Fraunhofer's TERIS Project Reaches Milestone in Standardized Tyre Wear Analysis
The TERIS (Technology Platform for Tire Abrasion and the Identification of Its Emissions in Road Traffic) research project has reached a significant milestone in the development of standardized laboratory methods for analysing tyre wear particles. Coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF), the project brings together several Fraunhofer institutes to establish reproducible testing procedures that enable tyre wear emissions to be generated, measured and analysed under controlled laboratory conditions.
The achievement marks an important step toward creating industry-wide standards that could significantly improve the development of low-emission tyres while supporting compliance with future European regulations.
Moving Beyond Traditional Road Tests
Until now, tyre wear has primarily been evaluated through road testing. While these tests provide realistic data, their results are influenced by numerous external factors, including road surface, weather conditions, vehicle load, driving style and temperature. As a result, comparing data from different test facilities has remained challenging.
The TERIS project addresses this issue by developing laboratory-based testing methods capable of reproducing real-world tyre wear under controlled and repeatable conditions. This allows researchers and manufacturers to generate comparable reference data while substantially reducing the dependence on costly and time-consuming field tests.
Building a New Standard for Tyre Wear Testing
During the first phase of the project, researchers successfully developed several key technologies that together form the foundation of a standardized tyre wear analysis platform.
Among the major achievements are:
Standardized procedures for generating tyre wear particles under laboratory conditions.
Advanced analytical methods for determining particle size, morphology and chemical composition.
Tribological models that simulate the physical mechanisms responsible for tyre wear.
AI-assisted optical systems capable of automatically detecting and classifying wear particles.
Concepts for a new laboratory test rig that reproduces complex multi-directional forces experienced during real driving.
Accelerated ageing methods to evaluate the influence of environmental exposure on tyre materials.
Analytical procedures for measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during tyre wear.
Together, these developments create a comprehensive testing platform that enables tyre wear emissions to be examined with a level of consistency previously unavailable to the industry.
Supporting the Euro 7 Era
The importance of standardized tyre wear testing continues to grow as the European Union prepares to introduce Euro 7, the first vehicle emissions regulation that also includes requirements for non-exhaust emissions such as tyre wear.
Manufacturers will increasingly require reliable laboratory methods to demonstrate compliance while optimizing tyre compounds during the development process. Standardized testing is expected to reduce development time, lower testing costs and enable engineers to evaluate new materials more efficiently before extensive road validation is required.
Advancing Sustainable Tyre Development
Beyond regulatory compliance, the TERIS project is expected to play a key role in advancing sustainable tyre technology. By providing accurate and comparable measurements of tyre wear particles, researchers will gain a better understanding of how material composition, tread design and operating conditions influence particle generation.
These insights can support the development of tyres that produce fewer wear emissions while maintaining safety, durability and performance. The project may also contribute valuable data for environmental research into tyre wear particles and their impact on ecosystems.
With the successful completion of its first major milestone, the TERIS consortium has laid the foundation for what could become the future industry standard for laboratory-based tyre wear analysis. As regulatory requirements tighten and sustainability becomes an increasingly important driver of innovation, standardized testing methods such as those being developed within TERIS are likely to become an essential part of next-generation tyre development.