www.tiretechnologyinternational.

com | JULY 2015

INTERVIEWS
Chuck Yurkovich
senior VP, global R&D,
Cooper Tire
Jim Cuttino
president and CEO,
Camber Ridge

See you
in court
Counterfeiters are copying
machinery innovations with
increasing speed and accuracy.
What can suppliers do to defend
their intellectual property – and
secure their future business?

LET’S GO ROUND AGAIN ACT NATURALLY UNIVERSITY FOCUS

Machinery advances mean that retreads What can be done to sustainably manage A new aircraft tire model for helicopter
make more sense than ever. Now China’s the supply and demand of traditionally ground operation simulations has been
truck tire makers are joining the party sourced natural rubber? developed at Coventry University
 I N T H I S I S S U E

I
t’s been fascinating to research

Editor’s note this issue’s cover story on

IP infringement. For the tire
industry, the problem is not on
the same scale as it is for some
manufacturers of luxury consumer
goods. But this is not to underestimate
the problem, and evidence suggests
that with new technology such
as 3D printing at their disposal, the
copycats will only grow in strength.
From my point of view, it’s a
concern that it will always be easier
for a large, well-funded supplier to COVER STORY 51 Supplier interview
Hansung Sysco’s CEO on developing a
protect itself than a small, but perhaps 36 IP infringement wireless network for factory automation
equally innovative, start-up company. What can tire industry suppliers do to
“We have now become large enough defend themselves against the rising tide 54 Ho-Youl Pae, Hankook Tire
to be in a position to fight this without of intellectual property infringement? Why the tire company is diversifying
being hurt by the time and money
it costs,” says Harm Voortman, CEO WHAT’S NEW? FEATURES
of VMI Group, which recently won a 27 Retreading
2 Bridgestone
court case against a copycat in China. A new technical center in Thailand Improvements in quality control are
“I can imagine that if you’re a smaller providing retreads with a welcome
company, then it would be more painful. 4 Lapland Proving Ground resurgence. By Karl Vadaszffy
A new winter facility in northern Finland
We have more than 1,200 people
globally and it’s easier for us to set up 6 Nokian WR SUV 3 32 Tire testing
Camber Ridge will combine an indoor
a dedicated team of patent experts and The world’s first AA label-rated winter tire
paved oval with guided test carriages
legal people searching the market for 8 OE roundup
infringements and judging whether it’s The latest original equipment deals 44 Natural rubber
potentially dangerous for us. So far there Rachel Evans hears how industry
10 Production update associations are helping natural rubber
hasn’t been a real threat to us, but we Factory updates from across the globe producers to operate sustainably
are preparing for the future, when it will
56 Data directory
be more difficult to make a difference.”
With the rapid recent growth of
COLUMNS Paul Ita looks at the carbon black market
the tire and rubber industry in China, 14 Joe Walter
Discarded tires must continue to be 58 University focus
that country has become a hotbed Coventry University’s aircraft tire model
reused for other purposes!
for IP infringement, affecting not just
16 NEW Gregory Smith
western suppliers but the best Chinese
ones, too. Voortman makes the point Our new expert columnist from Tyre CAE
PRODUCTS
that persistent infringements might and Modelling Consultants shares his & SERVICES
lead to companies not selling their insights into traditional tire test methods
62 VMI
most innovative technology in China 72 Roger Williams New vision for service
as a preventative measure, which The future of tire trade associations 64 Mesnac
would only lead to the undesirable Advanced open mill
scenario of the Chinese tire industry not
benefiting from all the latest solutions.
INTERVIEWS 65 Bay Systems
Fortunately, as you’ll see in the
12 Speaker interview Tire tread acceleration
Frank Riedewald, managing director,
feature that begins on page 36, it would 66 SEEB Automation
Composite Recycling
seem that there is already a substantial, Cavity noise reduction
and growing respect for IP in China, 20 Chuck Yurkovich 67 Micro-Epsilon
within the legal system at least. That Cooper Tire’s senior VP of global R&D Reliable measurement
has to be good news for all concerned. reveals how experts from different
industries and a new R&D setup are 69 Products & services roundup
Graham Heeps, editor helping to foster innovative thinking The latest innovations and services

Published by
Editor: Graham Heeps Head of production and logistics: Sales director: Colin Scott Tire Technology International is
Ian Donovan Publication director: Damien De Roche published quarterly together with
Assistant editor: Rachel Evans Deputy production manager: International sales: Matthew Jordan an Annual Review. ISSN 1462-4729
Lewis Hopkins Circulation: Adam Frost Tire Technology International. This
Associate editor: Roger Williams Production team: publication is protected by copyright
Technical consultant: Joe Walter Carole Doran, Cassie Inns, Editorial director: Anthony James © 2015. Subscriptions £55/US$88 per
Member of the Audit Frank Millard, Robyn Skalsky Managing director: Graham Johnson year: four issues plus the Annual Review.
Contributors this issue: Mike Blundell, CEO: Tony Robinson Printed by William Gibbons, Willenhall,
Bureau of Circulations
Paul Ita, Greg Smith, Karl Vadaszffy, West Midlands, WV13 3XT, UK.
Average net circulation Yun Wang, Gary Wood Art director: Craig Marshall Tire Technology International, The views expressed in the articles and
per issue for the period Art editor: Andy Bass Abinger House, Church Street, technical papers are those of the authors
January 1, 2014 to Production editor: Alex Bradley Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1DF, UK and are not necessarily endorsed by
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July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 1

W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Asia technical center

I
n order to reinforce and Above: Since its Nong Khae plants, which belong including India, Indonesia, Italy,
grow its R&D capabilities, establishment in to Bridgestone Group Thailand, Japan and Thailand. Based on its
2013, investment headcount forecast, Bridgestone
the Bridgestone Asia Pacific will enable APTC to strengthen
in the center has
Technical Center (APTC) was totalled approximately its R&D support for production expects to have approximately
recently relocated from its US$33m. The new related processes and activities.” 100 employees by the end of
base in Chatuchak, Bangkok, building was opened Yamagishi highlights another 2015. Yamagishi says, “As an
in May 2015 (below) international organization that
to a larger facility in the Pathum area of R&D focus of the APTC: “We
Thani Province in Thailand. “As the want to speed up the transition from values and promotes diversity,
business grew, and to strengthen the development of raw materials employees across most of the
its main functions and better to the manufacturing of products company consist of a mix of both
develop products that are suited in new product development for local and foreign ethnicities.”
to the region’s customer needs the Asia Pacific market. Another Yamagishi believes that with
and requirements, we needed example is the improvement of a the new laboratory and support
to move to a new facility,” says tire design or compound, to better from other Bridgestone technical
APTC MD, Naoto Yamagishi. adapt an existing product to the centers around the globe, such
Importantly, this will local customers’ requirements, as those in Japan, USA and Italy,
accommodate the installation or to improve a product’s safety, the APTC will be able to greatly
of additional machinery and performance and durability improve the framework of its
equipment, such as the new tire through tire and material testing.” research and development, and
and material testing machine. In total, 90 experts are employed as a result better develop its
Meanwhile, the necessary IT at the facility from various countries products for the markets. tire
infrastructure, including state-of-the-
art simulation software, is also in the
process of being set up at the APTC.
Yamagishi explains that as a
relatively young operation, having
only been established in 2013, it will
take some time before the APTC
gains sufficient experience and
proficiency to begin independent
operations. The center currently
serves four main functions: quality
management, tire development,
material development and
procurement, and the advancement
of production technology. Notes
Yamagishi, “Being physically
closer to both the Rangsit and

2 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Winter proving ground

I
n northern Finland – 200km Right: Aerial view
inside the Arctic Circle – a of LPG’s 500ha site.
Drivers, security and
new winter proving ground maintenance staff are
is taking shape ahead of the already in place; during
2015/2016 winter testing the winter season, the
season. The Lapland Proving staff numbers will rise
to more than 150
Ground (LPG) for car, truck and tire
testing will be the latest venture for
Norein, a company with a portfolio
that includes a long-established
winter testing business and more
than a dozen hotels in the region.
Nine years in the planning,
LPG will occupy a 500ha site at
Muonio on the Swedish border,
claimed to be one of the coldest
places in Europe. Initially there will
be 20km of undulating land-based
tracks for handling and durability
testing, wide enough to handle
truck/bus work in addition to cars,
with eight of the nine available in
numerous combinations. These will
be supplemented by up to 10km
of ice tracks on a frozen lake. The
whole area is bordered by fences for
customer confidentiality and safety.
Seven cold chambers are in
place for pre-soaking cars or tires
and a large, on-site workshop/
office complex for around 10
companies is nearing completion.
For users for whom secrecy is
less of an issue, for those focused
on public-road testing, or for
component suppliers or research
institutes working with OEMs at
LPG, this will be supplemented by
additional workshop space at the
new Arctic Research Centre nearby.

A large, 40 x 700m area for funding. So far, all the development

straight-line uses such as tire at LPG has been privately funded.
INDOOR INVESTMENT traction and brake testing is also Other cooperations with
LPG isn’t the only proving ground with an indoor planned. At the time of writing, it external entities have already
winter test facility on the drawing board. Following was not clear when it would be borne fruit, however. A vehicle
Test World’s developments, and the recent news completed, but LPG director Belinda tracking system to ensure the
from Arctic Falls that it is to build a 15 x 400m Hagin was hopeful that sufficient safety of proving ground users has
facility in Älvsbyn, Sweden (http://goo.gl/2KkXHs), time remained for its construction been developed in cooperation
a state-backed consortium of Swedish proving within this calendar year. with Centria University of Applied
grounds recently went public with its plans for the An ABS and split-µ braking Sciences, and the two parties hope
‘Arctic Arc’. The proposed, jointly owned facility area, a hillclimb facility and further to sell the system commercially
at Colmis Proving Ground will feature a heated, handling tracks are also envisaged to other proving grounds. LPG is
outdoor asphalt area so that high-µ dry testing and LPG is open to the possibility also working on projects with Oulu
and cold-weather testing can be carried out at the of creating bespoke tracks to University of Applied Sciences.
same time at the same location. It is hoped that meet individual customer needs. With hotels within a few
the final go-ahead will be given in July 2015, with A longer-term aspiration is a vast kilometers and the Kittilä Airport
a projected opening date of late 2017. n indoor test area, but this remains (and direct flights from Germany)
subject to the injection of external a 50-minute drive away, LPG is

4 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Top and left: An office confident that the infrastructure is

and workshop complex in place to support its development.
is nearing completion
German-born Hagin is also
Above: Land and lake-
based tracks feature in
confident that the demand is there
LPG’s initial offering to support another Nordic winter
test venue. Speaking exclusively to
Tire Technology International, she
told us, “We think that the weather at
our location is better than for some
of our competitors in Sweden. They
are further south, they use a lot of
lakes, and have had problems driving
on the ice due to the weather in the
past few years. We have a six-month
winter season – mid-October
to mid-April – and we think that,
even if the climate changes a bit,
we will still have good conditions
for winter testing. In addition, they
are heavily booked and I believe
there may have been hotel capacity
problems. For those reasons, we
think we’ll find customers.” tire

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 5

W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Nokian WR SUV 3
T
he world’s first AA-
rated winter tire for
fuel efficiency and
wet grip on the EU
label was recently
unveiled by Nokian
Tyres. The 265/50 R19 WR SUV 3 is
the product of an ongoing project
focused specifically on reducing
rolling resistance. Technologies
derived from the work have
already been adopted in Nokian’s
WR D4 winter car tire, which was
introduced earlier this year, and will
be used in other products, too
Says Olli Seppälä, Nokian’s
development manager of car
tires, “In December last year we
introduced the first A-rated winter
tire in rolling resistance – the 155/70
R19 Hakkapeliitta R2 – which is
fitted to the BMW i3. In February
we launched the first A-rated car
winter tire in wet grip, in several
sizes of the new WR D4, so this
was a logical step forward.
“We’ve been fine tuning the WR Above: Thanks to a “We modified, for example, the will be a let down in handling,”
SUV 3 for around a year. We took a special tread pattern base, cap and clinch compounds, comments Seppälä. “In terms of
and a higher amount of
very close look at every component and the compounds in the steel winter performance, one area
silica in the compound,
and analyzed what we needed to Nokian has been able belts,” he explains. The resulting where we put a lot more emphasis
do to lower the rolling resistance. At to greatly reduce the tread compound has been badged is not only snow but also ice grip.”
the same time we wanted to ensure rolling resistance of the Twin Trac SUV Silica. It combines The team conducted the usual
WR SUV 3
we weren’t making a compromise the winter properties of the test repetitions in snow and ice
on any of the properties related Below from left: Hakkapeliitta tire line, which is braking, acceleration and handling.
3D lock sipes stretch
to safety, while keeping mileage from shoulder to designed for cold conditions, with “We also did snow handling and hill
at a competitive level.” shoulder to improve high levels of wet performance. The climbing, which is very important to
In the development of the WR handling in corners; compound also contains quantities us, as well as the objective testing.
SUV 3, benchmarking was done groove lifts also of natural rubber and canola oil. One thing we do differently is that
provide improved
against the major competitors handling on dry roads; Adds Seppälä, “We have also we also test for snow handling
including the Michelin Latitude meanwhile snow developed the belt package and the at higher speeds because we find
Alpin LA2, Conti WinterContact claws were shaped on nylon bandage, and the sidewalls are that it has an affect on the tire’s
TS850P SUV, Dunlop SP Winter the longitudinal and made from a low rolling resistance behavior. We have the advantage
diagonal grooves of the
Sport 4D, as well as offerings from tread blocks to provide compound containing aramid fibers.” of our White Hell test facility, which
Goodyear, Pirelli and Bridgestone. more grip Other than the essential EU has a very wide selection of tracks.”
As no competitors have achieved label-related disciplines, the test Test vehicles included a
an A rating for rolling resistance in program focused on dry handling Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7,
a winter tire, Seppälä says that this and grip. “People sometimes hold Volkswagen Touareg and
was not an essential comparison. the opinion that an AA-rated tire Amarok, among others. tire

6 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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W H AT ’ S N E W ?

OE-fitment roundup
HANKOOK/ MICHELIN/JCB
MERCEDES-BENZ Company: J CB
Company: H  ankook Tire model and size:BibLoad Hard Surface
Tire model and size:AM06 and Vehicles:Loadalls, telehandlers and
DM03, 315/80 R22.5 backhoe loaders
Truck:Mercedes-Benz Actros Where sold:Worldwide
Where sold:Worldwide Notes:Before signing the fitment deal,
Notes:Engineered for both on- JCB asked its customers to test the tires
and off-road use, the AM06 and in real-world environments. Rob Rawlins,
DM03 are said to provide high owner and
levels of resistance to cutting and operator of
chipping. That is thanks to a split- WH & SJ
and bruise-resistant sidewall rubber Rawlins, tested
and a thicker, extended shoulder. them on a
Hankook also optimized the two-year-old
durability of the casings through JCB 536-70 loadall,
extensive use of virtual simulation. which can operate across a
mix of concrete yards, in the
field and on the road. After
completing 500 hours in service
and covering more than 2,500
miles, 29mm of tread was
remaining out of 33mm.

DUNLOP/MERCEDES-AMG
Company: G  oodyear-Dunlop
Tire model and size:Dunlop Sport
Maxx RT, 245/35 Z R19 (front), 265/35
Z R19 (rear)
Car:Mercedes-AMG C63 and C63 T
Where sold:Europe
Notes:Dunlop engineers worked
in collaboration with experts at
Mercedes-AMG to develop a bespoke
version of the tire. The finished
product is designed to ensure
optimal balance between the front
and rear axles, as well as high levels
PIRELLI/LAND ROVER of grip, for which several design
features were derived from Dunlop’s
Company: P  irelli motorsport experience.
Tire model and size:Pirelli P Zero, 275/40
R22 108Y XL
Car:Range Rover Sport
Where sold:Europe
Notes:Land Rover has selected the
P Zero equipped with the Pirelli Noise
Cancelling System (PNCS), which is stated
to reduce noise in the vehicle’s cabin by
2-3dB. The Range Rover Sport is the first of
Land Rover’s products to feature PNCS as
original equipment, and is also the first SUV that has been fully
homologated with the Pirelli system.

8 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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W H AT ’ S N E W ?

