ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY/AUGUST 2025 30 that led to the future involvement by other divisions in the testing of medical devices and pharmaceutical products. In January 2017, an additional laboratory dedicated to medical device testing, located at the Shawbury, U.K. facility, was opened. Seven months later, a second facility, at the Bounce Innovation Hub in Akron, came online. Both operations added capacity to support growth in the medical device testing sector. EXPANSION TO EUROPE AND ASIA In 2006, Smithers acquired the Rubber and Plastics Research Association (RAPRA) headquartered in England. RAPRA had the largest polymer research and testing data library in the world at the time. It offered polymer consultancy, analytical services, polymer product process development, training, conferences, and market research reports. This acquisition allowed Smithers to further expand its services in both expertise and geographic reach. The RAPRA facility remains a part of the company today and is a European hub for the Materials Science and Engineering and Medical Device Testing Divisions. evaluation of various polymers, auto- motive components, metals, medical devices, and more. Given the growth of new applications in the automotive, aerospace, and medical segments as well as the focus on sustainability, the need for detailed materials development evaluations and validations has become critical. Today, Smithers supports clients’ innovation goals through laboratories and offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. ~AM&P For more information: Todd Hain, director of marketing, Materials Science and Engineering Division, Smithers, 425 West Market St., Akron, OH 44303, 330.762.7441, thain@smithers.com, www.smithers.com. The company made another significant move in 2011 with the opening of the first Smithers facility in Suzhou, China. The success of the Wheel and Tire testing lab in Ravenna inspired the idea that a similar lab could also work in China. Over the next decade, growth in the business in China led to the need for a larger building. In March 2021, the Asia Pacific region of Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division moved into a new 7200-m2 facility in Suzhou. This allowed for the launch of a variety of new services and testing technologies, which are ideal for original equip- ment manufacturers and tire manufacturers alike. Smithers acquired Ssp in 2021 and Marine Inspec- tion Logistics International Rotterdam B.V., commonly known as MIL, in 2023 to form a new Commodity Testing and Inspection Division. This added new capabilities including testing and inspection of scrap steel, hot briquetted iron, and direct reduced iron. It also expanded the company’s global footprint to the Netherlands, Italy, and India. SMITHERS TODAY Echoing back to the company’s roots, just two years ago, Smithers purchased Standards Testing Labs (STL) Indoor Testing Division. With this move, Smithers Materials Science and Engineering Division became the number one indoor tire and wheel testing laboratory in North America. The growth in this division is likely beyond what Vernon Smithers could have imagined in 1925 when he founded the company. Throughout its 100-year history, Smithers has expanded its materials expertise from rubber testing to the Tire testing is conducted by engineers at the Suzhou, China facility. New facility in Suzhou, China. Force and moment test conducted at Smithers indoor testing facility. Force and moment testing machine.
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