Those who have attended the SEMA Show are likely aware of SEMA’s collaborative relationship with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). SEMA’s partnership with CU-ICAR is now in its fifth year. It’s been a great partnership that yields useful tools to help SEMA members cope with vehicle technology and advance their products. Clemson has state-of-the-art equipment and top engineering talent to stay abreast of the newest automotive technologies. By connecting CU-ICAR and its graduate-level students and professors with the aftermarket, SEMA is shaping world-class research into practical tools for our member companies.

One example is the just-released “Ride Guide,” a publication that puts more science into the matter of wheel/tire performance and selection. With support from SEMA and the Wheel & Tire Council (WTC), CU-ICAR recently conducted months of testing to determine the performance differences of varying wheel and tire combinations.

For almost a decade, there had not been an affordable test protocol for certifying emissions-related, on-road diesel parts or systems in California. During a portion of that time, SEMA engaged in the development of a test method (as an alternative to the very costly engine dynamometer protocol required of the diesel OEMs) that would allow California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Orders (EOs) to be completed without imposing significant financial burdens on applicants.

SEMA News - May 2009

SEMA LEGISLATIVE AND TECHNICAL AFFAIRS

By Jim McFarland

SEMA News -- April 2009
RESEARCH

By Megan McKernan

New Online Format Makes Downloads Available to Members

In the specialty-equipment industry, certification often represents a laborious but required undertaking for the selling of aftermarket parts. To ease the process for members, SEMA created and recently revised the Black Book—a guide to achieving emissions compliance status with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).