Production update

Capacity increase at Conti Above from left: year. It will be a zero waste-to- at Tatneft’s existing solid steel cord
Continental is to substantially A bird’s eye view of landfill and zero solvent facility, tire factory. It will be operated
Conti’s passenger and
increase production at its Hefei light truck tire and
and will use natural gas, energy through KaMaRetread, of which
plant in China. This will involve two-wheel plant in efficient LED lighting and state-of- Trading House Kama, a wholly
the gradual ramp-up of the current Hefei, China; Mexican the-art dust collection equipment. owned subsidiary of Tatneft, will
production capacity of five million President Enrique Goodyear’s selection of San Luis own 65% and Marangoni 35%.
Peña Nieto at the
car tires a year to 14 million units announcement that
Potosí followed an extensive review Operations at the facility, for
by 2019. Investments are also Goodyear is to establish of potential locations throughout which Marangoni has contributed
to be made in the bicycle tire a factory in Mexico; the Americas. The review took its equipment, technologies and
segment, for which production Evonik is constructing into consideration factors experience in tire retreading, along
a new manufacturing
capacity will rise from its current facility for precipitated
including cost structure, logistics, with the necessary training, are now
level of two million units up silica such as its infrastructure, skilled workforce, underway. Tatneft has provided
to 13 million tires by 2025. Ultrasil product at a tariffs and quality-of-life issues. the facility, management and
“Expansion of the plant forms southeast USA location; personnel, as well as local expertise.
Hankook’s Rácalmás
part of our long-term Vision 2025 factory in Hungary
Evonik announces US plans The two companies are aiming
strategy in which, since 2011, Evonik Industries has started basic to achieve a production capacity
we have systematically invested engineering for a world-scale of 35,000 tires per year by 2017.
more than €2bn (US$2.3bn) in the production plant for its precipitated Collection of casings and
establishment and expansion of silica to be built in the southeast further marketing of retreaded tires
global production capacities and of the USA, close to major US manufactured at the KaMaRetread
high-tech projects for tires,” said tire production sites. Investment factory will be made through
Nikolai Setzer, member of the will be in the upper double-digit Kama’s dealer network and Tyre
executive board at Continental million dollar range. Completion is & Service centers. Customers will
and head of the Tire Division. scheduled for late 2017, but Evonik be able either to hand over the
“It will increase the number is still awaiting approval from the used tire casings and only pay
of jobs at the Hefei plant from relevant the relevant bodies. the retreading service cost, or
1,150 at present to 2,700.” Johannes Ohmer, member of purchase already retreaded tires.
To date, Continental has already the resource efficiency segment ∞ More on retreading: p27
invested €250m (US$283m) in management board, said, “We
the Hefei plant and by the time are going to continue expanding Hankook Rácalmás expansion
the agreed investment plans have our precipitated silica capacities According to local media reports,
been realized the total will have through our global program that we Hankook has finished the third
surpassed €500m (US$568m). started five years ago. The resource phase of the expansion of its plant
efficiency megatrend fuels the in Rácalmás, south of Budapest,
Goodyear to open Mexico plant demand for our products. Interest in Hungary. The €313m (US$353m)
A new tire factory in San Luis energy-saving tires is continuously investment boosted annual capacity
Potosí, Mexico, will be Goodyear’s growing in North America. That’s to 19 million tires and created nearly
most technologically advanced. why we are planning to build the 1,000 new jobs in Hungary. Hankook
Capital investment for the facility plant close to our customers, which has also broadened its portfolio of
will total around US$500-550m, are the large tire manufacturers.” OE partners to include Audi, BMW,
net of government incentives, and Daimler and Porsche. According to
is consistent with the company’s Retread production in Russia MD Sang Il Lee, since the launch
existing capital allocation plan. In late 2014, Marangoni and Tatneft of the first phase of the expansion,
Production at the plant is Group agreed to form a joint venture capacity has risen by 250%. Almost
scheduled to begin in mid-2017 in Russia for the retreading of all- 500 types of tires are made there.
and annual capacity will be steel truck tires. The joint venture Having added 950 jobs, headcount
approximately six million tires per company is based in Nizhnekamsk at the plant now exceeds 3,300. tire

10 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 LEARN MORE ABOUT
OUR ADVERTISERS
NOW!
www.tiretechnologyinternational.com | JULY 2015

FREE SERVICE!
INTERVIEWS
Chuck Yurkovich
senior VP, global R&D,
Cooper Tire
Jim Cuttino
president and CEO,
Camber Ridge

See you
in court
Counterfeiters are copying
machinery innovations with
increasing speed and accuracy.
What can suppliers do to defend
their intellectual property – and
secure their future business?

LET’S GO ROUND AGAIN ACT NATURALLY UNIVERSITY FOCUS

Machinery advances mean that retreads What can be done to sustainably manage A new aircraft tire model for helicopter
make more sense than ever. Now China’s the supply and demand of traditionally ground operation simulations has been
truck tire makers are joining the party sourced natural rubber? developed at Coventry University

Visit www.ukipme.com/info/ttm to
request exclusive and rapid information
about the latest technologies and
services featured in this issue

www.ukipme.com/info/ttm
I N T E R V I E W

E TECHNO
IR

•T

LO
Frank Riedewald

CONFEREN

GY EXPO•
EXPO 2015
CE
Managing director, Composite Recycling Ltd SPEAKER

enter the pyrolysis chamber. The proven technologies from low-

tires readily decompose into vapor, cost industries. The most capital-
char or carbon, steel and other intensive part of the process is the
components upon contact with the pyrolysis chamber, which has been
molten zinc, which is maintained adapted from the hot dip galvanizing
at 450-500°C. The material forming industry, as is the crane that removes
on top of the molten zinc is mainly the steel. Cyclones, on the other
carbon black. The carbon black hand, are used in the production of
is vacuumed up with the vapors carbon black. As a result, the capital
to be segregated from the vapor cost of a plant would be relatively
stream by, for instance, a cyclone. low. Furthermore, the reactor used
Most of the vapors are condensed is simple and has no moving parts.
to pyrolysis oil, which is essentially
diesel. The non-condensable gases Could this method be
(methane, propane, etc) are routed easily scaled up?
to the burners to self-sustain the Scaling up would be straightforward
process. The steel wires sink in the – doubling the throughput (for
molten zinc, accumulate in one area example from 50-100,000 tons/year)
of the machine and are removed by simply requires double the surface
a crane. Hence the molten zinc acts area of the molten zinc. As it takes
as both the mechanism to provide just 20 minutes to degrade a tire into
the heat and also as the medium its components, the capital costs are
What was the background to separate the steel and carbon minimized for any rated capacity.
to your presentation? black in a sink-float separation.
Composite Recycling Ltd is a Have you been able to produce
start-up company based in the How does this differ to other the right grades of carbon
incubation center at the Cork methods of pyrolysis? black for use in tires?
Institute of Technology in Ireland. Our process is radically different In terms of chemistry, this process
It was established two years ago to conventional processes. Most is not fundamentally different to
and has recently been awarded importantly, it is economical; the other processes, and as a result
Horizon 2020 funding via the speed of whole tire destruction is the recovered carbon black (rCB)
SME instrument. This EU funding less than 30 minutes (direct heat is similar to the rCB obtained
is a great endorsement of our contact) rather than 2-4 hours. The from other processes. But as of
business case from a technical process does not use shredding yet, we have not analyzed it for
and commercial perspective. My or granulating – whole tires are use in tires. The next step is to
presentation provided more details treated, resulting in large savings construct a demonstration plant
of the innovative tire pyrolysis in capital and operational costs. and prove the process on this
method that we have developed. Moreover, separation happens semi-commercial scale, providing
when the carbon black floats on customers with the confidence to
How does this method work? the molten zinc, and the steel sinks. invest in a full-scale process. The
Whole, uncut tires are fed via a The recovered steel is rubber-free. company is currently looking for
charging vessel to ensure air cannot This method also uses existing, partners and/or investors. tire

“Our process is radically different to conventional

processes. Most importantly, it is economical; the
speed of whole tire destruction is less than 30 minutes
(direct heat contact) rather than 2-4 hours”

12 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 2015.4 TTI183乘以115.ai 1 2015-4-28 14:53:11

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O P I N I O N

Joe Walter “The rubber reclaim business entered a

downward spiral, resulting in bankruptcies
or financial restructurings of many such
companies over the past few decades”

E
ntrepreneurs were recycling and reclaiming FINEST FINEST
MRicurobnbiezred
vulcanized rubber products long before SUPER-FINE

the development of the automobile and MRicurobnbiezred MRicurobnbiezred

Powder Powder Powder
the advent of the pneumatic tire. Then
once the motor car revolution got underway early 300 150 80
in the 20th century, all major US tire companies mesh mesh mesh
operated commercially viable rubber reclamation
facilities. These factories used mechanical energy,
heat and/or chemicals to convert worn-out tires
into bits of “devulcanized” rubber by processes that impurities and reaction products formed during
ruptured polymeric chains and sulfur cross-links. vulcanization.
With residual steel and fabric removed, the resulting Lehigh Technologies refers to its pulverized
rubber bits could be reformulated and re-vulcanized rubber particles as MRP (micronized rubber
into usable products with measurable but tolerable powder) to distinguish the product from run-of-
degradation of physical properties. For example, the-mill crumb rubber, and manufactures powders
Firestone operated its Xylos reclaim subsidiary from from 80 mesh (~0.177mm), down to 300 mesh
1916 to 1972, recycling end-of-life tires and factory (~0.050mm). For reference, individual carbon black
scrap into less elastic rubber fragments. These were particles are three orders of magnitude smaller
then used in molded goods, and at low levels in and usually vary in size from 20-200nm, with
tread compounds to reduce cost. Reclaimed rubber aggregates in cured-tire compounds perhaps 5-10
consumption spiked during WWII in the USA, when times larger depending on structure and surface
rubber was a vital war commodity, and remained as area. Lehigh Technologies recently declared that
high as 300,000 tons annually as late as 1960. more than 300 million tires had been placed in
With the post-WWII development of synthetic service using its MRP material. Bridgestone touts
rubber, the economics of processing reclaim the use of 5% ground rubber from scrap tires in
were adversely affected, with the recycled product the tread compound of its Ecopia EP 422 line.
sometimes being more expensive than virgin From these numbers, it appears that low levels of
rubber. Additionally a large market for reclaim fine powdered rubber can be used in selected tire
– molded rubber goods – was largely displaced components to achieve tire performance levels
by less costly plastics such as polyethylene and close or equal to tires made from 100% virgin
polyvinyl chloride, which were used in wire material. What seem to be missing from powdered
insulation, battery cases and garden hoses, among rubber technology are rigorous technical standards
other products. Consequently the rubber reclaim governing physical and chemical properties, as are
business entered a downward spiral, resulting in in place with other tire compound additives.
bankruptcies or financial restructurings of many Worn-out tires are now being discarded at the
such companies over the past few decades. rate of 15 million tons per year. Pessimists view
That seems to be changing today as larger these scrap tires as an environmental burden, while
rubber chips and somewhat smaller rubber optimists view them as a worthwhile resource.
crumb from reclaim find use in civil engineering But these apparently contrary views are not
applications such as rubberized asphalt and as tire incompatible. The recent uptick in using recycled
derived fuel. However, rubber bits and granules rubber in the tire industry addresses environmental
free of impurities must be broken down into concerns while potentially lowering the cost of
smaller particles for incorporation into suitable tires. These are positive trends for both producers
tire compounds. Grinding is the most common and consumers, but may not be enough to placate
method to reduce particle size and increase surface activists who lament that tire producers are still
area, and can normally be achieved by ambient too dependent on fossil fuels. It is worth noting
temperature or cryogenic grinding. Cryogenic that the economics of recycling paper, plastic
processing tends to be more expensive than purely and rubber is extremely sensitive to the price
mechanical methods due to the cost of liquid of petroleum. One hopes that despite recent
nitrogen, but does provide the preferred smaller swings in the price of energy and raw materials,
particles and smoother surfaces than alternative the global tire industry will continue to meet its
methods. Recycled rubber crumb is typically 45- environmental and regulatory responsibilities by
50% elastomer and 25-30% carbon black, with the using previously processed rubber – critics and
remainder being chemical additives, unwanted costs notwithstanding. tire

14 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

EUROPE’S LEADING INTERNATIONAL
TIRE DESIGN AND TIRE MANUFACTURING

EXHIBITION
IS MOVING TO
HANOVER
16, 17 & 18 FEBRUARY 2016
DEUTSCHE MESSE, HANOVER, GERMANY
Now in its 16th year, Tire Technology Expo is Europe’s most important tire
manufacturing technology exhibition and conference. Tire Technology Expo
2016 will feature the world’s premier tire manufacturing technology, with
exhibits of equipment and materials covering the complete spectrum of the
tire manufacturing process. Tire Technology Expo 2016 promises to be the
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EXPO 2016
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O P I N I O N

Gregory Smith “My one-man campaign to cover the

world’s roads in sandpaper has failed to gain
momentum; consequently we need to test on
more representative surfaces”

T
here are countless ways of testing tires
to build endless numbers of models.
Unfortunately tires are unwieldy,
unpredictable doughnuts of difficulty.
There are no clearly defined rules to relate tires’
components and design directly to their handling
POP!
performance. For this reason, when designing a tire
you don’t know precisely what you’re going to get
until you build and test it. Hence the ongoing need
for tire testing for development purposes, not just The only real alternative is an on-vehicle approach,
design validation. which is often used by race teams.
The father (or maybe grandfather) of tire testing Race cars as well as OEM prototype
rigs is the Calspan TIRF rig in Buffalo, New York. development vehicles often carry a lot of
First operational in 1973, it was upgraded in 2013-14 instrumentation. Consequently, by adding wheel
(see TTI, March 2014). The other rig I’ve used for force transducers or instrumented suspension
my own applications is the MTS LTRe Flat-Trac members, the forces and moments at the hubs
that has been operational since 2013 at SoVa can be calculated. Combine that with additional
Motion/National Tire Research Center (NTRC) in instrumentation to calculate wheel slips and
Alton, Virginia. Both of these rigs employ the same camber and you have an on-vehicle tire test rig.
fundamental idea of an articulating head over a flat One challenge here is that the accuracy of the
sandpaper surface – akin to a giant belt sander. This instrumentation is nothing like that of lab testing.
approach means the tires’ contact patch is flat, so Another is that the data is difficult to work with
longitudinal and lateral force generation under a as slip angle, load and camber cannot be isolated
range of loading conditions can be tested, enabling and investigated independently of one another.
the tires’ handling performance to be understood. However, when previously supporting a project
Having tested with both rigs, I can say that the of this nature it was discovered that with some
data from the two correlates extremely well, advanced post-processing and by changing the
usually to within a few percent, which is within the suspension settings between tests, it is possible
production variability of most tires. to build credible tire models from this data. In the
The main disadvantage of both rigs is the racing world this may be the only option as tire
sandpaper surface. It may not have escaped your testing is often banned. Using this approach, the
notice that sandpaper is not a widely used road team is gathering tire data during vehicle testing
surface. Sadly my one-man campaign to cover all rather than testing the tire specifically. It is therefore
the world’s roads in this material has failed to gain within the rules of the series.
momentum; consequently we need to do some Is there a perfect solution, where repeatable
testing on more representative surfaces. testing can be conducted under strictly controlled
The common answer to this is to use a tire lab conditions and on a flat realistic road surface?
test trailer or skid trailer – essentially taking the Not yet. However, I am highly supportive of the
articulating head off the SoVa Motion or Calspan rig Camber Ridge project currently in development
and mounting it in a trailer so that the tire is tested (see page 32). Imagine a flat oval rollercoaster
on a real road surface. This enables handling testing that carries an articulating head over a paved road
to be conducted on any surface the truck can drive surface. Theoretically it seems ideal, but only time
over, including wet and dry asphalt, snow and ice. will tell whether CEO Jim Cuttino can make it work.
It’s a sensible approach, but not without its own In my view, this is a highly innovative and novel
problems. In my experience these rigs have proved approach that transcends all the compromises with
to be more representative but far less reliable than current tire testing. From a customer perspective
flat-belt rigs. For example, local weather can cause there may be limitations due to operating costs
a persistent problem and the rules and operations and availability, however a hybrid of various testing
of the selected proving ground can constrain the approaches could be used to overcome this. tire
testing. Both of these issues can lead to problems in Gregory Smith is the director of Tyre CAE and Modelling
scheduling tests, predicting test times and booking Consultants, providing tire testing and modeling
durations. However, for many this is a necessary evil services to the OEM and motorsport industries.
in order to gather tire data on real road surfaces. More information at www.tyremodelling.com

16 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

EUROPE’S LEADING INTERNATIONAL
TIRE DESIGN AND TIRE MANUFACTURING

CONFERENCE
IS MOVING TO
HANOVER
16, 17 & 18 FEBRUARY 2016
DEUTSCHE MESSE, HANOVER, GERMANY
Over three days delegates will have the opportunity to see presentations
from speakers picked from the world’s leading experts on tire manufacturing.
Presentations will cover the very latest developments for the tire manufacturing
industry. This high-profile conference, coupled with one of the industry’s largest
exhibitions, makes this not only a prestigious event to attend but also a priority
for all involved in the tire-making process. EXPO 2016
www.tiretechnology-expo.com
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AND TIRE MANUFACTURING EXPO AND CONFERENCE

