PROVING GROUND - TEST TRACK

Maxxis has invested approximately US $150 million in its new test track which took several years to plan and construct.

Opened in 2012 in Kunchan near Shanghai, Maxxis has opened one of only a select few privately owned proving grounds in China. This rigorous testing operation promotes Maxxis’ growing relationships with major automakers

.

Other Maxxis state-of-the-art R&D equipment includes the MTS Flat Trac III highway speed uniformity machines and acoustic booths equipped with STSF software to look at the sound mapping characteristics of the tyres.

MAIN FEATURES

 HIGH SPEED TRACK

Total Length 4.5km. 3 lane banked section with 12m wide and 6m high curved ramp

• Designed so vehicles can maintain a speed of up to 230km/hr (143mph) without decelerating on the banked sections
• High performance tyres must be tested at speed

 GENERAL PERFORMANCE TEST COURSE

Total Length 1.2km at a width of 40m

• The 40m width allows evaluation of high speed lane changes and slalom handling. The General performance test course interconnects with the High Speed Track to test handling at higher speeds

 BRAKE PERFORMANCE TEST COURSE

Total length 1.2km. Includes 200m of test area

• The friction coefficient of the track surface in the test area range from 0.2 to 0.8
• The low friction coefficient course simulates snow/ice conditions. It is also used to tweak ABS performance

 ISO NOISE TEST COURSE

• Design of the test course and pavement area complies with international standards.

 N.V.H. TEST COURSE (NOISE VIBRATION & HANDLING)

• This test course has eight different wavy road surface designs with single or continuous waves and various amplitudes
• This course evaluates tyres and vehicles suspension systems’ ability to dampen and absorb noise and vibration
• The course also features road surfaces with five different degrees of roughness to evaluate the noise spectrum from the tyre and vehicle at various frequencies

 WET HANDLING PERFORMANCE TEST COURSE

Total Length 1.4km

• Simulates wet conditions to test wet traction and water dispersal performance
• Water film depth can be adjusted up to 10mm to evaluate hydroplaning dynamics in longitudinal and transverse directions

 DRY HANDLING PERFORMANCE TEST COURSE

Total Length 2.5km

• Designed with different curves for evaluation of cornering at various speeds. This course also tests for vehicle stability under dynamic handling manoeuvres such as braking, cornering, acceleration and deceleration

 DRY SKID PAN

Radius 125m

• Provides ideal flat pavement conditions for the evaluation of the dynamic performance of tyres and vehicles especially in aggressive handling
• State of the art detection instruments are used to examine the stability of tyre and vehicle

 WET SKID PAN

Radius 60m

• 6 different road surfaces with various friction coefficients
• Sprinkler systems automatically operated to produce uniform water film on pan surface
• State of the art detection instruments are used to examine the stability of tyre and vehicle in wet and slippery conditions

 GENERAL DURABILITY PERFORMANCE TEST COURSE

Radius 4600m with a width of 7m

• Two tracks with nine different texture surfaces allow evaluation of tyre and vehicle suspension systems under the impact of harsh road surfaces

 HYDROPLANING TEST AREA

• This area features a high speed camera capable of 5000 exposures per second. It is installed in an underground pit covered with tempered glass. Images are captured of water channelling through tread patterns to evaluate tyre performance when hydroplaning