“We’re engineers and we live in a land of ice and snow. When it comes to winter testing, we know our business.”
Test World in Lapland, Finland is just finishing the completion of its second indoor testing area by packing it with snow and ice. The facility is the world’s first indoor vehicle and tire-testing building designed for year-round use.
Test World Indoor allows testing in a controlled environment, which brings cost savings for auto, supplier and tire companies, even as it adds another coffin nail to the slumping spy photo business.
Making a business of arctic conditions.
Tests can be carried out according to a schedule and under specified conditions, without the temperature, wind or rain changing during the procedures. The test facility is insulated and air-conditioned, and it allows independent regulation of air and floor temperatures.
Natural snow collected and stored in the winter can be spread on the floor and used to create a snow track. The asphalt track can also be frozen to allow the performance of tests on ice, which is another extreme but variable winter road condition. For winter tests, the facility is set to a below-zero temperature – just like Chicago.
The opposite is also possible. Testing on dry or wet asphalt, even in the middle of the coldest winter is available. Winter tests can be performed outdoors on the Mellatracks proving ground and summer tests at Test World Indoor. Having all testing conditions available in one location will reduce freight and travel costs, resulting in significant savings in overall product development costs, according to the firm.