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To book exhibition space For conference information
contact: Colin Scott, sales director, contact: Mark Fenner,
[email protected]; [email protected];
Tel: +44 1306 743744 Tel: +44 1306 743744

www.tiretechnology-expo.com
20 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015
 I N T E R V I E W

Fresh approach
Cooper Tire’s senior VP of global research and development explains
how specialists with experience from different markets are working
together to create new concepts and ideas
by Graham Heeps

C
ooper Tire recently opened its new environment that raises everyone’s game. Our
Global Technical Center, adjacent approach has been to recruit heavily from the top
to its existing North America universities in the USA and around the world and
Technical Center in its headquarters even from technical positions other than in the tire
of Findlay, Ohio. Around one in industry, then match those young professionals with
four of the professionals working very solid and experienced mentors who are lifelong
at the two technical centers has been with the tire people. It’s amazing what you can achieve when
company for two years or less. That’s surprising in you take a younger engineer who has until then been
an industry where so much value has traditionally working in the biomedical field and team him up with
been placed on direct tire experience. Cooper, a tire industry veteran. The ideas that tend to surface
however, believes that the mix of experience with from such a combination can be very powerful.”
those new to the industry is strategic and will Cooper is also involved at nurturing talent at
ultimately foster the innovations that will improve very early ages. “Encouraging young people to go
tire performance into the coming decades. into scientific and engineering fields is critical,”
“Like other companies, Cooper has always placed Yurkovich stresses. “We even work with children
a premium on hiring experienced tire industry very early in the educational process on basic
technical professionals such as researchers, scientists, engineering concepts. Some of our young engineers
engineers and others,” says Chuck Yurkovich, work directly with the youngsters as part of school
Cooper’s senior vice president of global research and programs in our headquarters community. Our
development. “This has worked well for us, as Cooper people show the students how certain things tie
has steadily improved its technical capabilities into science and engineering. We intrigue them and
to the point where the products we innovate and nurture their inquisitive spirit. You can continue
develop have been ranked toe to toe with top global to foster that through the upper grades and we
brands in third-party testing and rankings.” are getting involved in additional programs right
More recently Cooper has started to bring in talent now that tackle the middle school age group.”
from other industries and from leading universities At a higher level, Cooper has worked closely
to help “drive innovation to another level” by mixing with the successful Ohio State University team
tire veterans with those new to the industry. on the EcoCAR engineering competition
“As the workforce of experienced professionals run by the US Department of Energy (DOE)
tightens, and as it’s often not possible for technical and General Motors. Cooper’s involvement
people to jump from company to company, this encompassed developing ultra-fuel-efficient tires
is somewhat of a necessity,” Yurkovich adds. “We for the competition and aiding in the fabrication of
think that bringing in bright young people who are specialized components for Ohio State’s EcoCAR.
highly energetic and have the right set of scientific “We find that by working closely with engineering
and engineering skills, and mixing them with our students on these kinds of challenges, you spark their
tire industry veterans, creates a very stimulating interest and knowledge about the tire industry,” says

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 21

 I N T E R V I E W

THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD

Cooper recently completed work under a US$1.5m government weight by a minimum of 20% required us to make a product
grant to develop advanced tire technology aimed at increasing that is approximately 6 lb (2.7kg) lighter than the baseline 26 lb
vehicle fuel efficiency. The grant, awarded by the US DOE, called (11.8kg) tire. All of this was accomplished without any trade-offs
for Cooper to develop technology for light vehicle tires that in performance or durability.
delivered a minimum 3% improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency “Our innovative approach was to develop a new energy-
while lowering average tire weight by at least 20%, all without efficient tire profile and design in combination with an ultra-
sacrificing performance. lightweight tire construction. The process used innovative
In fact, Cooper developed technologies that exceeded materials not typically found in tires today. In all, we developed
the project’s goals, delivering an average fuel efficiency and evaluated six new technologies as part of the program’s first
improvement of 5.5% and weight reduction ranging from 23% phase. We also evaluated the holistic impact of putting all these
to 37% in concept tires. technologies into a concept tire in the program’s second phase.
“Improving vehicle fuel efficiency by a minimum of 3% was Combining these advances allowed us to reach and exceed the
accomplished by developing a product with more than 30% grant’s aggressive goals. We are extremely proud of the team’s
lower rolling resistance,” says Chuck Yurkovich. “Reducing tire achievements.” n

Photo: INSA
Yurkovich. “Cooper engineers have also given lectures,
collaborated with project teams and sponsored senior
capstone projects at the University of Toledo, Ohio
State University and others. Our people will contribute
to course content and execution with respect to
topics such as rolling resistance, vehicle mechanics,
tire dynamics and so forth. With everything we’re
doing, Cooper is building connections with students
from elementary school all the way up through
PhD level and we believe that is critical for us.”
Yurkovich says that a student work placement
program has been very successful in recruiting new
staff, with an almost 100% conversion rate of job offers
to hires. Joining this new wave of engineers have been Above: A collaboration between developed in direct response to requests from
Cooper and INSA has led to a
experts from the other industries, including people silica masterbatch with a broader
the three regional tech centers (see sidebar, Three
from the medical industry who have experience in processing window than normal plus one) and then made available to all.
developing heart valves or new materials, computer “It’s important with that kind of facility to have
specialists, chemists and acoustics experts. people who are innovators, who have the skillset
All have joined a newly reorganized R&D setup you need, who are inquisitive and anxious to do
at Cooper that separates product development from things that are new and different, and aren’t afraid
advanced technology research. The latter takes place to make mistakes,” he expands. “Failing is a big
in the Global Technical Center, which Yurkovich part of achieving success and you’re not penalized
describes as a “center of excellence for innovation for making mistakes, as long as you don’t repeat
and advanced technology”. Key areas of development them! We encourage people in the R&D groups
include computer modeling tools and advanced to take bigger steps that have, on a development
materials. An innovation group looks at developing basis, a little higher risk but also a higher
new materials, the impact on manufacturing return potential. Not everything you do from
technology and quality. Some of the technologies an innovation standpoint works, but you have
are put on the shelf for future use and others a better chance of finding those nuggets – those
things that enable you to move forward – if you
have the right people with the right focus.”

“Encouraging young people Not all the innovations for Cooper’s future tires
will come from in-house teams, however. Unlike

to go into scientific and some of the larger manufacturers, Cooper is not a

vertically integrated company: it does not produce

engineering fields is critical” its own wire, polymers or materials, for example.
“We view the fact that we are not vertically
integrated as a strength. It empowers us to innovate
Chuck Yurkovich, senior vice president of global and do things differently,” Yurkovich contends.
research and development, Cooper Tire “We’re finding the right partners to work with in
developing technology that can benefit us in products

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 23

I N T E R V I E W

and fill the gaps that we do not want to fill internally. it direct to our plants,” he enthuses. “Typically you
By leveraging the technical capabilities of external need to mix silica in an intermesh mixer to do it
companies, we can move further and faster.” well; we can now mix it using silica masterbatch
One example of a collaborative project is Cooper’s in any kind of mixer, and we save a pretty good
work with PanAridus and other consortium portion of our mixing time by doing so. We get
partners to develop guayule as a domestic source of better dispersion with lower-level equipment, at a
natural rubber under a US$6.9m US Department reduced cost, and you get tire performance that’s
of Agriculture (USDA) grant program. as good as or better than a standard material.”
“Cooper has the basic knowledge of materials, Cooper is also exploring how it can apply materials
processing and tires to be able to guide the from other industries that haven’t previously been
consortium,” he says. “PanAridus is developing used in tires, working with suppliers associated
the seed technology and the rubber extraction with the tire industry, as well as some who aren’t.
process associated with the project. The USDA’s “We look at materials with the potential to save
ARS (Agricultural Research Services) and Cornell weight or cost, and to improve performance. Because
University are working on mapping the guayule Above: Cooper is working with we’ve been relatively open in recent years with regard
partners to develop guayule as
genome. ARS is also developing techniques to improve a US source of natural rubber to what we’ve been doing in this area, companies
planting and growth techniques that help optimize now approach us with a material that might fit
the plants’ yield. Arizona State University is aiding one of our needs. Some we’ll pursue and some we
us with sustainability studies and lifecycle analyses won’t, but at times the application of non-traditional
of hevea rubber and guayule-sourced natural rubber, technology or materials can provide a big boost.”
all the way from growing, transporting, processing, It’s a refreshingly open approach in an industry
applying it to tires, running them and disposing of that can be accused of being too conservative,
them. We’re leveraging the capabilities of those outside particularly when one considers the rapid progress in
entities to do things that we can’t do alone internally.” areas such as consumer electronics. Does Yurkovich
In another recent example, Cooper worked with agree that tire makers need to be a little bolder?
an existing supplier, Industrias Negromex S.A. de “The answer is yes and no,” he chuckles. “No,
C.V. (INSA), of Mexico. The two earned a patent because it is critically important to be conservative
for a process to produce silane, hydrophobated when it comes to safety, which is a top priority. You
silica, silica masterbatch and rubber products. want a safe, durable product with good traction
The outcome of this process is a silica masterbatch and long life. But at the same time you need to be
with a broader processing window to enhance aggressive in looking at new concepts and new
manufacturing efficiencies for the end user. materials. You just need to take the right steps before
“We can process the silica masterbatch off-site you bring them to market to ensure that the product is
– assemble and de-water the material – and send safe, and that it does indeed perform as it should.” tire

THREE PLUS ONE

Complementing the Global Technical Center are three technical
centers for regional product development: North America
(Findlay), Europe (Melksham, UK) and Asia (Kunshan, China –
pictured, right). “There are cases where we’ll manufacture in
one region and sell to the others, but generally the region that’s
receiving the tires has the biggest impact on tire design and
development,” Yurkovich says.
Cooper’s difficult experience with its former CCT joint venture
has done nothing to diminish its commitment to the Chinese
market. It has continued to operate the wholly owned CKT plant
and remains “very committed” to growing its business in Asia.
A new technical center will help in that task. The Cooper Asia
Technical Center was established in 2007 in a leased facility in
Zhudi Town outside Shanghai. It had been designed to meet
Cooper’s needs for at least 10 years, but according to Yurkovich, in early 2014. We now have a sizeable staff and a substantial
after five years Cooper had outgrown the facility through the amount of equipment there and it is capable of tripling in size
addition of people and also through the addition of equipment, over the next several years as needs dictate.”
so the company made a decision to design and build a fully He adds that the new facility contains “all the tools you need
owned facility. for normal tire development. Each one of our tech centers has a
“We wanted it to be expandable, so we chose the Kunshan full materials lab and tire testing capabilities because we believe
site on the grounds of our CKT tire manufacturing plant and you need to be able to do things regionally in order to react very
designed and built the Asia Technical Center, which we opened quickly [to the market].” n

24 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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 R E T R E A D I N G

Same old story?

With a history that goes back over 40 years, retreading isn’t anything new, but
regulation and modern technology are driving quality improvements that are
giving retreads a welcome boost, especially in developed markets
by Karl Vadaszffy

I
n recent years the popularity of retreading has 109 (for commercial vehicle tires) regulate the Below: Harvey Brodsky founded
the Retread Tire Association in
grown rapidly, particularly in the commercial quality of retreads. According to these regulations, 2010 having spent nearly 30
fleet and truck tire markets. Although the retreaded tires must be tested under the same years as a key member of the
number of possible retreads depends on conditions (load, speed, etc) as new tires. Tire Retread Information Bureau
how a tire has been cared for, it’s typical to “These laws are pushing the industry in favor of
achieve two or three retreads for a high- retreads,” Salaorni says. “The user can feel equally
quality truck tire. But if a tire is being used on a confident in their performance and safety, even under
waste haulage vehicle, for example, which doesn’t extreme conditions, so we need to see more regulation
travel fast, up to eight retreads are possible. worldwide before retreading will spread more widely.”
In the USA around 50% of replacement commercial Harvey Brodsky is MD of the Retread Tire
truck tires are retreads, and major players such as Association (RTA), a member-owned, non-profit,
Continental are exploiting this opportunity; the tire non-commercial industry association that promotes
maker plans to open 20 more retread plants in the USA the environmental and economic benefits of
over the coming years. Meanwhile Goodyear, which retreading and proper tire repair. It has over
has become the largest retreader in the USA, already 350 members in more than 40 countries.
has 150 Goodyear-authorized plants in operation. Brodsky points out that the top three
This trend is recognized by Marangoni Meccanica’s costs of operating a trucking fleet virtually
commercial director, Edoardo Salaorni. The company anywhere in the world are the driver, the
develops machinery for hot and cold retreading fuel and the tires. “Costs for drivers and
and has a presence on every continent. Sales of fuel can’t be controlled, but tire management
retreading equipment account for 15-20% of its is simple, so here’s where retreading shines,”
annual turnover of approximately €45m (US$50m). he states. “By using top-quality retreaded tires
He says that manufacturers of new tires are produced by top-quality retreaders, a
becoming more involved in the market: “We estimate trucking company can save as much
they represent 80% of the retreading market. New tire as 50% over the cost of new tires.
manufacturers find the best solutions for increasing “In the USA it’s not
the longevity of carcasses – the value of the carcass uncommon for large fleets to
is 80% of that of the finished tire. This also grants have 30,000 trailers and 5,000
them greater competitiveness in the market.” tractors, so that’s a huge
He believes that retreading has become amount of money for tires
essential, and estimates that out of every five and, therefore, savings.”
tires used on trucks, three are retreaded. According to Brodsky,
In developed countries, standards such as retreaded tires are
Europe’s EC Regulation 108 (for car tires) and as safe, dependable

“Today, the adjustment rate (or failure rate) for

retreads produced in a top-quality retread facility is
lower (0.5-1%) than for comparable new tires (1%)”
Harvey Brodsky, managing director, Retread Tire Association

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 27

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 R E T R E A D I N G

WASTE NOT,
WANT NOT
Retreading is not just beneficial
in terms of cost saving, it also
has huge positive environmental
impacts, and while there are more
uses for scrap tires than ever
before, the best way to use them
is still retreading. “If all tires were
disposed of after a single use, the
amount of waste would be extreme
and the contamination of soil
would be devastating,” explains P K
Unnikrishnan at Apollo Tyres of tire
disposal’s harmful impacts. “But if a
tire tread is worn out once a year,
and the carcass has a life of up to
five years, the remaining two-thirds
of the tire is still intact, so it can be
reused. If you’re using a 60-70kg
tire and retreading with 14kg, that’s
a huge saving in raw materials.” n

and reliable as a comparable new tire: “Today, Above: Training underway is increasing with the quality of tires. That is one
the adjustment rate (or failure rate) for retreads at the Apollo Tyres Retread reason why in China retreading is quite behind.
Research and Training Centre.
produced in a top-quality retread facility is lower To meet the demand for quality Historically the quality of some casings has been such
(0.5-1%) than for comparable new tires (1%).” retreads, which are not widely that they can hardly withstand one retread at best.”
available in India, the company
He attributes much of this to the stringent is aiming to have 20 branded
Peled also suggests that retreading is more
inspection process that western retread facilities retread outlets by April 2016 common in the West due to an established culture
employ, with shearography, x-ray and holography of replacing tires on time. “In addition, there are
proving the most effective techniques in this process. laboratory tests for physical and chemical properties
But in some parts of the world, customers that are used quite extensively. And companies such
remain skeptical due to inconsistencies in quality as Pelmar Engineering are often requested to conduct
control during the selection of casings, the actual audits in retreading and tire plants,” he adds.
operation of retreading, and the materials used. The pattern is beginning to change, however.
“We must ensure that control measures are put in Brodsky at the RTA agrees that the change in quality
place and the retreading is carefully monitored,” of Chinese tires over the past decade has affected
comments P K Unnikrishnan, a senior R&D scientist
for tire testing and retreading at Apollo Tyres.
To ensure that worldwide industry standards
are improved and maintained, Apollo Tyres runs its HOT RETREAD EXTRUDER
Retread Research and Training Centre in Chennai,
To complete its
India, which is equipped with state-of-the-art range of extruders,
machinery and training infrastructure. The facility Marangoni recently
provides training modules to customers, retreaders introduced
and business partners to realize best performance the Omega 60
through tire maintenance, repair and retreading. machine for hot
Meanwhile, in many parts of the world retreading retreading. The
is acknowledged as the most effective method system features
of recycling tires. “Retreading not only enables a 60mm extruder
operators to save, but substantially increases that’s most suitable
for 4x4 passenger
tire shelf life and, in many cases, tire quality and
vehicle tires, and
performance,” explains Jacob Peled, executive in contrast to previous retreaders, the extruded rubber is applied directly
chairman at machinery supplier Pelmar Engineering. onto the casing. “This will benefit the operator because there won’t be the
“Generally speaking, retreading is still by far option to manually introduce the rubber to the calender and it will also
the number-one recycling method for tires,” he avoid temperature loss in the rubber from extruder to casing,” explains
continues. “It’s obviously not a total solution because Edoardo Salaorni, Marangoni’s commercial director. n
the number of recappings is limited. However, this

