AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) announced today it will enhance its product development capabilities with the purchase of new VI-grade driving simulators, including a dynamic model, a first for tire manufacturers.

Goodyear has selected a COMPACT Simulator recently delivered to the company's innovation center in Luxembourg and a Dynamic Driving Simulator DiM250 (Driver-in-Motion) that will be installed in Akron, Ohio, in the coming months. 

"This level of simulation sophistication will allow Goodyear to drive breakthroughs in future tire creation, leading to an enhanced customer and driver experience," said Chris Helsel, Goodyear's senior vice president and chief technology officer. "I'm proud to say that Goodyear is leading the industry with VI-grade and our simulation solutions, and we look forward to sharing that benefit with our customers." 

The automotive industry trend toward a virtual development cycle provides an opportunity for tire development and this new simulation avenue will allow Goodyear to work more collaboratively with automobile manufacturers on original equipment fitments.

The driving simulators will be used for virtual development and tuning of dynamic performances of tires, aided by the ability to simulate a range of driving conditions. 

"We are delighted to report on the adoption of our driving simulators at Goodyear," said Guido Bairati, VP Global Sales and Marketing, VI-grade. "Goodyear's vision to purchase and work with us on a dedicated training program to ensure efficiency in operation of these simulators will give it a distinct competitive advantage."

To learn more about the simulators and see them in action, visit https://www.vi-grade.com/en/products/dim-dynamic-simulator.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 64,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate. 

About VI-grade

VI-grade is the leading provider of best-in-class software products and services for advanced applications in the field of system-level simulation. Along with a network of selected partners, VI-grade also provides revolutionary turnkey solutions for static and dynamic driving simulation.

Established in 2005, VI-grade delivers innovative solutions for streamlining the development process from concept to sign-off in the transportation industry, mainly in the automotive, aerospace, motorcycle, motorsports and railway sectors. With its office locations in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Japan, China, and the USA and a worldwide channel network of more than 20 trusted partners, VI-grade is a dynamic and growing company with a highly skilled technical team.

Since September 2018, VI-grade has been part of Spectris. Spectris is an FTSE 250 listed global conglomerate with 2017 sales of over $2B and 9,800 employees. The firm conducts business in four major segments - materials analysis, testing & measurement, in-line instrumentation and industrial controls - and serves a broad range of industries ranging from automotive and aerospace to electronics, energy, mining and pharmaceuticals.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company