ASTM Standard addresses radial light truck tire testing.

Press Release Summary:



ASTM F2869 provides scientifically based procedure to identify equivalent test severity conditions between 1.707 m diameter laboratory roadwheel surface and flat or highway surface for radial pneumatic light truck tires. Standard also uses special interactive electronic software, which can be used to determine laboratory test conditions that provide equivalent tire internal temperatures for belt edge region for both curved laboratory roadwheel and flat highway test surfaces.



Original Press Release:



New ASTM Standard for Radial Light Truck Tires



W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., - A need for a scientifically based procedure to identify equivalent test severity conditions between a 1.707-m diameter laboratory roadwheel surface and a flat or highway surface for radial pneumatic light truck tires has led to the development and approval of a new ASTM International standard.

The new standard, ASTM F2869, Practice for Radial Light Truck Tires to Establish Equivalent Test Severity Between a 1.707-m (67.23-in.) Diameter Rotating Roadwheel and a Flat Surface, was developed by Subcommittee F09.30 on Laboratory (Non-Vehicular) Testing, part of ASTM International Committee F09 on Tires. It will be used by government agencies, independent tire testing laboratories and tire manufacturers.

"Testing for endurance, like many other tire tests, is usually performed in the laboratory on a 1.707-m diameter rotating roadwheel," says Tim Robinson, manager, technical standards and regulations, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, and an F09 member. "The tire is rotated under load and speed on a surface that has a relatively high curvature compared to the highway, where the surface is nearly flat."

According to Robinson, this difference between a flat surface and the roadwheel creates several tire effects that must be considered:

o A foreshortening of the tire contact patch (or "footprint") resulting in higher overall footprint contact pressures and tire stresses;

o A change in shape of the footprint itself, i.e., different from its optimal, flat surface shape that increases the centerline contact pressure and tire stresses;

o An overdeflection of the tire sidewall due to the reverse curvature of the footprint; and

o An increase in the flex cycle severity.

A result of these effects is that local heat generation rates increase and tire temperature will often be significantly higher when the tire is tested on the roadwheel compared to a tire used on the road at the same load, inflation pressure and rotational speed. Consequently, laboratory test conditions that are equal to road conditions can result in end-of-test events that are not representative of typical highway tire removal conditions.

ASTM F2869 also uses a special interactive electronic software called a prediction profiler, which can be used to determine laboratory test conditions that provide equivalent tire internal temperatures for the belt edge region for both the curved laboratory roadwheel and flat highway test surfaces.

To purchase ASTM standards, visit www.astm.org and search by the standard designation number, or contact ASTM Customer Relations (phone: 610-832-9585; service@astm.org).

ASTM International is one of the largest international standards development and delivery systems in the world. ASTM International meets the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles for the development of international standards: coherence, consensus, development dimension, effectiveness, impartiality, openness, relevance and transparency. ASTM standards are accepted and used in research and development, product testing, quality systems and commercial transactions.

ASTM Committee F09 Next Meeting: April 26-27, 2011, ASTM International Headquarters, W. Conshohocken, Pa.

Technical Contact: Tim Robinson, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, Akron, Ohio, Phone: 330-379-4056; robinsontim@bfusa.com

ASTM Staff Contact: Rick Lake, Phone: 610-832-9689; rlake@astm.org

ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

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