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 29

R E T R E A D I N G

the retread industry. “When low-cost Chinese tires Above: According to Marangoni retreaders globally, he argues, because the tires
Meccanica, the hot cure truck
started coming into North America and Europe, prices tire retreading segment is
are retreadable and can lead to further custom.
were so low that truckers wondered why they should growing in several markets due This no doubt increases the appeal of retreads,
retread,” he explains. “The problem surfaced shortly to the increased presence of and coupled with the environmental advantages it’s
new truck tire manufacturers
thereafter, when they discovered they wore prematurely with their own production no wonder that most major trucking fleets in the
and had problems with aspects like balancing. So it plants as well as those that are USA use them. Brodsky comments, “The amount of
became clear that these tires were a false economy, outsourced. The company’s post-consumer product that goes into a tire is higher
Black Dragon 120 machine
costing truckers money, aggravation and downtime.” for bead application features a than for any other recycled product. The average
Today, Brodsky says, Chinese tire quality has 120mm extruder for the tread brand-new tire weighs about 123 lb [56kg]. A retreader
and two sidewall extruders
improved. Companies like Double Coin and only puts on about 20 lb [9kg] of new tread.”
Triangle are now producing radial truck tires that Looking ahead, Peled believes that as standards
will withstand two or three retreads. But in doing increase in other parts of the world, retreading will
so, the cost of manufacturing has risen. “The end develop, especially in China and Japan: “Africa will
result,” he says, “is that they’re selling at a lower also develop its retread industry, despite the saying
price, but not nearly as low as before, and this there that in Africa all tires, regardless of make, die
is where the value of retreading re-emerges.” young. The terrible state of many roads and the climate
The increase in the acceptance of good- greatly shorten the life of tires, often destroying them
quality tires from China is also a benefit for to the point where they cannot be retreaded.” tire

SEVENTH SEAL OF APPROVAL

Funded through the EU’s Seventh Framework, the research
project ReTyre aims to discover a scientifically sound and
cost-effective methodology for the classification of retreaded
truck tires in order to comply with future environmental and
safety requirements. The initiative will consider the possible
impact of new European regulations regarding new tire safety
and environmental performances of the SMEs working with
retreaded tires.
The project will investigate the parameters related to casings,
retreading processes and the treads applied, to determine their
influence on tire performance. Fifteen partners are involved,
including manufacturers such as Insa Turbo and Carling Truck
Tires, as well as other institutes and associations. n

30 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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T I R E T E S T I N G

Right on track
Camber Ridge will pioneer a new approach to tire testing when it opens for business
next year. We got the latest news from its president and CEO, Jim Cuttino
by Graham Heeps

T
ire performance can currently be Right: The prototype carriage, machine shops. By early next year that will be joined
track-tested using a vehicle or test named Genesis, will be by a second – a truck-tire carriage. Ultimately
converted into Camber Ridge’s
trailer, or bench-tested on a Flat-Trac- first operational test carriage. the facility has been designed to run up to four
type rig. A new, US$60m facility in The company has also won a carriages at a time, enough to simulate a whole
commission from the US Army
Charlotte, North Carolina, hopes to to design and build a force and
vehicle with all four tires traveling at speed.
add to those options when it opens moment measuring capability “If we do wear testing, which we would like to do
to the public, which is expected to be in Q2 2016. for a drum testing machine out of hours, then you could run multiple carriages
Camber Ridge has been in the planning since over very long distances,” adds Cuttino. “One carriage
2009. Originally envisaged as an outdoor facility, could have more than one tire, and all the carriages
it will now consist of a 0.5-mile, indoor paved oval would be running the same path, accelerating
in an environmentally controlled building. Test and slowing together, running the same route.”
carriages will use rollercoaster technology to follow Maintaining a consistent, known track surface
a guide rail around the track, manipulating the specification will be a crucial component in delivering
tire according to the target vehicle’s kinematics and reliable measurements, as Cuttino acknowledges.
accumulating characterization data. Removing the “It’s not going to be the same surface that I’ll
human from the loop will offer good repeatability find in Munich or even Kentucky. But so long as
on the placement of the tire for various tests. I know what that surface is, and I can characterize
The building itself is still in design and build it in the exact same way I characterize road surfaces
ahead of scheduled completion in Q3 this year, when throughout the world, then just about any real paved
several months of internal testing and commissioning surface will be superior to a simple sandpaper grit
will commence. Assembly of a prototype carriage, surface for looking at tire performance,” he reasons.
named Genesis, was completed in September 2014. “The challenge will be to have a methodology
“The prototype has performed better than we established for monitoring our surface and
expected and will go into service as our first test how it changes, although we don’t expect it to
machine,” reports Jim Cuttino, president and CEO. change as quickly as an outdoor surface would.
“We will equip it with the proper outriggers for the When we lay the pavement, we must burnish it
guide rail system, power transformation, etc. properly to expose the aggregate, bringing it up
That is all well-known technology.” to a known specification, just as would be done
The first carriage, for passenger-vehicle/light- at any proving ground facility. We’ll conduct
truck tires, has been designed internally, with the the standard tests to make sure our surface
manufacture of components outsourced to local texture is acceptable.

“This is a new approach to characterization,

so it has taken considerable engineering and
problem solving to get to this point”
Jim Cuttino, president and CEO, Camber Ridge

32 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 T I R E T E S T I N G

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 33

T I R E T E S T I N G

“One of the nice things about what we’re doing

is that we have a number of tire and automotive
OEMs advising us,” continues Cuttino. “They have
acceptable ranges in mind and we’ll start there, then
continuously monitor it, including through the use of
SRTT tires and other infometric scanning techniques.”
Approximately 80 people from companies around
the world showed up at Camber Ridge’s last meeting
of interested parties. Cuttino and his colleagues
continue to tap into the expertise of automotive
and tire companies, knowing that if the
facility delivers what they want, they can have
confidence that its use will be viable.
“One of our biggest challenges is that this is a
brand-new approach to tire characterization, so it has
taken considerable engineering and problem solving
to get to this point,” he admits. “In addition, we’ve
secured our funding through mainly private sources
instead of being backed by any of the OEMs themselves
[a financial partnership with Teton Capital, LLC of
Jackson, Wyoming, was announced just as TTI closed Above: The Genesis carriage rating, perhaps they’ll want to come to Camber
for press]. This means that we are truly independent under test. Now that finances to Ridge to get that rolling efficiency [number] on flat
complete the facility have been
– which is key to what we’re doing – but because of confirmed, work will ramp up. pavement, under very similar conditions to what
this we have to develop specifications, not just execute “Teton Capital’s funding allows they’ll see in the final CAFE test. The label rating on
them. At the same time, having customers tell us us to implement a number of the tire may or may not be different, but at least they’ll
in-house technologies that have
exactly what they want provides a whole lot of security. been in the R&D stage since know what the actual contribution of the tire is.”
The worst thing we could do is to build this in a bubble.” 2009,” says Jim Cuttino But the acid test of Camber Ridge’s capabilities,
Cuttino has many potential uses in mind for he believes, will be whether its tire data can be shown
Camber Ridge, which is initially likely to focus to improve the quality of vehicle dynamics models.
on research projects and low-volume development “I think our ultimate test will be to take our tire
testing. Wet grip testing will be possible through characterizations, put them into vehicle dynamics
the availability of a 1%-grade asphalt surface that models and see how much we can help improve
can be flooded in the manner of an outdoor proving performance predictions,” he assesses. “I think OEMs
ground. Noise testing will be available in drive- have figured out how to feed their mathematical
by and, thanks to the carriage, onboard forms. simulations for the most part; it’s the behavior of the
As for rolling resistance, the facility should be able tire that is the big unknown in all of that. Tire data
to offer something that drum machines currently is currently very repeatable but not very accurate.
cannot, due to a more representative contact patch The whole purpose of Camber Ridge is to remove
shape: “As an automotive OEM whose car will one sources of error, including the human-in-the-
day have to perform for CAFE standards – which loop. If we replace that tire data with ours, which
will depend on energy consumed by rolling tires on is coming from an asphalt surface in a controlled
paved surfaces – I would want to know what the real environment, and all of a sudden an OEM can
numbers are,” he says. “We expect to get that kind of very accurately predict what they’re seeing on the
business. If a vehicle OEM wants a high fuel economy proving ground, that’s our correlation data.” tire

VIRTUAL CAR, REAL TIRES

“Our tire manipulator design is more but if you take that to the next level, with a driver to test a car that’s not yet been
than capable of replicating suspension multiple carriages on our track at one built, simply by putting four carriages on
kinematic and force signatures,” asserts time, we could command and measure the track.
Jim Cuttino. “We can basically command tires in real time in a mechanical HIL “Putting a driving simulator into
our machine to exercise a tire just like any simulation. And if this is successfully Camber Ridge would be one of the most
vehicle on the road, or any vehicle that achieved, connecting human drivers with exciting things we could do,” he concludes.
you think you might design or build a few real tires in a DIL simulator is only a step “That’s a long-range target, of course, but
years from now. away. This is quite exciting to imagine. We it fits within our vision to provide new
“There are many interesting could have virtual test drives at Camber and useful tire knowledge for the early
possibilities with that capability alone, Ridge using real tires. This would enable stages of vehicle development.” n

34 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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C O V E R S T O RY

Shelter from
the storm
Evidence suggests that counterfeiting is a growing problem
for suppliers of tire technology. What can be done to protect
innovations from the rising tide of IP infringement?
by Graham Heeps | Illustration by Phil Hackett

C
ounterfeit goods have long been a
problem for the automotive industry,
as they have for many other sectors.
Alexander Geisler, an attorney for
Duane Morris and the legal columnist
for TTI’s sister publication, Automotive
Testing Technology International, describes the problem
starkly as “an aggressive cancer”. And as Sergio Lasca,
Pirelli’s head of intellectual property (IP), makes
clear (see sidebar, P is for Pirelli), tire makers are not
exempt from having their products or brands copied.
But according to Harm Voortman, president
and CEO of VMI Group, IP infringement is also
a growing problem for manufacturers of tire

36 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 C O V E R S T O RY

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 37

C O V E R S T O RY

machinery. “Up to now the copying has not really

affected VMI financially,” he says. “But we expect
that in the near future it will take less time to get
close to our technology and we will not be able to
develop fast enough to keep ahead of the copycats.”
VMI is by no means the only supplier having
its patents infringed, nor are all of them Western.
Mesnac, the largest Chinese supplier of tire and rubber
machinery, has filed over 800 patent applications
worldwide, with over 100 of them overseas. “Our
patented technologies cover almost all the major
“To continue to innovate leaves
components in the rubber machinery,” says Zhang Bin, us no alternative but to refuse
head of the company’s Research Institute. “However,
in tooling drums, dosing products and tire building to accept IP infringements”
machines, we have found companies infringing Harm Voortman, president and CEO, VMI Group
Mesnac’s patents. We hope to work together with the
whole industry to cultivate a positive environment of
respecting and valuing intellectual property rights.”
In a pattern that our research suggests may we strongly believe that it’s very possible for Western
be typical of the industry, historic infringements companies to be competitive because our products
by multiple third parties had previously gone outperform existing ones in the market through new
untackled by VMI. Having changed its strategy technology, higher output, reduced maintenance, etc.
and taken to the courts to defend its IP, it recently “Our machines can help customers make more
won a ruling in China to prevent the sale of money than machines that cost less,” he maintains.
reverse-engineered tire building drums made “If we lose that part then there’s no alternative but
by Shuangjun Plastic and Rubber Machinery to stop innovating and fight only on price, but then
Ltd. VMI successfully argued that Shuangjun’s the industry will no longer benefit from innovation.
design infringed a long-standing VMI patent. I think we have no real choice but to continue on the
“This particular copy infringed a number of patents innovation route, but that leaves us no alternative
on our mechanical drum, which is a core element but to refuse to accept IP infringements.”
of the TBM,” he says. “This company had supplied a
number of these drums, including some to a number Prevention not cure
of well-known tire producers, and we thought this VMI has adopted several strategies to protect
should stop. For a test case it was easier to go for a itself against copycats now and in the future. First,
smaller item because it’s not so difficult to get your it has reinforced its service organization to give
hands on the evidence. With entire machines, it’s customers fewer reasons to shop elsewhere.
harder because you have to go into a plant or into Next, in line with the fact that software is just
a machinery producer and see the machines.” as important as hardware in innovative modern
There are a number of reasons why VMI has machinery – and responding to known attempts
now decided to go the legal route to enforce its to hack its machines’ electronics – the company
intellectual property rights (IPRs). One is to protect is taking steps to make its software harder to
the perception of its innovations in the marketplace: access behind high levels of encryption.
“If somebody copies it without understanding why Cleverer still is its new ‘smart hardware’, in which,
design decisions were made, people can easily make for example, part of the machinery’s software and
mistakes,” says Voortman. “The copycat products do part of the calculations used within it are put into
not work perfectly and may well give these products, FPGAs in hardware that is made only for VMI.
for example our mechanical drum concept, a bad “It’s impossible to hack,” claims Voortman. “The
reputation in the market. Our sales arguments first releases of that protection technology are in
are being confounded by the fake products.” the newest machines we have coming up. It will
He stresses that competition is good for the protect us very well. You can hack the software,
industry and good for suppliers, including VMI: but if you don’t have the calculations that you need
“It helps me to keep my people alert and make sure to run the machine, you still have nothing.”
that we are a lean, mean, agile organization with the The fourth step is more conventional – using
lowest possible level of costs for what we achieve.” patents to protect mechanical solutions and processes,
Less helpful is the ‘unfair competition’ that arises which can be copied using time recording and video.
from IP infringement: “We have engineers dedicated to Patents must be carefully worded, as VMI has found
R&D projects for 3-5 years, a large group that costs a to its cost in the past (see sidebar, Word IP carefully).
lot of money,” continues Voortman. “If you don’t have “People still make mistakes,” cautions Geisler.
that cost then it’s easy to sell at a lower price. At VMI “Companies sometimes fall into the trap of

38 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 C O V E R S T O RY

employing a student on a badly drawn contract

to do some design work, or even contract
or subcontract labor, and lo and behold the
manufacturer hasn’t secured the IPRs unto itself.”
Another attorney, Chris Bailey, is a specialist
with Rouse, a UK-headquartered IP law firm
with a long-established presence in China, where
Bailey himself has practiced for 17 years.
“It’s usually a good idea to file more IP in
China than you would elsewhere – treat it as a
hostile territory,” he says. “That means filing in
classes of patent other than invention patents –
for example using the utility model, similar to
what you’d find in Germany, which only lasts
10 years and can accommodate incremental
improvements that you might not file as a patent in
your home country. These can be very effective.
“Designs, too, can be protected. Some Chinese
companies will rip off the look of a product – the Below left: The VMI tire knocked off at trade shows,” he says – a sentiment
building drum that was the
cowling, colors, etc. The original manufacturer won’t subject of a patent infringement that will resonate with many tire machinery makers.
want customers to think it’s as good as the original. “The internet makes the whole thing immensely
Engineering companies are sometimes very weak harder,” Geisler continues. “Companies such as
on the area of design until they get ripped off.” NetNames will do sponsored trawls once or twice a day
The final area in which VMI is protecting itself for key searchwords. They then filter out the authorized
concerns its ICT infrastructure. “It is a core part of our resellers based on a list you’ve supplied, leaving the
line of defense because the drawings, knowledge, test infringers, whom you can selectively go after.”
reports, etc, are here on our servers,” Voortman says.
“We have invested a lot of money in their protection. Legal options
We constantly test it by asking hacker groups to try Should a machinery manufacturer decide to follow
to break in and so far they have not been successful. VMI’s precedent and begin proceedings against
We also protect the smartphones our sales managers the copycats, what are the chances of success?
use, our iPads, laptops, hard disks and USB sticks.” For simplicity, this section will look only at the
Bailey says that industrial espionage can also be position in China, although as VMI’s Voortman
countered either by keeping key knowledge out of says, “Korea also has a large number of companies
known infringement hotspots such as China, and by who have no [ethical] problem with infringing,
majoring on staff retention. “Try as hard as possible as to a lesser extent does Taiwan.” Meanwhile
to retain your key people and make sure they’re well Zhang confirms that, “The majority of companies
rewarded – not just financially, but by ensuring that who copy Mesnac designs and technologies are
they feel they’re better off where they are, rather Chinese, because of the large number of rubber
than being tempted elsewhere. If people walk away machinery manufacturing companies in China.”
with know-how, you’re already on the defensive.” According to Bailey, the good news for foreign
At Duane Morris, Geisler has further advice for companies considering suing for IP infringement
those seeking to protect their IP. He’s put together
bespoke brand protection programs for automotive
clients. One of the elements incorporated into those
programs are investigators at trade shows who do WORD IP CAREFULLY
mystery shopping. “It’s common to see your product VMI changed the way it writes its patents after discovering a copycat
machine designed entirely from one of its patents – when the sole
prototype of the original VMI design, which in testing had not functioned
as desired, had been destroyed!
“Patents have to be written technically and have to disclose everything
– you’re not really allowed to write a patent that hides too much or it may
be invalidated,” advises IP lawyer Chris Bailey. “In any industry, the patent
has to tell you with some specificity what the inventive aspect is, but it is
not an instruction manual on how to make the product. There is a lot of
know-how you don’t have to reveal in a patent and certainly for machinery
manufacturers that can be a key element – not disclosing what alloy you
use in a particular component to give it a particular performance, or the
component tolerances, for example.” n

