Torino, Italy, 2023
ATE has delivered a significant upgrade to the Pininfarina wind tunnel facility in Torino, Italy. The upgrade extends the facility’s life and delivers world-class testing capabilities to WLTP standards (the Worldwide harmonised Light vehicle Test Procedure) for the next generation of large electric SUVs and sports cars.
The existing 6 component underfloor balance has been delivering excellent results since the facility was first commissioned in 1972, a time when vehicles were very different from today. The new generation of ever-larger electric vehicles with their associated increased mass and wheel / tyre sizes demanded a significant upgrade to the 51-year-old balance to maintain Pininfarina’s position as a leading aero and aero-acoustic testing facility.
ATE provided a turnkey project that involved CAD modelling and structural analysis of the existing system, design and manufacture of new components and sub-systems such as weigh beams, masses, mass positioning systems, etc. ATE installed the new components and sub-systems within two weeks, minimising disruption to Pininfarina’s busy testing schedule.
Head of Wind Tunnel, Alessandro Aquili stated “the upgrade to the 6-component balance was delivered on time and to budget, and to a very high standard. The balance now works better than before ATE’s upgrade and it is now ready for the next 50 years. We look forward to working with ATE again on future projects.”
Further information:
You may be interested to watch the Car SOS documentary about the Pininfarina wind tunnel.
Contact ATE to discuss your upgrade requirements:
