbrook has its own tire test team in Finland that carries out evaluations for customers, from tire manufacturers to vehicle manufacturers and industry suppliers. The team also travels the world to support customers with summer tire testing at various locations. In addition, the innovative facilities and test tracks are available for hire to customers wishing carry out their own test programmes.
Indoor Winter Tire Testing Facilities
Millbrook runs the world’s first indoor tire test facilities designed for year-round use.
Tyre testing and assessment is carried out in controlled conditions on natural snow, ice and wet and dry asphalt, 365 days of the year. Indoor tire test facilities allow speeds in excess of 62mph, and offer independent control of surface temperature and air temperature. In addition, a series of cold boxes with direct access onto the test tracks can be used to soak vehicles to -40°C prior to testing.
Winter Proving Grounds
Millbrook has two winter proving grounds in Northern Finland, 186 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The location provides an exceptionally long winter test season, with outdoor tire test tracks typically open from November to April.
Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK
In the UK, Millbrook offers witnessed certification tests including:
- R117 rolling sound emissions
- PAS 301 run flat test
Tyre Testing for Development
Development tyre tests that Millbrook offers include:
- Snow acceleration and braking
- Ice acceleration and braking
- Snow handling, objective and subjective
- Ice handling, objective and subjective
- Constant radius snow and ice
- Wet and dry braking
- Longitudinal aquaplaning
- Wet handling, objective and subjective
- Dry handling, objective and subjective
- Tyre wear and durability tests
- Accelerated stud wear tests
- Studded tyre road wear tests
Many of these tests can be carried out throughout the year using indoor facilities in Finland.
Tyre Certification and Labelling Testing
Tyre certification and labelling tests that Millbrook offers cover all tyre categories, including C1, C2, C3 and retreaded tyres. Tests include:
- R117/R109 snow braking for C1/C2
- R117/R109 snow acceleration for C3
- ASTM1805 US snowflake - from Q3 2020
- R117 spin traction for C1/C2 - from Q3 2020
- ISO19447 ice grip
- R117/EC1222 wet braking
- R117/EC1222 pass-by noise
- 408/2003, 466/2009 / SFS7503 studded tyre road wear (over run)
Many of these tests can be carried out throughout the year using indoor facilities in Finland.
Winter Tyre Comparison Tests
Some of Europe’s most extensive summer and winter tyre tests are performed at Millbrook’s winter proving grounds.
