Smithers tire testing expert to speak at the 2023 Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference

Akron, OH – Smithers announces that Matt Kent, Technical Director of the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center, will be speaking at the 2023 Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference in Greenville, South Carolina, from April 18th to 20th. Josh Guilliams, Vice President of Consultancy, will be facilitating a session covering tire material development.

Kent’s presentation is titled “The Effect of Temperature on Tire Rolling Resistance and Relation to EV Development.” He will share the results of a study conducted by Smithers to understand how ambient temperature of the testing environment affects rolling resistance test data. He will also discuss the role of rolling resistance data as it relates to the overall goal of increasing fuel efficiency and vehicle range in EVs.

“Current conventional rolling resistance testing methods only focus on tire performance at an ambient temperature of 24°C or 25°C (75°F to 77°F), but real-world driving environments span a much broader range of operations,” said Kent. “With rolling resistance data becoming increasingly important to both vehicle fuel efficiency and range improvements as well as the tire industry’s vision of a more sustainable future, this data offers valuable insight into how we can leverage rolling resistance to improve the next generation of tires.”

Smithers will be sponsoring the event’s networking reception on the evening of April 18th.

“Sponsoring the networking reception at the Clemson Tire Conference has become a tradition for Smithers,” said Jim Popio, PhD, Vice President, Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division. “This event brings together some of the tire industry’s most innovative leaders every year to share ideas about design, research, and manufacturing, and Smithers is incredibly proud to play a role in facilitating important conversations that move our industry forward.”

Those interested in attending the Clemson University Global Tire Industry Conference can register here.

As the Technical Director of the Smithers Tire & Wheel Test Center in Ravenna, Ohio, Kent is primarily focused on Smithers’ force and moment testing operations. He also manages a partnership between Smithers and six global tire manufacturers that introduced a new MTS Flat Trac CT+ system in 2018. Prior to his time at Smithers, Kent spent many years on the manufacturing side of the tire industry and has significant experience with a wide range of testing machines.