Engineering news
Ford will soon be able to test its vehicles in the most extreme conditions in its new multi-million pound testing facility.
The ‘Weather Factory’ will enable engineers to test forthcoming vehicles in the most demanding conditions from around the world: altitudes higher than the tallest Alpine peak, vehicle and wind speed of up to 155mph, snow, glaring sunlight and rain.
It will be the first facility of its kind to simulate altitudes of 5,200 metres, extremes of -40°C to +55°C, as well as 95% humidity.
The facility, which will cover an area of 5,500sq m, will include: two climate wind tunnels, a high-altitude lab, and four temperature controlled test chambers – three of which will also facilitate humidity testing.
The centre – which Ford expects to be fully operational later next year – will enable engineers to work on up to nine different vehicles simultaneously, testing comfort, safety and operational capabilities including electrical performance, braking, air conditioning, and pulling heavy loads.
The ‘Weather Factory’ will also facilitate testing of Ford’s expanded line up of performance cars and sports cars, which includes the Focus RS, Focus ST, and Ford Mustang, in conditions of higher wind speed. And it will be used to test all front-wheel, rear‑wheel, and all-wheel drive vehicles.
Ford test facilities in Europe also include Ford Lommel Proving Grounds, in Belgium, home to a specific pothole-testing track, side-wind tests, and saltwater and mud baths. Ford vehicles are regularly subjected to as much as 5.5 million km of punishing real-world durability testing, which can include locations as demanding as the Mojave Desert, in the US; the Arctic Circle; and the Grossglockner High Alpine Pass, in Austria.