Does Dynamometer testing damage Tyres?

Well this is very debatable...  A bike magazine that I worked for later, asked some tyre manufacturers this very question.  Their "official" answer generally was that this was not the tyres design purpose and that heat or tyre deformation could damage the structure internally and this damage would be invisible.  So they recommended replacing tyres after testing!  But frankly that's ridiculous!  They have to say this to protect themselves.
 

So what's the real answer?   I suspect its somewhere in between as usual.  If the tyre is fairly new, road going car or bike tyre then and well designed chassis Dynamometer should not hurt the tyre.

What's the worst conditions for tyres on the dyno? 

• A "twin roller" style dyno where the tyre sits in between a pair of small diameter rollers deforms the tyre much more and causes more heat build up.

• A greasy, or polished smooth running surface.  This causes slippage and this too causes heat build up.

• Very high speed running

• Low tyre pressures.  A few psi extra does not hurt here!

• Any of the above or a combination of the above are most likely to damage tyres.

What's the best conditions for tyres on the dynamometer?

• New condition high speed rated tyres

• Tyres with a few pounds greater pressure than "NORMAL" running pressures

• A modern dyno with knurled large diameter (16 inches or more) single roller or drum

• No sustained high speed running. (so an inertia dyno is usually safer here

• Grease free drum and clean tyres!

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