Apollo Tyres accredited with ISO 17025 for track tests
Gurgaon, India – Subsequent to its collaboration with the Global Automotive Research Center (GARC) to pioneer the indigenization of tire labeling and certification tests in India, Apollo Tyres has now been accredited with ISO/IEC 17025 for the wet grip and coast by noise tire tests on the track.
This testing capability is linked to the Indian government’s plan to implement a ‘star rating’ of tires, in line with the tire labeling regulation in Europe. This is with the objective to ensure safety, economic and environmental efficiency of road transport by promoting fuel efficient and safe tires with low noise levels. A new Automotive Industry Standard, AIS 142, in line with UNECE R 117, has been prepared. It comprises evaluation of tires with regard to rolling sound emissions, adhesion on wet surfaces and rolling resistance.
Daniele Lorenzetti, chief technology officer, Apollo Tyres Ltd., commented, “The new testing capabilities, developed by Apollo Tyres, show a very good level of accuracy and reliability, and the test results are well accepted by European homologation authorities. This will enable Apollo Tyres to reduce time to market its products, along with the reduction in testing costs.”
The major impediment to government’s plan of implementing star ratings was the unavailability of adequate NABL accredited testing infrastructure in India. NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories) has now given the certificate of accreditation to the Apollo Tyres Test Center for ‘General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories’ extended with the track tests of the wet grip and coast by noise for C1, C2 and C3 categories of tires which are covered under the labeling program.
Commenting on this, Satish Sharma, president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), Apollo Tyres Ltd., said, “Being the leaders in the Indian tire industry, we would like to further the cause of testing the tires and provide the highest quality tires to our customers across geographies. We are proud to be the first among Indian tire manufacturers to get the coveted accreditation, meeting UNECE R 117 standards in India, thereby upping India’s self-sufficiency in tire technology. This facility will not only help us test the tires for the Indian market, but also the ones that are exported and need to meet the regulatory and labeling requirements.”
This additional capability has been made possible due to the continuous investment of Apollo Tyres in research and development, bringing the best-in-class testing machines and equipment, catalyzed by the trust on their specialists’ acumen at the state-of-the-art global research and development center in Asia.