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 39

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 C O V E R S T O RY

“Very often the threat of

litigation will make people
stop, change or design around”
Chris Bailey, IP specialist, Rouse
Source: Derwent World Patents Index and Thomson Innovation

money, there’s no reason why you couldn’t make several

hundreds of thousands of pounds,” Bailey assures.
Nevertheless, in many cases it may not
be necessary to go to court at all.
“Once copycat companies are spotted, negotiation
is our first step,” explains Zhang at Mesnac, which has
established an IP protection team of legal and technical
experts to deal with patent infringement. “We may send
warnings to copycat companies through attorney papers
when necessary. However, the bottom line is that we
Source: Ciela by Rouse will take legal action to deal with infringement cases.”
“You don’t have to go to court straight away. In fact
in China is that, “they can be confident that IP in Top: Data used by Rouse shows for smaller companies you can get quite a long way
the high and rising number of
China can be enforced. A lot of people don’t take invention patent applications by
with a local lawyer going to see them and delivering
action because they’re under the impression there’s Chinese companies a warning letter,” Bailey agrees, stating a preference
nothing they can do. That’s completely wrong. Above: Rouse’s Ciela database for early action, before a competitor makes too much
“We’ve been able to analyze from our publicly of IP court cases in China headway. “Very often the threat of litigation will
reveals the higher win rates and
accessible Ciela database of IP court decisions compensation figures secured make people stop, change or design around. Some
(www.ciela.cn) that if you’re a foreign plaintiff, by foreign companies companies have a reputation for being tough – they
you have a better win rate, around 70%, than do only have to sue one person and a nasty letter to others
domestic companies. It may be that some courts will suffice. Other authorities, similar to the Trading
only publish the good news rather than the Standards Institute in the UK, will also enforce IP.”
failed cases, but even so, there’s no evidence that Should that not be enough, then the potentially long
foreign companies are badly treated; in fact the and costly road to one of the specialist IP infringement
opposite is true based on the available data.” courts beckons – perhaps one of the new, regional
Another reason for the high win rate is the Chinese courts that have recently been established
likelihood that foreign companies choose carefully especially for technology patent-related cases.
which cases to pursue, as VMI did with Shuangjun. “It can take a long time to institute legal
“You have to pick your battles,” Voortman urges. proceedings in patent infringement cases,” warns
“Don’t fight them all, because the cost is too high. It’s Zhang. “During such a process we need to consider the
not just financial: it costs precious management time, corresponding legal terms and regulations applicable
too. It’s better to avoid it, which is why we’ve invested in different countries. Also, only by collecting enough
in the other measures, but I believe you have to fight, proof – which is not easy – can we expect to support
otherwise years from now you’ll have a bigger issue.” the legal proceedings. In spite of these difficulties,
Rouse’s data also shows that foreign companies Mesnac has been making such preparations, in case
generally get higher damages than the RMB120,000 we proceed against some copycats in the future.”
average (US$20,000 – low by Western standards), Everyone we spoke to for this article
although this is in part explained by the fact that last agreed on the importance – and difficulty
year, for example, there were around 110,000 IP cases – of accumulating sufficient evidence.
brought through the courts in China, of which more “In investigative terms, there’s no discovery
than 96% were between smaller Chinese companies process as in the UK or USA, where the parties are
with less money at stake. “If you have a big case and obliged to put forward all relevant evidence and can
you can prove that your opponent has made a lot of get into trouble for concealing, tampering or lying,”

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 41

C O V E R S T O RY

much lower than in the UK and the USA. But if you

have a complex case you can still spend quite a bit.”

The gathering storm

The next step for VMI in its case against Shuangjun will
be to pursue damages. Meanwhile it’s becoming ever
easier for the counterfeiters to do their work. Proud
workers videoing themselves with their tire building
“The bottom line is that we machines and uploading the results to YouTube is a
particularly 20th century form of information leak.
will take legal action to deal “There are still Western companies who innovate
with infringement cases” but let the copycats get away with it, knowing that
by the time a technology has been copied, they will
Zhang Bin, head of Research Institute, Mesnac have further developed their machines,” assesses
Voortman. “But I think that situation will change
because the technology available for faster and better
Bailey explains. “In China you pretty much have to Below: Pirelli leverages its copying is also evolving. The tools that the copycats
involvement in Formula 1
dig out all the evidence yourself, so the preparation to promote its brand. The
have on their side are very advanced, meaning
of a case often takes longer than the trial itself. You distinctive logo is prominently they can copy the technology more quickly.”
may have to send an investigator to make a sample displayed at F1 racetracks “The trend is for greater amounts of
purchase or notarize that the machinery is being infringement, and the infringers are becoming
produced or sold somewhere. You generally won’t increasingly sophisticated,” Geisler concurs.
get sales records from the other side, so the more you “Just because some of the rip-offs are blatant,
can do to build up a picture of the damage caused, doesn’t mean that the way the infringers go
the more chance you have of getting a result.” about their business isn’t sophisticated.” tire
For the VMI/Shuangjun case, Voortman is
understandably reluctant to share exactly how a
drum was obtained as evidence of infringement.
“We were able to show its method of operation to
P IS FOR PIRELLI
the court and that gave them enough suspicion Pirelli uses all the legal tools available to it to protect its know-how,
including signing exclusivity deals with its partners in developing factory
to perform a raid, during which a lot of evidence
machinery, for example. It also keeps a careful eye on small, local tire
was found and secured,” he adds. “A number
producers copying its tire designs – Latin America is one area of focus –
of VMI’s customers were willing to assist but I but according to Sergio Lasca, Pirelli’s head of IP, infringements in this area
appreciate that they didn’t want to get deeply or are not a major problem, particularly given the recent trend to simpler
publicly involved. You have to fight it yourself.” tread patterns for lower rolling resistance.
One tactic advocated by Bailey and employed Perhaps the most important area of IP protection concerns Pirelli’s brand
by VMI is to ‘forum shop’ – to bring the case in and its distinctive logo.
a jurisdiction outside the defendant’s home area “Its value must be maintained,” Lasca confirms. “We do a lot to protect
and thereby remove any possibility of favoritism the value of the brand and our logo. People try to copy certain parts,
to a local business or industry cluster. The especially the elongated P, which is quite attractive! They might not use
the word Pirelli, but they might use the P with something else. We have a
chosen location might be the home of a regional
number of issues there, as I think is normal when you have a global brand.”
distributor, for example. Even so, instances of blatant
Such issues arise anywhere from Europe to China. Lasca is enthusiastic
protectionism are rare, according to Bailey. about the growing respect for IPRs in the latter territory: “The courts are
“A mistaken impression is that China is a providing very good judgements in favor of the owners of global brands
monolithic, highly centrally controlled place,” like Pirelli,” he says. “People might think that China does whatever it wants,
he expands. “In fact the central government has but it’s not like this, certainly not anymore.
great difficulty in getting some provinces and “It may not apply to everybody there but certainly for the judges and
cities to follow its instructions! At a national the legal system, there is an increasing awareness that IPRs are important
level, I’ve no doubt that China understands the and it’s not good to be a country
value of IP, regardless of whether it’s domestic or in which they are not respected.
This is a good thing and is
foreign, and of providing a level playing field.”
something that will enable China
Both Bailey and Voortman also stress the
to continue to grow. It’s also
importance of good local counsel. Foreign lawyers something that is protecting
are not permitted in Chinese courts, but Rouse has Chinese interests – Chinese
its own ‘captive’ local law firm working exclusively companies are already very
on its IP cases. Whoever represents you, Voortman prolific filers of patents globally.
warns that you should be prepared for “a long and They have understood the
costly battle”. Adds Bailey: “Although you don’t make mechanism and are using it.” n
a great deal of money, the costs for suing in China are

42 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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 N AT U R A L R U B B E R

Nature’s finest
Several tire manufacturers have established research projects to
evaluate alternative sources of natural rubber. But is this really
necessary and what can be done in the short term to balance
the supply and demand of Hevea brasiliensis rubber?
by Rachel Evans

44 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 N AT U R A L R U B B E R

A
s is the case with other commodities,
price is a major determinant affecting
the supply of natural rubber. To
sustain prices at acceptable levels,
world supply must not exceed
demand, and vice versa.
Research recently published stated that projected
natural rubber demand could require another 4.3-8.5
million hectares of land by 2024. The Association of
Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), an
intergovernmental organization that safeguards and
represents the interests of member countries, is looking
for ways to manage expansion to balance the supply of
and the demand for natural rubber in the long term.
Sheela Thomas, secretary general at the ANRPC,
says, “The rise in natural rubber price from 2010,
and the subsequent jump in 2011, saw the TSR grade
reach US$6 per kg. This price level attracted many
newcomers into the industry and saw expansion of
rubber plantations outside the traditional areas. A
continuous fall in price since the end 2013 to the
current level of US$1.50 per kg – or only 25% of
the price in 2011 – has brought the income of large
sections of rubber farmers below subsistence level.”
As a result, farmers feel they are not getting enough
return for their work: “Many farmers find it hard
to justify production within the present price level
and look for other income opportunities. Income
from rubber is not enough to cover production
costs, particularly labor costs, whereby many
landowners are unable to pay the shared revenue or
minimum wages to tappers,” Thomas explains.
The ANRPC has made several suggestions to
growers to help balance the supply of natural rubber
such as replanting, intercropping, diversification
to other crops, and tapping holidays.
Although price remains the principal factor
in the sustainability of natural rubber, other key
issues could have an effect. These include climate
change, which has an impact on tapping frequency,
and fields, which can be damaged by floods, for
example. Governmental policies are also important,
as Thomas explains: “Policy setting for sustainable
development takes into consideration not only
environmental sustainability, but also the requirement
for economic and social sustainability. The objective
of economic sustainability is to increase the income
of rubber growers, while social sustainability
requires rubber production and processing practices
to be carried out in a socially acceptable way.”
The ANRPC is also helping producers and
consumers to rekindle relationships in order to
improve mutual cooperation. “The producers feel
that they are not getting enough return for their
work. Meanwhile, consumers feel they are not
assured of the steady supply of natural rubber.
“There is no reason for the producers to
produce rubber unless there is a demand from

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 45

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 N AT U R A L R U B B E R

the industry, so naturally closer cooperation will

ensure a steady supply of natural rubber and a
remunerative price for producers,” says Thomas.
“What we need is a better understanding
of the market, more reliable status on how
much rubber is needed for this industry, and
closer interaction between the producers.”
Around 85% of natural rubber is produced by
smallholder businesses but in the past 10 years
producer countries such as China, Vietnam, Thailand,
India and Malaysia have been running out of land.
As a result, attention is turning to neighboring
countries. Ali Hines, a land campaigner at Global
Witness, says, “That’s a demand issue predominantly
being driven by China for its growing auto industry,
but also, in Malaysia it’s a policy issue where they’ve
converted lots of their rubber plantations over to palm Above: Michelin and Barito support for smallholders, to improve the quality
oil. But you’ve also got rural-to-urban migration, Pacific Group recently entered and productivity of their plantations,” she urges.
into a partnership to produce
so there are fewer workers working on the farms.” natural, eco-friendly rubber. “We also promote systems like agroforestry, where
Where expansion in large-scale rubber plantations The project will involve the farmers can intercrop rubber with other commodity
reforestation of three plantations
is happening in frontier markets like Cambodia, Laos in Indonesia. Half of these areas
crops. This is a much more environmentally
and Burma, it is claimed that corruption and weak will be used for the planting of sustainable system, and would also prevent farmers
governance pose a threat to existing smallholder rubber trees, which will produce from abandoning plantations if the prices drop as
approximately 80,000 tons of
farmers: “Environmental and social safeguards may not natural rubber per annum we’ve seen recently in countries such as Laos.”
be in place, and smallholder farmers often don’t have Ultimately, however, Hines says that the key to
secure land titles, so they’re vulnerable to losing their managing the supply will be reducing the demand.
land to these large private companies,” Hines reports. She concludes, “For any commodity that relies on
“First and foremost, governments need to secure finite resources, you have to try and reduce the
land titles for smallholders, but they also need to demand for that product in the first place. We’re
invest hugely in both technological and financial still looking at huge demand for land and resources,

POTTERY POTENTIAL
A study conducted as part of indicated that kaolin was
a PhD project at the University effective in reinforcing the
of Loughborough in the UK rubber and additionally, there
has identified kaolin, a china were no health, safety and
clay, as a safer alternative environmental concerns
to conventional fillers such related to its use.”
as carbon black. “I was very The next crucial step
surprised myself when I found will be to analyze the material
that this mineral filler could be for use in tires before it can
so suitable,” says Ali Ansarifar, be considered for use on a
a researcher who worked mass scale: “The results so far
on the project. “It’s cheap, are very promising. We could
plentiful and more suitable for 2% sulfur by weight. The to produce stable, strong increase the kaolin loading
use in internal mixers because compounds were mixed covalent chemical bonds or to 80 or 90phr by weight
one problem with other solid in a Haake Polylab mixer, cross-links between the filler and see if we can push the
fillers such as silica is that and the optimum mixing and rubber. That gives you mechanical properties further
they are very abrasive and can time and temperature were highly developed filler-rubber to make it more suitable for
damage the machine.” also established. interaction, which is essential tire tread rather than sidewall.
The first stage of the “What is novel about our for rubber reinforcement. We’ve had contact with a few
study focused on analyzing work at Loughborough,” When we received the filler, Indian manufacturers and
the dispersion and chemical explains Ansarifar, “is that the silane was originally they are keen to scale this
properties of some natural we have developed a novel classified as non-rubber up. Once we’ve completed
rubber compounds – all technique that reacts the reactive, but we made it the second set of analysis
containing kaolin that sulfur in the silane on the react with the rubber chains then we’ll be able to make
had been pre-treated with kaolin surface with the and its reaction produced a better judgement as to
a sulfur-bearing silane. The rubber chains, using an very interesting results. whether the concept can
silane contained less than accelerator and an activator, The mechanical properties be taken forward.” n

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 47

N AT U R A L R U B B E R

FLOWER POWER
Details of an initiative focused on the
rapid development of Russian dandelion
rubber for commercialization were recently
revealed. Members of the Dandelion
Rubber Industry Strategic Alliance include
Linglong Tire, Beijing University of Chemical
Technology, and CATAS (Chinese Academy
of Tropical Agriculture Sciences). Together
they believe that dandelion rubber will
be key to addressing the lack of hevea
rubber, and Linglong has already developed
three dandelion concept tires, which were
presented to the industry in 2014. As part
of this initiative, labs have been built in
Zhanjiang and Harbin in China. Linglong
has also established plots for growing
dandelion in Heilongjiang, Shandong,
Guangzhou and Hainan. n

and we’re already feeling the pressure, so that has to Above: Alternatives to hevea- With the aim of establishing a second framework
sourced natural rubber have
be managed and dealt with as soon as possible.” been under evaluation for
by 2016, IRSG is currently in the process of gathering
Elsewhere, a new initiative launched under the some time. Bridgestone for feedback. “We’re getting input from different
International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) aims to example, has been extensively players to learn lessons from other commodities,
researching rubber extracted
promote the sustainable production of natural rubber. from the guayule plant at its and at this stage it is a voluntary initiative, so this
“This is important for the overall development of Bridgestone Biorubber Process is done by a self assessment process – third-party
the rubber industry,” notes IRSG senior economist Research Center in Arizona, USA certification is not involved,” Nair explains.
Dr Lekshmi Nair. For achieving its goals, the IRSG Meanwhile, the search for viable alternatives to
has established a working group represented by hevea-sourced rubber has become an important focus
entire value chain members including producing and for scientists and tire manufacturers worldwide, with
consuming countries, rubber industry associations many embarking upon collaborative research projects,
and tire, plantation and processing companies. including Cooper (see Fresh approach, p20) and
Under the guiding principles outlined in the Continental (see The lion’s share, March 2015, p32-35).
pilot phase of the project, five main aims have “Commercialization will depend to what extent
been set out, to: support the improvement of the alternative is economically competitive to hevea
productivity; enhance natural rubber quality; support rubber,” notes ANRPC’s Thomas. “New sources
forest sustainability; improve the management of will need to either perform the same functions at
water; and to respect human and labor rights. a lower cost, or perform better at the same cost.
For the tire industry, the first criterion will Until the industry manages to do that, ANRPC
be crucial, and three working practices have will persistently try to convince the global rubber
been identified and will be monitored under the fraternity about the importance of Hevea brasiliensis
initiative. The first looks to optimize the planting of natural rubber as a strategic material, especially for
recommended clones and presents targets for small the automotive industry considering that natural
and large natural rubber growers and corporate rubber cannot be replaced in certain applications.”
plantations; the second considers how to optimize However SRI’s senior executive officer, Kozaburo
planting density; and the third considers the Nakaseko, says he has no serious concerns over the
optimization of fertilizers and chemical usage. sustainability of hevea rubber. “At the moment I’m
not worried. Of course we have considered looking at
alternatives, but many tire companies are just seeking
“We also promote systems like an alternative because of their geographic location;

agroforestry, where farmers SRI owns the main tire plantation in the Asia region,
so hevea rubber is quite easy for us to source. For
can intercrop rubber with dandelion and guayule, it’s a completely different story.”
He adds, “We may be interested in these
other commodity crops” alternatives in the future if we found out more about
their different characteristics, and we have had
Ali Hines, land campaigner, Global Witness discussions with other companies, but at the moment
we don’t have any plans to establish farms.” tire

