Phillips Industries’ research and development lab, Phillips Innovations, in Sterling Heights, Mich., continues to push the boundaries of quality and innovation in the commercial vehicle industry.
This 12,000 sq.-ft., facility, strategically located in Detroit’s automotive hub, accelerates product development by providing advanced solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern fleets.
Phillips Innovations represents a commitment to delivering greater value to customers through cutting-edge research and faster innovation cycles. With state-of-the-art testing and prototyping capabilities, the company says the facility empowers Phillips to develop solutions that address real-world fleet challenges, enhance operational efficiency, and support the industry's transition toward sustainability and emerging technologies.
“The benefits of our R&D facility in Sterling Heights are nearly boundless. It empowers us to deliver more value to our customers through enhanced testing capabilities and expanded innovation pipelines,” says Dan Forthoffer, corporate vice president of Research and Development. “Beyond the equipment and space, we have built the best team around, and being in South East Michigan, puts us in close proximity to a wealth of automotive and transportation knowledge and engineering expertise, it enables us to leverage historical insights while driving new breakthroughs.”
Phillips says the lab is designed to rigorously test and refine products under real-world conditions, ensuring customers benefit from unmatched durability and reliability. Its capabilities include:
- Comprehensive Environmental Testing: Full compliance with SAE, ASTM, and MIL-Standard protocols, simulating extreme conditions such as thermal cycling and shock, salt spray, vibration, IP67 submersion, and IP69K pressure washing to guarantee product performance.
- Injection Molding and Prototyping: Enabling swift development and testing of truck and trailer harnesses, molded connectors, and prototypes for faster time-to-market.
- Pneumatics, Electronics, and Lighting Testing: Ensuring Phillips products meet stringent Original Equipment (OE) requirements while addressing field failure and warranty data.
- On-Vehicle Testing: A full garage supports testing of tractor-trailer combinations to validate real-world application performance, while outdoor parking accommodates multiple vehicles for extended trials.
- Solar Technology Testing: Expanding the scope of renewable energy solutions to meet the growing demand for sustainable fleet operations.
The R&D facility also is built with a customer-first mindset, and the team actively gathers firsthand feedback from fleet customers to understand their challenges and needs. While every fleet operates differently, many of these challenges are common across the industry. By identifying these shared pain points, Phillips states it develops solutions that not only address individual customer concerns but also enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability on a broader scale. The facility also features an on-campus warehouse to keep critical components ready for testing and emergency next-day deliveries of core products to customers in dire need.
This customer-focused approach ensures that Phillips' advancements deliver meaningful impact across the commercial vehicle industry, the company adds.
Finally, from pioneering telematics solutions like Phillips Connect to breakthrough technologies such as the REAR-VU Backup Camera, EC47 Connector, and T/T Pair, Phillips Innovations is driving the next generation of fleet technology. Looking ahead, the company says the focus is on developing advanced radar, video systems, and safety solutions that improve operations and support a more sustainable industry.Conquering ChallengesThe road ahead comes with challenges for commercial vehicle component manufacturers, including the elimination of harmful PFAS synthetic chemicals in commercial products.
