MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – Arnott Air Suspension Products recently opened a new engineering/research and development center. According to Arnott, the new R&D center will be dedicated to developing and producing air suspension products worthy of the company’s slogan: “Engineered to Ride, Built to Last.”
The 68,000-square-foot building – which includes a significantly larger garage with additional lifts, state-of-the-art test equipment and additional engineering offices – increases the company’s already-expansive campus to almost 300,000 square feet on more than 21 acres.
“From company inception in 1989, when father and son turned the family garage into their first R&D center, hands-on innovation has been at the heart of Arnott Air Suspension Products,” said Todd Nash, senior vice president of global sales and marketing. “Certainly, the size and scope of the Arnott research and development initiative has changed considerably over the years, yet the core principles behind innovation and quality remain paramount … and that is a key part of what we like to call ‘The Arnott Advantage.'”
Each new air suspension replacement part requires a significant outlay of painstaking research and development, according to Arnott. Engineers start by examining used cores, looking for typical failure points. They then optimize the Arnott version using prototypes created using 3-D mechanical computer-aided design software and high-end 3-D printers. Working versions are then produced using dedicated CNC machines.
Arnott says it extensively tests all new designs and products on company-owned vehicles, driving them for thousands of miles. Once a new part passes every test, Arnott says it uses only the finest materials – such as aircraft-quality aluminum, heavy-duty crimping rings, improved seals and name-brand rubber air springs – to create the finished product.
In addition to the R&D activity at Arnott’s corporate headquarters, Arnott benefits from research conducted at Arnott Europe’s Workshop Garage south of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Arnott Europe Workshop, a key part of Arnott Europe’s 3,000-square-meter facility, is staffed with automotive repair experts and the latest in vehicle diagnostic equipment.
