UK testing specialists Millbrook has marked the 40th year of operation of its Leyland facility, formerly Leyland Vehicles’ technical center.
The Leyland test track and technical center has been at the forefront of commercial vehicle testing since it opened in 1980; it boasted a test track specifically designed for commercial vehicles and a semi-anechoic chamber in its early years. It also housed truly unique facilities and technologies for the time, including a structures laboratory with a 1.2MW pumping station and 1,000-metric ton seismic block.
Millbrook acquired the center in July 2017 with the aim of expanding its capabilities in propulsion and vehicle testing to better serve the commercial vehicle sector. The company retained the employees at the Lancashire base.
In the three years since Millbrook took ownership of the Leyland facility, it has invested significantly to ensure it has the latest technology and equipment. In 2019, for instance, two 3E Electric Drive Unit (EDU) test rigs were installed, bolstering the facility’s electric driveline testing capabilities. A new seat laboratory has also been installed to test the durability and refinement of vehicle seats, extending existing capabilities.