Truck-Lite Unveils Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory at Penn State

“The open lab approach at Behrend has created new opportunities for students and faculty, and for the college’s corporate partners, like Truck-Lite.”

Truck-Lite, the leading provider of advanced lighting solutions for commercial vehicles, unveiled its new state-of-the-art Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania, at a private event for university trustees and administrators on July 20^th. The new testing and validation facility is located on-campus at Penn State Behrend in the Advanced Manufacturing and Innovation Center (AMIC) Building and sits adjacent to Knowledge Park, the location of Truck-Lite Headquarters since 2022.

“Truck-Lite has proudly earned the trust of customers over its history by consistently delivering products that set the industry benchmark, and we intend for this to continue well into the future,” said Jon Stineman, President of Truck-Lite. “The Truck-Lite Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory is a state-of-the-art facility that brings a complete set of testing and validation capabilities directly to the Truck-Lite engineers responsible for the development of future lighting solutions.“

Truck-Lite is owned by Southfield, Michigan-based Clarience Technologies, a global leader in transportation technologies whose brands include Road Ready advanced telematics, DAVCO diesel filtration solutions, ECCO safety systems, and Pressure Systems International tire pressure monitoring and inflation systems, among others.

Designing Products for Evolving Technology Requirements

The Truck-Lite Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory is designed to help Truck-Lite deliver products that not only meet their strict internal standards for peak performance, but also comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

At the center of the laboratory is 100-foot light tunnel designed to measure optics performance across a variety of optics characteristics, including intensity, color, and distribution/spread – especially important when validating all-new products or unique design applications.

Laboratory capabilities also help simulate real-world environments to ensure durability and longevity of its products. Truck-Lite engineers can assess the long-term performance impact of exposure to extreme temperatures, wind, dust and water, as well as the resiliency of products to shock, vibration and impact.

The new facility allows Truck-Lite engineers to test and validate product designs against over 1,000 different standards set by the transportation industry, including all applicable FMVSS, ECE, SAE, and ASTM safety standards. Truck-Lite can issue certifications against IATF and ISO/TS for custom designed products for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) – a significant part of Truck-Lite’s business success – as well as certifications for lighting used in military and defense applications.

“From electric and autonomous drivetrains to connectivity, artificial intelligence and other smart solutions, the new technologies changing transportation today have different technical requirements that impact lighting,” said Craig Watrous, VP of Technology and Compliance. “The Truck-Lite Advanced Lighting Laboratory will help us develop next-generation lighting that meets both future technical requirements as well as our own exacting standards.”

Truck-Lite, Penn State Behrend Pioneer New Approach to University Collaboration with Private Sector

Truck-Lite relocated its U.S. headquarters to Knowledge Park at Penn State Behrend last year and now occupies a 30,000 square foot footprint that includes space for both its corporate offices as well as its Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory. The laboratory improves the company’s visibility with students and the broader potential workforce, as future Truck-Lite technologies will require deeper capabilities in electrical engineering, software programming and advanced analytics expertise – all needed to develop solutions for the next generation.

Since moving to Erie, the long-standing relationship between Truck-Lite and Penn State Behrend has continued to strengthen. On-campus facilities have made it much easier for the company to collaborate with students and professors on research and development projects, including the company’s collaboration with subject matter experts at Penn State Behrend as well as expanded opportunities for year-round internships.

Penn State Behrend leaders cite this collaboration with Truck-Lite as a model for its “open lab” approach, which is a collaborative approach in which learning and discovery are applied in novel ways that benefit not only students, who gain career-building, real-world experience, but also partners in business, industry, and the nonprofit community, who tap into that energy and ingenuity.

“The open lab approach at Behrend has created new opportunities for students and faculty, and for the college’s corporate partners, like Truck-Lite.” said Ralph Ford, Chancellor of Penn State Behrend. “The Truck-Lite Advanced Transportation Lighting Laboratory is an investment in our college community, allowing our students and faculty to work hand-in-hand with industry experts, driving innovation and making a meaningful impact on the transportation sector.”

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