48 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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O A D
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O W in court R

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Counterfeiters are copying
AN EAD
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YW
WIT HER
increasing speed and accuracy.
What can suppliers do to defend

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their intellectual property – and
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HO
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LET’S GO ROUND AGAIN ACT NATURALLY UNIVERSITY FOCUS
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Machinery advances mean that retreads What can be done to sustainably manage A new aircraft tire model for helicopter
make more sense than ever. Now China’s the supply and demand of traditionally ground operation simulations has been
truck tire makers are joining the party sourced natural rubber? developed at Coventry University

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 S U P P L I E R I N T E R V I E W

Watchful eye
A new wireless network that uses Internet of Things technology was recently
developed by Afache to automate inspection processes in tire factories
by Rachel Evans

A
utomation specialist Afache
believes that its wireless network
technology will be a key component
in smart factories of the future.
Afache’s parent company, Hansung
Sysco, was established in 1996 and
operates three subsidiaries. Afache’s revenue alone
increased by an impressive 54.9% in 2014, a large
proportion of which was generated from emerging
markets, particularly China and Hungary.
That is perhaps thanks to its established
research and development philosophy, which is
represented in its three R&D centers in Korea and
an annual investment of over 6% of its turnover.
Jongil Kim, Afache’s CEO, identifies a
central R&D focus for the company: “The latest
industry trend is creating smart factories. That
means all systems in a plant connected as one
based on Internet of Things technology.
“It seamlessly connects the physical world of
the shop floor with virtual IT systems, in real time, “The latest industry trend is
to power meaningful decisions and drive constant
operational and strategic flexibility. Complex creating smart factories. That
control operations will run wirelessly and ad hoc
via mobile terminals such as tablets or smartphones.
means all systems in a plant
We believe our newly developed wireless network connected as one based on
technology will help make factories smart.”
The new system is specifically designed for the Internet of Things technology”
automation of laser marking and 3D measurement, Jongil Kim, CEO, Afache
and consists of several core components. “We have
developed the software and hardware for the wireless

Left: Hansung’s Afache network, a wireless meshed platform, and an app

subsidiary specializes in for tablets and smartphones. The app enables users to
machinery and equipment for
the tire industry. Its 3D run-out monitor and control the systems remotely, so they don’t
inspection system for example, need to be operated at the machine,” Kim explains.
checks for defects on the
surface of finished tires
According to Kim, the technology will
be South Korea’s first integrated tire factory
automation system to use the Internet of Things.
It will be commercialized later in 2015.
“Many components used in the inspection process,
for example the control monitors, have already
been automated, but they are not perfect,” notes
Kim. “We have also been developing an unmanned
system for this, which we hope to have finished by
the end of this year. It will help streamline processes,
making them more efficient and cost effective.”

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 51

S U P P L I E R I N T E R V I E W

Elsewhere in the automation arena, Afache

also offers solutions for tire uniformity, geometry
and balancing. It has 11 products in all, and Kim Left: In collaboration with
a Korean tire manufacturer,
is keen to discuss some of them in more depth. Afache developed a wireless
The JLB (jointless belt) cord counter, for example, network technology for factory
was recently developed for quality inspection. automation
This tool measures the amount of textile cord Right: The JLB cord counter is
designed to be simple to install
inside the tire belt using a 3D camera system and easy to maintain in order to
in real time. Results are clearly displayed on a save costs
screen and the data is automatically saved. Below: In the tire building Kim also highlights the company’s 3D run-out
“There are some competitor products in the process, the JLB tension inspection system, which inspects lateral run-out,
controller applies jointless belt
USA and Germany that measure jointless belt material to the drum maintaining radial run-out, and bulges or dents on the tire sidewall
cords offline using an x-ray system,” says Kim. constant tension. This helps to and tread. He believes it offers one particular advantage
ensure the tire’s uniformity
“We believe that is inefficient because plant over competing products: “While competitor products
operations have to be stopped, so we found inspect defects at a specific point on the tire, our
it necessary to address this weakness. product inspects them over the overall surface, sidewall
“But it is difficult to perform this task using and tread. In addition, it recognizes characters on
cameras. Using 3D cameras, we began by taking the surface and excludes them from the test subject.”
several pictures of the material and inspecting Meanwhile, Afache’s online profiler, which
them. We were surprised to learn that this worked measures the material produced from tread
as well as it did,” Kim reports. Afache’s JLB cord and sidewall extruders in real time, is claimed
counter can also be applied in other areas of the to have a measurement speed that is eight
factory, such as in calenders and slitter machinery. times faster than competitor products. tire

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16, 17 & 18 FEBRUARY 2016

DEUTSCHE MESSE, HANOVER, GERMANY EXPO 2016
www.tiretechnology-expo.com
EXPO 2016

CALL FOR PAPERS

16, 17 & 18 FEBRUARY 2016. DEUTSCHE MESSE, HANOVER, GERMANY

The organizers of the 16th Tire Technology Expo Conference are calling for technical presentations. This event is moving to
Hanover. It will now take place within Deutsche Messe, Hanover, Germany on 16, 17 & 18 February 2016. The language of the
conference will be English, and 20-25 minutes will be available for each presentation.
Speakers will have free access to the full conference program plus an invitation to be our guest at the Gala Dinner, where the
annual Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence will be presented.

SESSIONS FOR 2016 WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

• Visions of the future • High-dispersion mixing

• Techno-economic futures • Process innovations – machines, processes; etc
• Customer voice • F actory automation innovations – PLCs controllers; logistics
and materials handling
• Managing the tire development process
• Towards the smart factory
• M
 odeling – towards the integrated tire model – and open
source • New materials (bio-sourced; guayule; TKS; silica from rice etc)
• Sensorized tires – TPMS; RFID; technical and business case • Recycled materials – the professionals’ view
• Regulations around the world: EU / China / US / others • Materials innovations (SSBR / eNR / CB / oils / additives etc)
• Tire testing (on track) • Retreading – processes & materials
• Tire testing (in laboratory) • Speciality tires session (OTR / aero / industrial / etc)

DEADLINES:
Title and speaker: 11 September 2015 Powerpoint presentation: 8 January 2016 (Full Paper not required)
Photography during presentations prohibited

For further details, please contact Mark Fenner: Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1306 743 744
Conference strategic planner: For comments/questions on session content, David Shaw:
Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 8647 1185
I N T E R V I E W

Turn up the heat

Hankook Tire has joined the likes of Continental by diversifying into non-tire automotive
components. Ho-Youl Pae, head of Hankook Tire Europe, explains the firm’s rationale
by Graham Heeps

I
n early June 2015, Visteon Corporation Below: Ho-Youl Pae was
appointed to his role at Hankook
completed the sale of its approximately
70% ownership interest in Halla Visteon
Tire Europe in January 2014
“Hankook is
Climate Control (HVCC). HVCC is billed
as a global supplier of automotive thermal
aiming to become
management products, which includes a more diversified
climate control systems and thermal management
components for internal combustion engines and company”
electric powertrains. The deal was worth around Ho-Youl Pae, president and
US$3.6bn to Visteon, the former Ford-owned Tier
1 supplier, which is now positioned as a “pure- COO, Hankook Tire Europe
play vehicle cockpit electronics/connected car
company, well-capitalized and poised for growth”,
according to the Michigan, USA-based company. foster cooperative relationships within the automobile
So why is this of interest to readers of Tire industry, and to rationalize work processes.”
Technology International? Well, HVCC was Pae goes on to highlight the two companies’
bought by two entities. The first is an affiliate common customer base and global portfolios:
of Hahn & Company, a Korea-focused private “Recently, auto makers have been focusing on
equity firm, but the second is Hankook Tire. improving efficiency through partnerships with
Hankook has taken a 19.49% stake in HVCC, automotive component companies. Therefore, it
becoming its second-largest shareholder. The is important to build strong partnerships between
move marks a Continental-style diversification auto makers and automotive suppliers.”
into non-tire automotive components; Ho- He won’t be drawn on any potential areas of
Youl Pae, president and COO of Hankook Tire technology crossover, nor on whether any Hankook
Europe, explains why the tire company has engineers might spend time at HVCC, or vice versa,
decided to invest in climate control systems. saying only that, “Hankook Tire, as the second-
“HVCC is the global number two in the auto largest shareholder, will be represented on the
climate industry and is recognized for its world- [HVCC] board of directors. There are no specific
class technology, superior product quality, global plans with regard to manpower sharing so far”.
sales network, and a stable financial structure,” Hankook does not currently have a stake in any
he says. “The consistent financial performance other automotive component businesses, either in
generated by the company’s global portfolio in the Korea or overseas. However, Pae confirms that it is
automotive industry has a common outlook not ruling out further such investments in the future.
with the successful track record of “We are open to new opportunities that allow us to
Hankook Tire’s global business. generate synergy effects with our tire business, but we
Considering industry are currently not pursuing any specific projects,”
trends and HVCC’s he says. “Hankook Tire is focusing on
competitiveness, sustainable growth in the tire industry,
Hankook Tire expects but we are also aiming to become a more
to generate synergies diversified company and benefit from
from this purchase of synergistic effects to further accelerate
shares and extend the and maintain our momentum as one of
company’s ability to the fastest-growing tire makers.” tire

54 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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 D ATA D I R E C T O RY

Data directory
by Paul Ita, Notch Consulting
A research report from Notch Consulting
forecasts that the carbon black market will
grow by 4.3% from 2014 to 2020, despite the
increased use of silica/silane filler systems

B
ehind natural and synthetic rubber, carbon Carbon black capacity, year-end 2014
black is the largest volume raw material
used in the tire industry. According to the Cabot Corporation 2,203 KT
new Carbon Black World Data Book 2015 Birla Carbon 2,010 KT
published by Notch Consulting, carbon black
Orion Engineered Carbons 1,325 KT
demand totaled 12.3 million tons in 2014, with
a market value of nearly US$16bn. Jiangxi Black Cat Carbon Black 1,005 KT
The markets for carbon black are well
CSRC 840 KT
established, with 74% of volumes going into tires;
another 19% used in the production of industrial Tokai Carbon 505 KT
rubber goods such as belts, hoses, gaskets, rollers, PCBL 472 KT
and appearance parts; and the remaining 7% going
into specialty applications, mainly plastics, inks, Sid Richardson 445 KT
paints and coatings. Tire markets for carbon black Omsk Carbon Group 400 KT
are roughly divided into 39% passenger car tires;
Longxing Chemical 370 KT
35% truck and bus tires; and 26% into other types
of tires including OTR, agricultural, aircraft and
industrial, as well as retreading. Driven primarily silica with the introduction of competitive grades
by new investments in tire production capacity of carbon black offering lower rolling resistance
worldwide, Notch forecasts that carbon black with no loss in treadwear, which also enable
demand will grow 4.3% from 2014 to reach 15.8 compounders to avoid the costs associated with
million tons in 2020. switching from carbon black to silica mixing.
The outlook for carbon black cannot be With the opening of a plant in Xingtai, Hebei,
mentioned without acknowledging the threat China, in September 2013, Boston-based Cabot
from precipitated silica. Thus far, the use of silica/ Corporation strengthened its position as the world’s
silane filler systems has been heavily concentrated largest carbon black producer. With three large JVs
in passenger car and light truck tires, particularly in China, Cabot is now the second-largest supplier
in the HP/UHP, winter, and low rolling resistance in this market. Mumbai-based Birla Carbon is the
segments. Silica is also making some inroads into world’s second-largest supplier and is building a
heavy truck tire treads from a negligible base as new plant in Jining, Shandong, China, for startup
silica suppliers address compatibility and processing in 2016. Frankfurt-based Orion Engineered Carbons
issues between silica and natural rubber. is the world number three, focused on expanding
While this threat is real, it is important to keep its position in specialty markets, as well as capacity
in mind that most of the functional competition expansions and debottlenecks around the world.
from silica is occurring in passenger car tire treads, After 10 years of rapid growth, Jiangxi Black Cat
which represent only about 15% of carbon black Carbon Black (Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China) is now
usage in tire markets. As such, carbon black will the largest carbon black producer in China and the
remain the largest volume reinforcing filler in the fourth-largest worldwide, with eight factories and
tire industry (90% market share), with unchallenged more than a million tons of nameplate capacity.
dominance in non-tread passenger and light truck Other leading carbon black suppliers include
tire applications (for example sidewall, innerliner, CSRC (with plants in China, India, Taiwan and the
belt plies, body plies, etc) and all segments of USA); Tokai Carbon (with plants in China, Japan,
the heavy truck and other tire segments. Carbon and Thailand, as well as a thermal black plant
black suppliers have responded to the threat from in Canada); Phillips Carbon Black (four plants in
India); Sid Richardson (three plants in the USA);
Carbon black markets 2014 (12.3m tons) Omsk Carbon Group (two plants in Russia, as well
PC tires 3,545 KT as a new plant in Belarus in 2016); and Longxing
Chemical (one plant in China). tire
Truck/bus tires 3,114 KT
Other tires 2,353 KT Contact
Non-tire rubber 2,386 KT Paul Ita at Notch Consulting
Tel: +1 413 253 3371;
Specialty (non-rubber) 856 KT Email: [email protected];
Web: www.notchconsulting.com

56 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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U N I V E R S I T Y F O C U S

Smooth run
An investigation into an aircraft tire model for
helicopter ground operation simulations
by Yun Wang, student, and Mike Blundell and Gary Wood, lecturers, Coventry University

A
t Coventry University of the helicopter. The Lynx Mark 9
in the UK, a team of will be loaded with new equipment
experts has developed and updated assembly components.
a new aircraft tire The changes in mass may lead
model applied using to a change in inertia properties,
a co-simulation which can be a major factor in
approach for the multibody dynamic causing instability in handling. For
simulation of helicopter ground this project, two specific models
vehicle dynamics. The new tire needed to be developed – a tire
model is presented using a point model and a helicopter landing
follower approach that makes a gear multidynamic model.
novel contribution to this area by The tire and helicopter model
uniquely combining elements of are used together to perform taxi
two existing tire models used by simulations and to find out if the
the aircraft industry, namely the new tire model can capture all
NASA R64 model developed by the necessary dynamic behavior.
Smiley and Horne and the ESDU Figure 1 shows the full helicopter
(Engineering Sciences Data Unit, an and tire models developed in the
advisory organization focusing on MSC.Adams environment.
engineering) Mitchell tire model. Tire models existed as early as
This research was initiated in the 1950s, but over the past 60
by AgustaWestland to support years many sophisticated tire models
development of the new Lynx Mark such as Magic Formula, TameTire
9 helicopter. Although the helicopter and FTire have been developed.
is well known for its capability in Sophisticated automotive tire
vertical landing and take-off, taxi models can require a high number
maneuvering on the airfield can also of parameters and extensive data on
have great effect on the performance which they can be based. The tire data

58 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 U N I V E R S I T Y F O C U S

stland
Photo: AgustaWe

A Lynx Mk9A flies over Afghanistan.

