Laredo Proving Grounds, Ltd

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Laredo Proving Grounds, Ltd

• Uvalde, TX Operations

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Laredo Proving Grounds (LPG) - History

• 1983 Juan Lopez begins work at B.F. Goodrich
  proving grounds in Pecos, TX at their
• electronics/traction department.
• 1986 Uniroyal and B F Goodrich merge into UGTC
• Juan is promoted and transferred to Laredo, TX
  to manage the Laredo Traction Facility.
• 1990 Michelin buys UGTC.
• 1994 Michelin decides to shut down all Laredo
  operations except Laredo Traction Facility.
• During the shutdown Juan and Sylvia Lopez
  approach Michelin to consider an employee take
  over
• of the Laredo Traction Facility. After several
  rounds of negotiations Michelin subleases the
• Laredo Traction Facility and sells to LPG one
  braking traction system and all support
  equipment.
• LPG continues operations at Laredo, TX until
  Michelins lease expires in 2004.
• 2005 LPG moves testing operations to Uvalde
  Proving Grounds Uvalde, TX.
• LPG is in its 6th year of operations at Uvalde
  (Continental North America).
• In addition to Uvalde LPG has an excellent
  business relationship
• with TVTC (Cooper) Proving Grounds at Pearsall,
  TX.
• LPG has just completed 17 years of providing its
  customers with
• Traction, Hydroplane and recently vehicle tire
  handling tests.
• Juan Lopez along with the highly experienced
  staff of Laredo Proving Grounds
• Are committed to providing customers with the
  best service.
• All of us at Laredo Proving Grounds are grateful
  for the business and trust our

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-Services / Tests

• GM
• Braking Traction GMW 15208
• ECE Regulation 117
• Wet Grip using skid trailer
• Pass by noise testing
• FORD
• Braking Traction
• Wet Dry
• Rim Roll Off
• Tire Retention
• NHTSA - DOT
• UTQG Braking Traction
• HYDROPLANE
• Straight ahead spin down using skid trailer
• Lateral Hydroplane using full size vehicles
• TIRE HANDLING
• Wet Dry Max Handling
• Subjective Ride Quality Interior Noise
  Evaluation
• Wet Dry Stopping Distance

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Staff / Experience

• Juan M Lopez Operations Manager
• Uniroyal Goodrich 1983 1989
• Michelin 1989 1994
• Laredo Proving Grounds 1994 Present
• Wolfgang Lerke Traction Manager
• Volkswagen 1972 - 1976
• Mercedes Benz 1977 - 1999
• Laredo Proving Grounds 1999 Present
• Victor Flores Administration
• Uniroyal Goodrich 1964 1990
• Michelin 1990 1993
• Laredo Proving Grounds 2004 Present
• Juan C Lopez Tire Tech
• Laredo Proving Grounds 2006 Present
• Richard Sais Traction Tech - Trainee
• Laredo Proving Grounds 2012 Present
• David Chapa IT / Data Analyst
• Laredo Proving Grounds 1994 Present
• Edward Young Mechanic / Tire Tech

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Uvalde Proving Grounds - Arial View
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Vehicle Dynamics- Tire Handling Test Description

• Wet handling - testing consists of subjective
  data from driving at the maximum capable speed on
  wet VDA including traction characteristics
  lateral, braking, acceleration, Understeer /
  Oversteer), response (turn-in stability), and
  various other stability and hydroplane dynamics.
  Lap times are also collected and noted on each
  handling sheet. ASTM surface normalization is
  included in the post processing. Driver comments
  are also included that will define any other
  differences if found from baseline type tests.
• Dry handling - testing consists of subjective
  data from driving at the maximum capable speed on
  Dry Handling Road Course including traction
  characteristics (lateral, braking, acceleration,
  Understeer / Oversteer), response (turn-in
  stability), and various other stability and
  balance dynamics. Lap times are also collected
  and noted on each handling sheet. ASTM surface
  normalization is included in the post processing.
  Driver comments are also included that will
  define any other differences if found from
  baseline type tests.
• Subjective Ride Quality Interior Noise
  Evaluation - Ride Evaluation Course this testing
  collects subjective data including ride quality
  evaluations such as ride harshness, damping,
  smoothness, etc. Testing also includes subjective
  interior noise collection of tread pattern noise,
  texture noise differences, tone, pitch, etc.
  Testing these parameters consists of driving
  around the oval course, as well as off-site
  locations that include real world situations such
  as potholes, broken pavement, bumps, and uneven
  surfaces.

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Vehicle Dynamics - Wet Handling Pad

• North America's largest at fifteen acres in size,
  the wet handling pad is an impressive 800 ft x
  800 ft square asphalt pad which can be made wet
  over its entire surface to accommodate many test
  course configurations marked by traffic cones.
• The pad appears level and flat, but has a slight
  one-percent grade over the 800 feet. This allows
  water from the perforated pipe at the top of the
  pad to flow in controllable amounts (from .05" to
  .11") over the surface.
• Two asphalt approaches add to the flexibility of
  the testing available on this test pad, with the
  vehicle speeds dependent upon the course
  configuration.

