Mira has purchased Esso's climatic wind tunnel and two emissions chambers at the oil company's Abingdon site. Mira will use plant and equipment from the facilities as the basis of a new variable temperature environmental chamber (VTEC). Planning permission will be sought for this to be built adjacent to Mira's existing climatic wind tunnel at the company's headquarters and engineering centre near Nuneaton. VTEC will be a climatic facility, capable of accommodating a wide range of vehicles, and designed to offer opportunities for vehicle development at cost-effective rates.
"We are absolutely delighted to have secured the purchase of this equipment against very tough competition from fellow bidders who also recognised its enormous potential," says Graham Townsend, Mira's engineering director. "Our success necessitated some very nimble work by a number of our key teams."
"Esso spent £1.2million just 18 months ago upgrading the equipment," adds Townsend. "Six months later, the facilities were closed following a company reorganisation. The equipment is exactly what we require for the VTEC, which will further strengthen our already strong fluids engineering group, and provide an extremely cost-effective service."
