SEMA Opens Phase Two of Innovation Facility
July 15, 2013

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has opened phase two of its automotive innovation facility in Southern California.

The SEMA Garage is located at the SEMA headquarters near Los Angeles.

Covering 15,000 square feet and filled with nearly $2 million of equipment, the facility includes a variety of tools for specialty product developers, including two vehicle lifts, a portable coordinate measuring machine (CMM) for 3D scanning, a 3D printer for prototyping, digital race car scales, a dynamometer for power output measurements and more.

The SEMA Garage also offers a fully certified Executive Order (EO) aftermarket-part certification lab. Any company wishing to sell aftermarket powertrain parts in the California market must get an EO certification, according to officials. SEMA is working in conjunction with the Auto Club to offer this certification lab.

Testing meets all federal EPA and California Air Resources Boards (CARB) standards. Capabilities include emissions, fuel economy, acceleration, brake stopping distance, interior/exterior noise levels and handling.

"SEMA is in a unique position to provide members with a reliable and affordable way to develop and test their products, thereby helping them get their products to market quickly," said Mike Spagnola, SEMA vice president of the product development center. "We're excited to expand on the capabilities of the SEMA Garage and look forward to putting them to good use."

The SEMA Garage originally opened May 9, 2013 when the aftermarket-part certification lab was first made available to members. In the coming months, a suite of marketing support tools will be added to complete the three-phase opening, in the form of a media center complete with a photo cove, photography center and media coordination services, according to officials.

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