Global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) announced the opening of Hankook Technoring, a new proving ground in Taean, South Korea. The largest proving ground in Asia, it will serve as a state-of-the-art R&D facility for Hankook's most advanced products to come.

Hankook Tire held an inaugural ceremony at Hankook Technoring on May 25, inviting media and partners to attend where the company presented Hankook's mid-and-long-term innovation strategy and commitment to Hankook Technoring for sustainable growth. Executives present at the ceremony included: Hyunbum Cho, Chairman and CEO of Hankook & Company; Sooil Lee, President and CEO of Hankook Tire; Jongseon Ahn, Chief Operating Officer of Hankook & Company; Jongho Park, President and Chief Administrative Officer of Hankook Tire; and Bonhee Ku, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Hankook Tire.

Covering 311 acres, the equivalent of 235 American football fields, Hankook Technoring is the largest proving ground in Asia. It comprises 13 testing tracks, including the longest test track in Asia, and enables rigorous testing of Hankook's most advanced products, including tires for electric vehicles (EVs) and supercars. The test tracks are designed to accommodate all types of vehicles from supercars to trucks and buses, and can accommodate testing at speeds of up to 155mph.

The proving ground is also equipped with a control tower, office buildings, workshops, fueling stations, and EV charging stations. The 121.7-foot-high control tower manages test progress through integrated monitoring systems to simulate various test surface and climate conditions.

"Tires, being the only media in a vehicle that makes contact with the road surface, are the key to maximizing vehicle performance, providing safety, satisfying fuel efficiency, and driving comfort. This is why we at Hankook recognize the need for various testing grounds to ensure the best product quality in all conditions," said Hyunbum Cho, Chairman and CEO of Hankook & Company.

Through the completion of the Hankook Technoring facility, Hankook Tire has established a complete R&D infrastructure for further advancing its innovation capabilities. This infrastructure is expected to create synergy with Hankook's existing facilities, which include Hankook Technoplex, the company's global headquarters, as well as a control tower for designing innovative products and building a mid-and-long-term strategy. Original technologies are developed and secured at Hankook Technodome, the company's high-tech central R&D center.

The strengthened R&D infrastructure will allow Hankook to continue leading the automotive industry in the future. As a center for breakthrough innovations, Hankook Technoring will play a pivotal role in providing optimal solutions for the upcoming e-mobility and autonomous vehicle era, meeting premium carmakers' stringent and diversified demands.

With accumulated data from actual tests at Hankook Technoring, Hankook also plans to accelerate its digital transformation. The company will build a big data analysis platform and develop Virtual Optimization Technology based on artificial intelligence. In the future, Hankook also aims to create a database of responses of tires and vehicles tested in the most severe environments, with which Hankook will build a Digital Twin for securing original and innovative technologies to apply for future mobility.

Furthermore, Hankook Tire plans to actively seek cooperation with various mobility companies, research and educational institutions, and startups while fostering a driving culture by utilizing the state-of-the-art infrastructure of Hankook Technoring. This will lead the company not only to continue innovating its R&D capabilities, but also to contribute to the advancement of global mobility technology.

Hankook Technoring

• Completion: May 2022
• Location: Yangjam-ri, Nam-myeon, Taean-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
• Area: 311 acres / 1.26 million square meters
• Features 13 test tracks, office buildings, workshops, fueling stations, and electric vehicle charging stations

Testing Tracks

High Speed Oval
The high-speed main circuit, also labeled as Hankook Technoring's signature course, consists of 4 lane tracks with a total length of 2.85 miles. Designed to allow up to 155mph high speed tests on a straight course, the track includes a 38.87 degree-high banked curve on the slope.
Vehicle Dynamics Area / Skid Pad
The Vehicle Dynamics Area and Skid Pad test steering stability and performance limits through slalom tests, lane changes, and tests on roundabouts. This track allows for testing at a maximum speed of 124mph.
Dry Handling Circuit
The dry handling circuit tests handling performance on dry surfaces and is 2.1 miles in length, consisting of 16 corners. The straight course is 730 yards long, and allows a maximum speed of 118mph.
Wet Handling Circuit / Hydroplaning Curve
The wet handling circuit is 1 mile long and consists of 11 different corners. The circuit allows test-driving up to 80mph. The hydroplaning curve enables diversifying wet road conditions by adjusting the depth of water ranging from 3/64" to 3/8".
Ride
Designed to test ride comfort when driving, the 1,060-yard-long ride track comprises 4 lanes and 15 road surfaces including national highways, asphalt, brick roads, and more.
Braking
The braking course consists of 4 dry lanes and 4 wet lanes of various road surfaces made of asphalt, concrete, and others. The dry braking test track allows test speeds up to 93mph.
Hydroplaning Straight
The 160-yard-long hydroplaning straight allows hydroplaning tests under various wet road conditions by adjusting the depth of water ranging from 3/64" to 3/8".
Pass By Noise
The 1,000-yard-long track is designed to carry out tire noise tests to meet the requirements of car manufacturers and the ISO certification.
Noise Vibration Harshness
This 765-yard-long course is designed to measure tire noise. It consists of 7 different roads and 5 different lanes of asphalt and a concrete trench.
General Road
The 3.11-mile-long general road connects all test tracks. It is designed to conduct a comprehensive performance test including ride comfort on various surfaces.
Off Road
Featuring various obstacles such as puddles and boulders, the course is designed to test off-road tire performance.
Chip-Cut Road Tracks
The 1,500-yard-long chip-cut road tracks test tire durability. The tracks also tests chip and cut wear, conditions typically faced in normal driving conditions.

About Hankook Tire America Corp.
Hankook Tire America Corp. is a growing leader in the U.S. tire market, leveraging investments in technology, manufacturing and marketing to deliver high-quality, reliable products that are safer for consumers and the environment. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Hankook Tire America Corp. markets and distributes a complete line of high-performance and ultra-high-performance passenger tires, light truck and SUV tires as well as medium truck and bus tires in the United States. Hankook Tire America Corp. is a subsidiary of Hankook Tire & Technology Co., Ltd., a Forbes Global 2000 company headquartered in Seoul, Korea.

 

Source: prnewswire.com

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