Web Page sponsored by MILLBROOK

Millbrook, based in Bedfordshire, UK, makes a significant contribution to the quality and performance of military vehicles worldwide. Its specialist expertise is focussed in two distinct areas: test programmes to help armed services and their suppliers ensure that their vehicles and systems work as the specification requires; and design and build work to upgrade new or existing vehicles, evaluate vehicle capability and investigate in-service failures. Complementing these is driver and service training and a hospitality business that allows customers to use selected areas of Millbrook’s remarkable facilities for demonstrations and exhibitions.

Tel: +44 (0) 1525 408408

www.millbrook.co.uk/military

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02 Jul 10. Millbrook investment in ground breaking vehicle testing facilities. Leading vehicle test and development facility, Millbrook, continues to invest in its commitment to deliver global excellence in automotive testing advancements with the introduction of three new facilities at the Bedfordshire site. Additions to Millbrook’s offering span its laboratories and test tracks and include electromagnetic shaker technology, increased off-road gradient and advanced tilt table capabilities. Increasing its testing portfolio, Millbrook’s new electromagnetic shaker technology, installed within a semi-anechoic chamber has been developed to offer advanced capability for performing noise assessment testing. Typically, to prevent results being distorted, testing must be conducted with minimal ambient noise. The chamber absorbs and excludes unrelated sound enabling more precise identification of small amounts of sound from the testing than is possible with other shakers. Andy Beach, head of business development at Millbrook comments: “With customer needs becoming increasingly sophisticated and advancements in motor technology, the average moving vehicle is quieter and drivers are less tolerant of ‘squeaks and rattles’ which are well known in the industry for being a costly and problematic warranty issue.“Our electromagnetic shaker and anechoic chamber will produce cost-saving benefits, through vigorous and objective testing, achieved with digital recording and post processing, rather than the previous way of subjective assessment. Indeed, the new testing technology will benefit our customers in the automotive, aerospace, rail and military sectors.” Millbrook has also added a 30 degree off-road gradient slope, developed to replicate environments that robust military vehicles are increasingly subjected to. The hill is the first of its kind that offers repeatability off-road, despite the pressure of heavy duty vehicles. Beach continues: “The 30 degree gradient slope is the latest development in our purpose-built off-road test facilities, which can simulate almost any usage condition world-wide. As home to the UK MOD’s Battlefield Mission, working closely with the military allows us to understand how their needs are changing and develop facilities that are focussed on solving the vehicle engineering problems that are faced today, and in the future.”
Millbrook’s much utilised tilt table testing facility has been increased in width and added weighbridge capacity to accommodate vehicles of up to 42 tonnes. This now allows vehicles from sectors including the military, ambulance, bus and fire service to be tested to determine measurements including roll stability, vehicle roll over angle, the height of centre of gravity as well as vehicle function and performance while operating on a side slope.

07 Jul 10. Today a chain of over 30 British manufacturers come together in Coventry to promote the all-British, all-new Supacat SPV400 bid for an Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV) UOR value c. £200m Ministry of Defence contract to replace the Snatch Land Rover, which will have significant export potential. At NP Aerospace’s Coventry facilit