Coventry’s research was initiated by
the helicopter’s maker, AgustaWestland

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 59

U N I V E R S I T Y F O C U S

Applied force equal to

required wheel load

REV
MOTION input controls the
camber angle y of the wheel
REV

CYL MOTION input controls the

slip angle α of the wheel
TRANS

MOTION input controls

the forward velocity of
the wheel
Tire model Road surface
force

1 2

for aircraft modeling is very limited Figure 1: Virtual For the model development, such as slip angle and camber angle
due to the cost and limited testing landing gears and tire equations were extracted from is passed to the subroutine file
model of Lynx Mk9
facilities. The tire data provided for helicopter Mitchell, and Blundell and Harty, simultaneously so that it can calculate
this investigation was limited, so Figure 2: Test rig to model the lateral force, aligning the tire force and moment outputs for
the model needed to have relatively model moment, longitudinal force, rolling the next time step and pass them back
low data-input requirements. Figure 3: Import and resistance moment and aligning to the vehicle or aircraft model. The
export variable for
Considering the practicality and co-simulation
moment. However, Mitchell software chosen for the tire subroutine
availability of tire data for model provided equations only for the development for this investigation
development, it was decided to begin vertical force, lateral force and was Simulink. The process of co-
development of the model using aligning moment. There was no simulation is illustrated in Figure 3.
the Mitchell model as a base, due information on the overturning Before developing the tire
to the availability of data for this moment or tire lateral distortion. subroutine using Simulink, there were
model from the project partner. To accommodate this, several a number of preliminary steps. Two
equations were adopted from the sets of state variables were required
work of Smiley and the R-64 model to develop the tire subroutine. The
by Smiley and Horne. A summary is first set includes the programmed
provided in Table 1 to show the work variables calculated by Adams,
Variables
programmed in of previous authors that informed the such as longitudinal velocity, lateral
Adams
development of the model force and velocity and vertical load. These are
moment components in this study. called input variables, as in Figure 3.
The second set of state variables
Input variables Co-simulation and building a are dummy variables, for example
tire subroutine in Simulink variables set equal to zero. They
MSC.Adams The MSC.Adams software is a need to be set in relation to the
general-purpose, industry-standard desired outputs calculated by the
Output variable multibody simulation tool in which tire subroutine, such as longitudinal
(dummy)
programming tire model equations force, lateral force and aligning
directly into Adams is based on moment. After setting the control
a code-compiling format. This is plan export, Adams will generate
Variables not always a convenient method a base Simulink model file that
equal to 0
for tire model development if the only contains the input/output
model needs to be exported to other variables blocks, from which the
Tire subroutine MATLAB simulation environments. Developing tire subroutine model can then be
(DLL) Simulink
a tire subroutine is an effective developed. Unlike other software,
solution to counter this problem instead of using direct programming,
as the tire subroutine file (DLL) it uses block and flow diagrams to
Simulation
loaded with tire Output variable can contain all the constant values, represent mathematical calculations.
subroutine (calculated results from
subroutine) equations and the necessary variables After programming in Simulink
for calculating the model outputs. was completed, the real-time
3 During simulation, information workshop function was used to

60 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 U N I V E R S I T Y F O C U S

Slip angle vs lateral force Slip angle vs aligning moment

4,000 2.0E+005
Lateral force on left tire Aligning moment on left tire
Lateral force on right tire Aligning moment on right tire
3,000

Aligning moment (Newton-mm)

2,000 1.0E+005
Lateral force (newton)

1,000

0 0.0

-1,000

-2,000 -100,000

-3,000

-2.0E+005
-4,000
-10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 -10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0 10.0
Slip angle (°) Slip angle (°)
4 5

create a subroutine file as shown The helicopter model traveled at Figure 4: Slip angle has a twin-wheel layout, so the tires
in Figure 3. The tire model a constant taxi velocity (5.14m/s) versus lateral force are not aligned with the center of
subroutine was then imported back and performed eight turns, four 45° Figure 5: Slip angle mass position. When a lateral force
versus aligning
and integrated with the chosen turns (two positive and two negative) moment is applied to the tail of the helicopter,
multibody simulation model file. and four 90° turns. Figures 4 and 5 it causes weight transfer. This leads
The tire model development show the results extracted from the to a variation in the vertical force
was initially based on a functional nose landing gear tire subroutines. acting at the left and right wheel.
model of the Flat Bed Tire Test Figure 4 shows the lateral force The difference in vertical force
machine from Coventry University results on both the left and right results in different lateral forces
as shown in Figure 2. The tire rig tires for the nose landing gear. It being generated on the left and right
model contains a number of parts can be seen that even though the tires. Also, as the slip angle increases
that move forward on a flat uniform helicopter has turned 90°, the slip from 0-6°, it can be seen that the
road surface in the same way as the angle generated in the tire is only lateral force did not increase nor
tire interacts with a moving belt on a 6°. The lateral force is still in the decrease on a straight line path, but
tire test machine. The tire data used elastic deformation state even with instead followed a looped path.
for this simulation was based on the wheels turned at 90°. Figure 5 This effect can been see more
Goodyear aircraft tire test data. The shows the aligning moment results clearly from the aligning moment
simulation recreated tire tests for four on the left and right tires. Similarly results in Figure 5. When the
vertical load cases, and the wheel to the lateral force simulation results, helicopter was turning, the lateral
maintained a constant longitudinal the loop effect can also be seen in force pushed the center of mass to
velocity for the entire simulation. the aligning moment results. Both one side. Therefore more vertical
the left and right tires show that force was generated on one side and
Full helicopter model taxiing the aligning moment has a linear resulted in a higher lateral force.
maneuver simulation relationship between 0 and +/-2.3° of When the helicopter was returning
The validated tire model was slip angle. As the slip angle increases to the straight line position, the
integrated into a full helicopter beyond +/-2.3°, the aligning moment mass center shifted to the opposite
multidynamic model to perform behavior varies depending on the side and resulted in less vertical force
taxiing maneuver simulations. vertical force. The nose landing gear and less lateral force. It is this vertical
force variation that causes different
Table 1: Tire model and equations used results in the lateral force plot
Longitudinal force (Fx) Free rolling – Blundell (Braked – Balkwill) while the helicopter performs a
taxi maneuver. Depending on
Lateral force (Fy) ESDU model Mitchell whichever tire has the lower vertical
Vertical force (Fz) ESDU model Mitchell force, the aligning moment decreases
as the slip angle is increased
Overturning moment (Mx) R-64 Smiley, and Blundell and Harty
beyond +/-2.3°. If slip angle can
Rolling resistance moment (My) Blundell and Harty be further increased from the taxi
Aligning moment (Mz) ESDU model Mitchell maneuvers, the aligning moment
will become zero and the tire will
enter its slipping phase. tire

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 61

P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

New vision for service

To help businesses become more competitive and profitable, VMI‘s new service concept
focuses on achieving maximum quality and productivity across product lifetimes

W
hy do manufacturers buy there involved building comprehensive Above: A VMI service So what about the future of service
top quality tire building programs for service delivery and engineer working at a at VMI? Diener has a clear long-term
machines? In VMI’s managing them on every continent. client site vision, backed by a good deal of
opinion it is not because “It was an exciting experience,” he Below: The company’s ambition. For him, the key to the future
of the elegant design and the advanced comments, “and not just because of new VP for global is the now widely understood concept
technology, but for the competitive the lessons learned in designing service service, Riaan Diener of ‘servitization’. This sees products
advantage they provide to make the programs. It also led us to redesign and a supporting package of services
business more profitable. To achieve key performance characteristics of our as a single, indivisible solution in which
this business goal, a machine needs machines to help us be more proactive value delivered to the customer over
to be working at its best, which means and responsive. We are applying the the entire product life is the key factor
it needs excellent service support. same kind of thinking at VMI. In the in measuring success.
That’s a point made by Riaan Diener, future, staying close to the customer Diener says, “We have always been
VMI’s new VP for global service, who will not only be about having a presence innovators and first movers in the
filled this post at the start of April, with in every major market – although market, and we aim to set the gold
a mandate to transform the way that that is important; it’s about designing standard for service delivery as well.”
VMI develops its service offerings and machines that report on their condition, Servitization is especially important
takes them to market. The aim is to enabling early intervention and faster in sectors using capital-intensive
differentiate the company still further service response.” technology. This is where business risk
from competitors and safeguard VMI’s Today VMI is already building a levels are high and investments must
current position as market leader. full service program and has worked perform close to their full capacity
“Our key differentiator is that closely with a launch customer to to deliver a return, ensure fast time
VMI machines not only deliver develop the details, learn early lessons to profit and meet business goals. In
outstanding quality and reliability and continuously improve the concept. many sectors, failure is not an option
in bursts, but also give great results “A large international tire manufacturer and customers seek to hedge their risks
day after day, week after week, year is now two years into use of our through long-term service contracts, use
after year,” he says. “Delivering on this comprehensive service package,” of leasing, moving from CapEx to OpEx,
brand promise is not just about the Diener explains, “and this vital real-world gainshare (where the supplier profits
excellence of our technology, but experience is helping us learn whenever they can drive measurable
about how we support it. That is a lessons and provide insights performance improvements for their
service issue.” as we develop repeatable customer) and other methods.
Making an appointment of this solutions for the wider market.” By focusing on measurable
seniority is a real statement of intent The new concept is based business outcomes, businesses
from VMI. Diener is South African by on measurement by business in various manufacturing
birth but has been living and working outcomes. For VMI it is essential segments have started to
in the Netherlands for almost a decade. to have evidence to show use commercially innovative
He made his reputation as global how a full-service package will contracts and new service
director of service at Meyn, one of help the customer to be more concepts to drive profitability
the world’s leading manufacturers of competitive. Soon there should be and reduce their exposure to risk.
poultry-processing solutions. His work clear proof of this from the market. So how much of this thinking is likely

62 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

to be part of future VMI service VMI service is changing fast and Above: One of the
offerings? Diener has his own take new ideas are under development. portable toolkits
on this: “A complete servitization Some changes could be fairly radical, typically used by
transformation will take time. including machine redesign to facilitate service engineers
But there is a lot we can and will remotely delivered service intervention. Left: Training is central
be doing right away.” Others could lead to new solutions, to VMI’s service vision
In the future, there will be deeper such as the ability to use reconditioned
consultation with customers, listening used parts to reduce costs and lead
to and understanding specific needs “Ultimately this is about helping our times. In the end this is all about
– commercial and business related customers to be more successful. That understanding customers, and
as well as production and factory- means thinking more about service as going the extra mile to help them
efficiency based. This will lead to more a program for sustainability; how to be more successful.
customizable service offerings, targeted reach optimal quality and productivity “That’s what service is all about,
at the needs of individual companies. levels and then maintain those standards and there will be no compromise in
Customers can also expect to see for years on end. It’s about guidance our search for better ways to serve our
an extension of the VMI service to ISO 55000 readiness, building a customers,” Diener concludes. tire
footprint with a stronger emphasis on global community for knowledge
globalization and faster availability of sharing and troubleshooting, improved FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE 001
VMI service experts, support and quality responsiveness and always being there To learn more about VMI, visit:
parts in a larger number of locations. for customers, no matter what.” www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 63

P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

Advanced open mill

Mesnac has developed its new-generation open mill machine, which is highly automated, requires
less installation space, and offers improved energy consumption and higher transmission efficiency

A
s part of the continual Heat treatment further reduces the Above: Mesnac’s open structure enhance the appearance of
improvement and evolution in variation in hardness. Its circumference mill runs at a frequency the machine. It also strictly complies
tire manufacturing technology, hardness variation is no more than of 3-70m/min and has with CE design standards. Mesnac
open mills have become HS2°. Each roller goes through strict a distance adjustment is fully committed to researching
increasingly adopted in automated inspection and analysis before leaving range of 0.5-50mm and improving technology to ensure
manufacturing processes. In response the factory. its products are energy saving and
to this, Mesnac has developed its Compared with traditional open environmentally friendly; driven by a
new generation of open mill, the mills, Mesnac’s new generation of new type of permanent magnet motor,
performance of which excels in many open mill offers higher transmission the updated open mill is expected to
aspects, according to the company. efficiency, higher automation, lower reduce energy consumption by between
The roller is the most important energy costs, and requires a smaller 30% and 50%, which will greatly lower
component in the open mill; Mesnac amount of installation space. For energy costs in the tire factory.
has core capabilities and technology example, the 4,750 x 2,650 x 1,540mm Mesnac produces approximately 400
expertise in roller casting and mill, whose roller measures 26in mills per annum and is able to supply
manufacturing. In the development (diameter) x 84in (length), reduces open mills of different specifications
of its open mill systems, it analyzes floor occupancy by 30%. It is equipped as required for the tire manufacturing
in detail the working environment, with new transmission technology process. The company believes that
stress, and wear-resistance requirement and therefore improves transmission thanks to the reliable quality and
of the roller. Based on this analysis, it efficiency by 20%. It also features precise performance of its centrifugal-casting
applies a centrifugal casting method and safe hydraulic distance control. rollers, its mills make up nearly 70%
to guarantee the comprehensive Rubber mixing is fully automated; a of the open mill market in China.
mechanical performance of the roller, rubber-turning device and automated Available roller diameters include 550,
which not only gets rid of defects such rubber transportation device can 610, 660, 710, 760, 810 and 860mm.
as air holes, blowholes and slag, but also be mounted on top of the machine. Mesnac says it can meet customers’
saves on the use of raw materials and Furthermore, the new-generation needs with its comprehensive product
reduces the weight of the roller itself. machine is easy to maintain. Rollers can range and top-quality machines. tire
Meanwhile, centrifugal casting greatly be replaced and bearings maintained
enhances the hardness of the roller. The without taking apart the upper structure FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE 002
external hardness of the roller is between of the machine. Its building-block To learn more about Mesnac, visit:
HS80-85° and it is highly wear resistant. assembly structure and C-shape frame www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

64 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

Tire tread acceleration

The Tyre Cavity Accelerometer developed by Bay Systems in partnership with Cooper Tire is mounted
inside the tire liner to gather dynamic data such as displacement, velocity and acceleration

Figure 1: Acceleration have been omitted, then the creation

on the tread liner of a of an accurate and comprehensive
225/45 R17 summer mathematical model will be difficult.
+1,000

tire running on 1.7m

Rather, the mathematical model, out
steel wheel at 100km/h
1,066ms-2 of necessity, will be an amalgam of
800Hz Figure 2: Acceleration engineering intuition, best practice
on the tread liner of a
and luck – more an art than a science.
225/65 R17 winter tire
Acceleration ms-2

running on 1.7m steel Gathering any dynamic

wheel at 100km/h (displacement, velocity, acceleration,
strain, temperature) data capable of
describing what is happening, to the tire
in general and to the tire at the contact
patch in particular, when driving on
1,400Hz the open road is going to be difficult,
but inside the tire on the liner, there
-1,000

is a relatively benign environment

-1,164ms-2 where transducers can be fitted. The
attachment of a transducer to the liner
0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 does require some care but secure
1
Time in seconds attachment is possible (Figure 1), which
shows radial acceleration data from a
typical summer tire on a standard steel

T
he tread is the only part update and improve the mathematical 1.7m diameter road wheel running at
of the tire that touches the tire model that will deliver a virtual 100km/h. This data was gathered using
road. The tire carcass and prototype capable of generating reliable the Tyre Cavity Accelerometer (TCA)
the vehicle suspension sitting operating data well before the first a tire cavity microphone transducer
behind the tread account for the macro prototype of a new design is produced. developed by Bay Systems
compliances that control the large- A reliable virtual prototype will enable in collaboration with Cooper Tire.
scale movements of the wheel and ride the right choices to be made and a The very large accelerations at the
comfort, but not the movement at the better tire brought to market sooner contact patch are a function of speed,
contact patch. The rolling resistance, at a lower cost. load and tire pressure, with a secondary
grip, water clearance, wear, vibration and The key issue is, of course, how factor being the tread pattern and
noise are all influenced by the tread and closely do the results from mathematical compound. As compliance increases,
the road surface. The deformation of the models and laboratory measurements the peak accelerations will reduce
tire and tread can be mathematically correlate with real-life operation on (Figure 2). The winter tire in this figure
modeled and measured in the laboratory wet, bumpy and uneven roads? If the has a more mobile tread pattern and a
using photography and pressure pad experimental data is inaccurate, or softer tread compound. Comparing the
arrays. Experimental data is used to large areas of the operating envelope results for summer and winter tires, the
contact patch transition times are only
0.56 milliseconds or 5% different. The
peak acceleration levels together, and
the pre- and post-wave frequencies,
are 20-30% lower for the winter tire.
765ms-2
500

The rapidly changing acceleration level

1,000Hz 650Hz in the winter tire, post-contact patch,
may be a good indicator of how any
Acceleration ms-2

snow and mud would be shaken out

of the tread pattern and might be a
might be key to optimizing the tire’s
performance. The amplitude of the pre-
and post-contact patch waves is almost
certainly a factor in the radiated noise.
If mathematical models can accurately
predict these and other on-road results,
-500

then tire engineers will achieve right

-691ms-2 first-time designs. tire

FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE 003

0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
To learn more about Bay Systems, visit:
2 Time in seconds www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 65

P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

Cavity noise reduction

SEEB Automation, an experienced supplier to the tire industry, has developed new equipment
aimed at tire cavity noise reduction in order to cope with new European standards

