ADVANCED TIRE TESTING BY AN INNOVATIVE MOVING LABORATORY FOR AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS SAFETY ASSESSMENT (MOLAS)

The paper presents an innovative moving laboratory (MoLAS) for tire testing. The MoLAS system is mounted on a semitrailer to be pulled for outdoor tire characterization under realistic grip condition. The vertical load is controlled by means of a pneumatic spring actuator mounted on top of a moving platform guided by linear ball sliders. A double-stage suspension system allows to filter out the vertical disturbance induced by road irregularity. Two electric actuators are used to precisely control steering and camber angles. Tire forces and moments are measured by an innovative six-axis force sensor specifically designed for the purpose. The main innovation introduced by the MoLAS with respect to the state-of-art test systems relies in the possibility to test the tire both in traction and braking longitudinal slip conditions. This is achieved by an internal combustion engine and a retarder electromagnetic brake mounted on the driveline. A complete tire characterization has been performed by placing the MoLAS system on the RuotaVia drum of the LaST laboratory at Politecnico di Milano. The main results are presented in the paper.