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Vehicle Dynamics GM Wet Test Course

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Vehicle Dynamics - Dry Handling Road Course

• The dry road course portion is a 1.07 mi (1.72
  km) asphalt course, featuring a 1,200 ft (366 m)
  long straightaway, curves, turns, and bends of
  various radii.
• Tires are tested for dry handling performance to
  evaluate varying designs and constructions.
• Vehicle construction and component evaluations
  are conducted on this course.

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Vehicle Dynamics - Dry Handling Road Course
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Vehicle Dynamics - Ride Evaluation Course -
Description

• This three-mile paved course is a multi-lane
  track with three- and four-lane straight away and
  two-lane curves.
• Various surfaces and impacts are incorporated to
  evaluate ride comfort, impact dampening,
  transmission, and tire noise as well as vehicle
  construction, durability and automotive component
  testing.
• Additionally, objective pass-by noise is measured
  on the new ISO 10844 noise course.
• Nearly level, this three-mile oval track has
  1,432 ft (436 m) radius curves and 3,420 ft (1042
  m) straight away

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Vehicle Dynamics Ride Evaluation Course - Layout
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Traction Test FacilityDesigned to meet strict
auto manufacturing standards and changing
customer needs, this facility features a number
of lanes, surfaces, and speed ranges for
evaluating tire and vehicle traction performance.

• Wet Skid Testing
• This 900 ft (274 m) test area has two different
  surfaces for measuring the skid characteristics
  of different tires. One asphalt test lane and one
  concrete test lane offer a range of conditions
  similar to that of the consumer. The water on
  these surfaces is controlled to test under normal
  conditions but can be altered to accommodate a
  range of water depths.
• Dry Skid Testing
• Designed for optional use as dry test skid areas,
  approaches to the wet test lanes are 2,000 ft
  (610 m) long and up to 100 ft (30 m) wide.
• Hydroplaning
• Straight ahead test course is 250 ft (76 m) in
  length and typically has water depth of .375"
  (9.5mm). Speeds are gradually increased to
  determine the point of hydroplaning of the given
  test tire.
• Lateral course is 100 m diameter circle and
  typically has water depth of .375" (9.5mm).
  Speeds are gradually increased to determine the
  point of hydroplaning on a set of test tires.

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Traction Test Facility
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Traction Test - Traction Rig - 1
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Traction Test - Traction Rig - 3
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Traction Test - Traction Rig - 2
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Uvalde Proving GroundsFacts Main Track 13.7km
Area 2023 ha
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UTQG - San Angelo, TX - Shop
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Laredo Proving Grounds-Contact Information

• Laredo, TX
• Laredo Proving Grounds, Ltd.
• 611 Shiloh Dr, Suite 10
• Laredo, TX 78045
• Tel [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Uvalde, TX
• Laredo Proving Grounds, Ltd.
• _at_ Uvalde Proving Grounds
• FM 117 Batesville Road
• Uvalde, TX 78802
• Tel [phone]
• Juan M Lopez
• Tel [phone]
• jmlopez_at_bizlaredo.rr.com
• Wolfgang Lerke
• Tel [phone]
• wlerke_at_bizlaredo.rr.com

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2010 Highlights-Outlook

• 2010
• Added Regulation 117 Wet Grip testing using skid
  trailer
• Added UTQG TRACTION test _at_ San Angelo, TX
• Added Regulation 117 pass by noise testing
• Added lateral hydroplane testing using full size
  vehicles
• Leased additional bay from Continental
• Hired Gary Welch Jr.
• Completed and delivered GM 4K system
• Built and sold 1 traction trailer to GM
  (YPG-Yuma, AZ)
• Successfully participated in GM supplier braking
  traction correlation
• Continental designates new dry skid pad
• GM adopts short slide skid for dry testing
• Short slide will cut down on rubber deposit to
  test surface

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2012 Highlights

• Successfully participated in GM supplier braking
  traction correlation
• Built and sold 1 traction trailer
• Traction
• Completed traction trailer to be used for UTQG /
  Reg. 117 traction system
• Hired Jessica Clifton Data Processing / Office
  Manager
• Hired Rick Sais Trainee
• Hired Hector Ortiz Quality/Safety
• Hired Brandon Rendon Trainee
• Hired Agustin Carrizales UTQG manager
• UTQG Tread Wear
• July 2012 begin treadwear operations
• Software
• Tailored software for GM-OE data file format
• Tailored software for UTQG customer data file
  format
• Equipment/Facility Bays
• Bought warehouse for Uvalde HQ office May 2012
• Leased 5000 sq ft building for UTQG treadwear and
  traction operations
• Purchased Mini VBox for tire evaluations
• Purchased 5 additional Ford Ranger trucks UTQG
  Treadwear