"Our Technical Center in Rochester Hills, MI, opened in 1995. When the second expansion is completed later this year, we will have testing equipment for more than 75 functions and we will have reached the maximum allowed footprint on the property."

The expansion will incorporate a state-of-the-art Road Load Simulator, which will be used to test and validate chassis and module assemblies and components. The road load simulator duplicates real-time vehicle proving ground inputs and is capable of testing complete vehicles, suspension subsystems, or individual chassis components. The new road-load simulator will allow AAM to compress six to eight months of track testing into two to three weeks of lab testing.

"The expanded Technical Center will provide both increased capability for future product requirements, as well as a 25% increase in testing capacity on our critical axle dynamometers," says Dauch. "AAM will now be able to test two-wheel-drive, four-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive and steerable axle applications.