Automotive

Our automotive clients range from original equipment manufacturers (OEM's) to Tier 1 and 2 system and component suppliers and materials producers. Smithers also supports key suppliers in the supply chain to many of the leading North American, European and Asian car manufacturers.

Automotive component testing and product development services

Since 1925, Smithers has had extensive experience in designing and developing test protocols for automotive applications. Our technical support services are world leading and include failure diagnosis, design and process optimization and material analysis.

With extensive knowledge of rubber, polymer and plastic materials, Smithers experts can offer consultative insight – supported by materials analysis, product testing and transit simulation testing – to aid in your vehicle development efforts.  Our testing services cover a wide range of performance evaluations on rubber, plastics, sealants, various vehicle components, tires and wheels.

Globally, we operate multiple ISO 17025 accredited automotive product test facilities, chemical and material analysis laboratories as well as facilities dedicated to distribution package testing.

Automotive Hose Testing

Automotive Hose Testing

Smithers provides a full suite of automotive hose testing services for brake fuel lines, coolant hoses, assemblies, components, and more.

Automotive Logistics Testing

Automotive Logistics Testing

The unique challenges of moving components through the automotive supply chain call for creative solutions beyond traditional packaging. The experts at Smithers understand these nuances and can provide ISTA certified distribution testing specific to the needs of the automotive industry.

Automotive Trim

Automotive Trim

Smithers provides you with instant access to a world class R&D team specializing in automotive plastics, rubber, and composite materials. As polymer specialists, we can assist on a wide range of internal and external automotive trim projects – providing guidance through OEM engineering performance specifications and with expert support in testing to meet your development and approval timescales.

Bushings and Mounts

Bushings and Mounts

Designed to support a shaft or axle in order to reduce friction and wear, guide motion, or provide structural support, bushings and mount life cycle durability validation is critical to various applications.

Custom Product Displays

Custom Product Displays

With years of technical expertise in sample preparation, Smithers can develop some of the finest rubber product displays in the industry. Discover how Smithers can create your own custom display for your business needs.

Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles

The experts at Smithers can support many stages of electric vehicle technology development on a global basis.

Fittings and Couplings

Fittings and Couplings

Designed to securely connect two or more pieces of tube or piping, fittings and couplings are a crucial part of complex fluid transfer systems.

Product Testing

Product Testing

The experts at Smithers have years of experience combining laboratory analysis and technical problem solving to deliver a comprehensive suite of life cycle durability testing services to understand performance benchmarking and conformance to industry standards.

Rubber Seals, O-Rings, and Gasket Testing

Rubber Seals, O-Rings, and Gasket Testing

While they differ in several ways, rubber seals, o-rings, and gaskets all serve the same basic function: To join two parts of a machine or engine by filling and sealing the space between them.

Salt Spray Testing

Salt Spray Testing

The experts at Smithers have years of experience conducting salt spray and salt fog testing for components and materials across a range of sectors. Smithers helps clients understand the resistance to corrosion of their products, and ensures confidence in the suitability of a material for the environment it is likely to face.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems

Designed to alert the driver when their tires are underinflated, tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are crucial for improving driver safety, fuel economy, and tire durability.

Tire Proving Grounds

Tire Proving Grounds

Smithers is proud to manage an 898-acre proving ground for tire and vehicle dynamics, just fifty miles southwest of San Antonio, Texas. First established in 1999, the test facility has evolved over the years to offer a wide range of test surfaces, from rigorous off-road test courses to customizable vehicle dynamics areas (VDAs) and noise assessment lanes.

Tire Testing

Tire Testing

Understanding the performance of tires and tire mechanics is critical in determining their influence on the ride, handling and safety of cars, commercial vehicles, and airplanes. With over 90 years of expertise in rubber testing, Smithers provides custom tire analysis and standard testing to meet your requirements.

Vibration Testing

Vibration Testing

Vibration testing recreates the stresses that occur during the life of a product, component or assembly, giving your team confidence in performance and OEM's assurances of longevity.

Wheel Testing

Wheel Testing

Investing in wheel testing to meet or exceed client needs can help you earn the trust of both new and existing clients. Our laboratories perform precisely controlled and repeatable wheel testing to meet clients’ exact specifications. Using our wheel rim testing services for aftermarket parts will help you understand the durability and performance characteristics of your wheels.

Winter Proving Grounds | Winter Testing

Winter Proving Grounds | Winter Testing

Located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the Smithers Winter Test Center (SWTC) is a world-class facility ideal for winter testing and conducting performance evaluations on vehicles, tires and components under the special challenges of extreme cold and hazardous road conditions.

IATF 16949:2016 Audit Certification Services

IATF 16949:2016 Audit Certification Services

Smithers offers IATF 16949:2016 certification services that are laid out to provide assessments that assist your organization in implementing and maintaining a quality management system. An IATF QMS will help you to continue providing high-quality products on-time while meeting automotive components manufacturing requirements.