Patent ID: 8555698
Filing Date: 2013-10-15
Classification: B33Y,G01M,G01N,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of fabricating a substantially rigid hardened wear surface for a tire tread wear testing apparatus, the method comprising: making a negative cast of a road surface on which tread wear of the tire is to be tested; providing a layer of adhesive mixed with at least one aggregate and configured for hardening to create the substantially rigid hardened wear surface; while the layer of adhesive is unhardened: (a) coating the layer of adhesive onto a road wheel of the tire tread wear testing apparatus; and (b) stamping an impression of the negative cast to create a positive impression of the road surface into the layer of adhesive for producing the wear surface; wherein the wear surface is configured to capture a large-macro roughness of the road surface such that a contact area affecting contact stresses and local slippage within a contact region between the tire and the wear surface substantially reproduces one or more surface roughness characteristics of the road surface.