T
ire cavity noise is considered a SEEB Automation also offers a Above: SEEB the tire on the rim, using one or two
major source of discomfort by full range of systems, from logistics Automation’s Noise rotations depending on the product.
today’s car users, so finding a systems for the picking of products Reduction System When it comes to matching, SEEB’s
solution to reduce this noise is to the positioning of the tire beads. Applicator ensures solution optimizes the characteristics
a short cycle time
of high importance to tire and vehicle The company’s wheel assembly cells of the tire-wheel assembly by
manufacturers. However, reducing tire automatically lubricate, fit and inflate Below: The company automatically positioning the measuring
also develops tire
cavity noise is a relatively new challenge tires on their rims. points for these two components
and wheel assembly
for car makers when it comes to new For tire fitting, SEEB’s offering adjusts equipment such as tire through the use of colored stickers.
vehicle projects and facelifts. the mounting head before placing fitting machines In the area of inflation, the machine
Most tire manufacturers have adjusts the cover before inflating the
chosen a foam solution within the tire-wheel assembly to the required
cavity to solve this problem. SEEB pressure with automatic inflation cycles.
Automation is always at the forefront The sidewalls of an inflated tire-wheel
of development in the field of tire assembly are then compressed in order
and wheel assembly. This French to correctly position the beads against
industrial group was founded in 1927, the edges of the rim.
and uses its know-how in the world SEEB Automation designs and
of tires to provide global solutions to manufactures innovative and upgradable
manufacturers and automotive suppliers. manufacturing equipment to match
It recently developed and introduced the industrial expectations of its
to the market patented equipment that customers. It specializes in control-
enables the fitting of the foam solution command systems, test benches,
directly into the tire’s cavity using an robotics, machine vision and tire-wheel
automatic mode of operation that assembly, benefitting its customers
includes the gluing process. with the experience in automated and
During the development of this computerized systems that it has gained
product, SEEB Automation focused on across many industries. tire
achieving repeatability, flexibility and
ensuring a short cycle time. Patented in FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE 004
December 2014, the system is already To learn more about SEEB Automation,
operational on an industrial scale. visit: www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

66 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

 P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

Reliable measurement
Micro-Epsilon has developed a new profilometer based on a combination of a laser triangulation
sensor, an eddy current sensor, and a roller that guides the rubber strip

I
n the tire production preparation area
where innerliner, tread, sidewall or
apex is extruded and/or calendered
as the case may be, measurement
equipment is used to optimize the quality
and efficiency of the materials and
processes. Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik,
together with subsidiary ME-Inspection,
offers equipment that is designed
according to the company’s ‘more
precision’ philosophy. Micro-Epsilon
provides equipment for thickness
and width profile measurement for
innerliner; thickness and width profile
measurement for the extrusion line
at the hot and cold end; weight
inspection (scale) for tread profile;
length measurement; color coding; and
inspection for the extrusion line.
Micro-Epsilon used its many years of
experience to design its wide selection
of sensors. In the development of new
measurement systems, the company housing with a hole in the middle so that Above: Diagram measurement because both parasitic
can therefore select the right solution the laser sensor can identify the target. illustrating the principle effects are detected by the eddy
for each application. Meanwhile, its In a second configuration, the adopted by the machine current sensor. If only a laser sensor
integrated sensors are typically adapted laser triangulation sensors identify Below: Micro-Epsilon’s is used, and the run-out is taut before
according to the specific application. the target and measure the top thicknessCONTROL production begins and thereafter
To satisfy the needs of the market side of the rubber strip (d1). The eddy 7303.ET machine all temperature effects are ignored,
for a cost-effective profilometer with current sensor is not affected by the changes to the geometry due to
lower accuracy, Micro-Epsilon has target and measures the surface temperature fluctuations will indicate
developed a new gateway solution for of the roller, thereby indirectly incorrect thickness information.
the thickness gauging of flat material measuring the lower side of the When using eddy current sensors
such as the innerliner. The company’s rubber strip (d2). The coordinate to measure against curved objects, it
thicknessCONTROL 7303.ET is based on systems of the two sensors are must be considered that the position of
a combination of a laser triangulation synchronized in a calibration procedure the sensor in relationship to the roller
sensor, an eddy current sensor, and so that the thickness (d) of the strip influences the linearity. For that reason,
a roller that guides the rubber strip. A results in d = d2 – d1. the characteristic curve of the eddy
special measurement roller is not used; Using this approach, the run-out of current sensor is calibrated by software
however there are rollers in the calender the roller and the geometric changes after assembly, when the position of the
and extrusion line. In this configuration, that are induced by temperature sensor to the roller is fixed.
the eddy current sensor has a special gradients do not affect the thickness The base of the thicknessCONTROL
7303.ET consists of a gantry where
up to three of the above described
combinations can be integrated to
measure the thickness in three fixed
tracks. The lateral positions of the
tracks are manually adjustable and
every gauging unit is placed in its
vertical measurement position with a
pneumatically driven axis. Therefore
enough space is provided to feed the
line when the sensors are in home
position. The laser sensor is equipped
with a pneumatic protection and
cleaning mechanism to keep the
optic clean in order to ensure reliable
measurement. tire

FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE 005

To learn more about Micro-Epsilon, visit:
www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

July 2015 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com 67

EUROPE’S LEADING INTERNATIONAL
TIRE DESIGN AND TIRE MANUFACTURING

CONFERENCE
IS MOVING TO
HANOVER
16, 17 & 18 FEBRUARY 2016
DEUTSCHE MESSE, HANOVER, GERMANY
Over three days delegates will have the opportunity to see presentations
from speakers picked from the world’s leading experts on tire manufacturing.
Presentations will cover the very latest developments for the tire manufacturing
industry. This high-profile conference, coupled with one of the industry’s largest
exhibitions, makes this not only a prestigious event to attend but also a priority
for all involved in the tire-making process. EXPO 2016
www.tiretechnology-expo.com
 P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

GLOBAL MAZDA MX-5 CUP TIRE SELECTION Cornering Coefficient

Vert
Damping Peak FY
Baseline
To create the all-new race car for the 2016 NTRC engineering staff obtained the
Global Mazda MX-5 Cup series, Long Road steady-state and dynamic data of 11 tires:
Racing (LRR) used all three divisions of the one baseline tire and 10 candidate tires. The
Global Center for Automotive Performance steady-state conditions that were evaluated
Vert Peak FX
Simulation (GCAPS) in southern Virginia, included free-rolling slip angle sweeps, slip Stiffness
USA: tire testing, vehicle characterization ratio sweeps, combined slip angle and slip
Tire 10
and modeling/simulation. This enabled LRR ratio sweeps, and velocity sweeps. Attributes
to develop part specifications, tires and a from these conditions were then used in the Transient FX Transient FY
full vehicle in a three-month timeline. SoVa comparison of tires, including peak FY, peak
Motion, the vehicle characterization division of FX, cornering coefficient and estimated rolling to the baseline tire. This process reduced the
GCAPS, conducted multi-post tuning, analysis, resistance. The dynamic conditions assessed initial 10 candidate tires to just a few in only
and data acquisition support. The modeling were frequency sweeps of slip angle, slip ratio, a handful of days. LRR then used on-track
and simulation division, dubbed the Virtual and loaded radius, with attributes including the evaluations for the final determination of the
Design and Integration Laboratory, created lateral relaxation length, longitudinal relaxation tire, which will be unveiled during the release
tire models and used the vehicle simulation length, vertical stiffness and vertical damping. of the 2016 Global Mazda MX-5 Cup race
program ChassisSim to run hundreds of All tests were conducted at 100km/h, which vehicle in June 2015.
vehicle configurations in a matter of days. represents the estimated average corner speed
GCAPS’ National Tire Research Center (NTRC) of the new Mazda MX-5 Cup race vehicle. READER INQUIRY SERVICE 006
handled tire testing and analysis, with the GCAPS combined each testing attribute To learn more about GCAPS, visit:
ability to perform one-of-a-kind dynamic tests. into radar plots, facilitating easy comparison www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

ACCURATE AND EASY CHEMICAL WEIGHING

Many combinations of chemicals and the dosage, which can solve possible disputes
additives are added to natural rubber to with clients or expensive quality issues. There
achieve the required properties of the end are also considerable cost savings in terms of
products. Accurate and repeatable weighing labor because an operator is only required to
is paramount to achieving consistent results. load products and collect ready bags, which
These requirements have led Color Service to requires very little technical skill or experience.
engineer a fully automatic system that solves The main characteristic of the system
many of the issues present when weighing is the dispensing of all the products at the
products manually. same time, achieving a production capacity
The functioning of the system is simple. of two bags per minute. This amounts to
First, it automatically forms EVA bags from a 2,880 bagged recipes per day with guaranteed
tubular film and prints all information on the dosage for quality and verification purposes. accuracy and repeatability.
bag according to the recipe. Next, it quickly Color Service’s system can also interface with The system is also equipped with a dust-
and accurately weighs all components existing management systems for seamless extraction system under each irrigation point.
(stocked in storage modules) into sealable reports, archives and functionality. This avoids the discharge of powders and
bags. Then it discharges the sealed bags ready The benefits of this technology are said to odors into the environment.
to be delivered to the mixer platform. All this be huge. Recipes can be produced consistently
information and weight data is recorded by an and precisely, free from human error and READER INQUIRY SERVICE 007
intuitive management software. The customer imperfections. This enables compounders to To learn more about Color Service, visit:
therefore has a record and traceability of the achieve quality certification and traceability of www.ukipme.com/info/ttm
P R O D U C T S A N D S E R V I C E S

TIRE MARKET CALLS FOR QUALITY CHALLENGERS

Extreme competition in the tire sector strategy of smaller manufacturers from and profitability that count when building
encourages manufacturers to be more competing on price to competing on quality. a sustainable competitive advantage. And
creative. As new import tariffs and anti- Hauvala explains, “The few big premium even when the brand is globally consistent,
dumping initiatives are making the aggressive brands are lacking ambitious challengers. Even every new market entry must be individually
price war unprofitable or even impossible, in the economic downturn, while others have customized. Extensive market understanding
the tire market is now calling for ambitious put their efforts into price competition, the and long-term strategy are required – ideally
new brands that dare to challenge the few big premium manufacturers have been able to supported by a competent partner. Hauvala
premium brands – in terms of quality. strengthen their position and even increase knows the various pitfalls that market
Kai Hauvala, president and CEO at Black their annual sales, without cutting prices.” newcomers may encounter but they can be
Donuts Engineering, has always been more Signs of a new quest in a ‘quality war’ can tackled with careful strategic planning.
for sustainable success than short-term already be seen. Hauvala names tire labeling “We help the tire manufacturer build the
victories. That is the mission he wants to share as one step in the right direction. Even though ideal combination of qualities and create
with any tire manufacturer that is tempted it does not validate well for a global quality a customer-oriented entry strategy, while
by entering new markets with low prices. standard due to the fragmented, market-based confirming that all the company’s functions
“Drastic price decreases can be good tactics systems, it definitely makes manufacturers – from research and development to sales,
to gain awareness and short-term sales, but pay greater attention to tire quality. The label marketing and production – are optimized as
in the long run they reflect a lack of genuine markings have also made customers more an entity, and made capable of achieving the
competitive advantage,” he says. conscious of tire quality and better able to best possible result,” he concludes.
Black Donuts Engineering encourages its make comparisons based on attributes other
customers to build on brand attributes other than price and magazine test rankings. READER INQUIRY SERVICE 008
than the price. The goal of the company’s Yet a premium brand is more than the sum To learn more about Black Donuts Engineering,
development work is to turn the competitive of its attributes. It is the total performance visit: www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

NAPHTHENIC OIL IMPROVES TIRE PERFORMANCE

Growing demand for improved fuel the raw materials are changing drastically. tear strength, abrasion loss, wet grip, and
efficiency and safety, combined with In order to improve rolling resistance, SSBR rolling resistance.
stricter environmental regulations, is replacing conventional ESBR, while silica is The study showed that all five oils were
is changing the way tires are made steadily replacing carbon black as the main fully compatible with a SSBR polymer, and that
– and recent studies suggest that Nynas’s filler material. in most tests the low-PAH oils produced better
naphthenic black oil Nytex 4700 could play Traditionally, distillate aromatic extract results than DAE oil in terms of mechanical
an important role. (DAE) oils have been used as a plasticizer properties. “In other words, not only are the
“Currently the main focus of the global to optimize the interaction between these low-PAH oils better for the environment,
tire industry is producing tires that are both raw materials. However, new regulations but often they can also deliver improved
safer and more fuel-efficient,” comments concerning PAH levels mean they need to be performance,” says Hoffmann.
Dr Markus Hoffmann (below), technical replaced by low-PAH alternatives, mainly heavy Of the four low-PAH oils in the study, Nytex
manager for tires/CMI, Nynas. “At the same naphthenics and naphthenic black oil (NBO), 4700 delivered the best overall performance.
time, government regulations are limiting treated distillate aromatic extracts (TDAE), And with a PAH level well below 10ppm – the
the amount of polyaromatic residual aromatic extracts (RAE), and mildly limit set by the European Union – it safely
hydrocarbon (PAH) in the raw extracted solvates (MES). meets all existing regulatory requirements.
materials due to health concerns.” To investigate which of these oils offers As manufacturers continue to develop and
Consequently, tire the best performance, a comparative study refine the tires of the future, Nynas believes its
manufacturers are re-evaluating was instigated including Nytex 4700 and Nytex 4700 is increasingly looking like the ideal
their production processes four other commercially available process plasticizing oil.
and raw materials, and as new oils of varying viscosity: DAE, TDAE, RAE and
state-of-the-art rubber MES. Each was evaluated in a silica-filled READER INQUIRY SERVICE 009
formulations are rubber formulation, where performance was To learn more about Nynas, visit:
being developed, assessed on properties such as tensile strength, www.ukipme.com/info/ttm

Index to ads
Automotive Testing Expo 2015 North America....46 Marangoni Meccanica SpA........................................ 49 Tire Technology Conference 2016..................53, 68
Bartell Machinery Ltd....................................................25 McCoy Machinery Corp..............................................40 Tire Technology Expo 2016.......................... 15, 17, 18
Black Donuts Engineering Ltd..................................28 Mesnac.................................................................................13 Tire Technology International Online Reader
Bosch Rexroth Mellansel AB......................................26 Micro-Epsilon Messtechnik GmbH........................ 57 Inquiry Service............................................... 11, 13, 52
Color Service Srl..............................................................40 Muench-Chemie International GmbH.................26 Van Riet..................................................................................9
ERGON Inc.................................... Outside Back Cover Nynas AB...............................................................................7 WD Racing Ltd.................................................................55
Erhardt & Leimer GmbH.............................................. 69 Samson Machinery Inc.................................................71 VMI Holland BV .................................................................3
Hansung Sysco Co Ltd.................................................28 Shanghai Cheeshine Chemicals Co Ltd..............22 Woosung Machinery Mfg Co Ltd ........................... 35
Harburg Freudenberger Maschinenbau Standford Machinery Co Ltd ....................................55 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com............... 57
GmbH............................................. Inside Front Cover Steelastic..............................................................................31
HollyFrontier Corporation......... Inside Back Cover Tekscan Inc....................................................................... 43

70 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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R O G E R W I LL I A M S

Roger Williams wonders whether tire trade associations have

The last word become outdated. Will they take up the mantle of promoting
new, more ambitious performance standards for the future?

S
ir John Houghton’s autobiography, In the Eye little to help a global market. The duplication of tire
of the Storm, describes his scientific career testing has created additional expense.
in the study of climate change. He is a leader There is general agreement that road transport
in establishing that man’s activities since accounts for 25% of CO2 emissions, and that of
the industrial revolution are responsible for current this 25%, one-fifth is associated with tires and tire
climate changes. energy losses. The transportation industry is now
Having established the scientific truth of climate considering alternatives to the internal combustion
warming, he and his colleagues were surprised engine and we can also expect tires to change to
by the response from those in denial, those with meet the new and different performance criteria.
vested interests and in the strength of lobbyists. We are seeing the start of change in tire sizes, with
Among those lobbyists was the tire industry. a return to higher aspect-ratio tires, but we are not
This had me thinking about the value and the seeing ideas as to how low, in theory, tire rolling
role of tire industry trade associations. They were resistance can be reduced, or the suggestion of an
historically important in establishing standards for equivalent figure for noise reduction.
tires, wheels, rims and valves, but times are now The use of new research methodology,
different. Is a body designed to encourage imported encouraged by the need for sustainable and
tires into, say, the UK, which has one of the biggest replenishable materials, is resulting in important
car production operations, relevant if it hastens the advances that will improve tire life. Yet we see no
demise of tire production in the UK? Conversely we claims for the longer-life tires that I believe will be
are now seeing increasing moves toward reshoring essential if the global road transport system is to
exported industry, partially based on the climate continue to expand.
change arguments. Meanwhile, the claims for electric vehicles and
Tire industry trade associations were active driverless vehicles grow and many of these vehicles
in the introduction of tire labeling legislation, will not require tires as we know them today. Tire
accompanied by ill-thought-through enforcement replacement concepts are being evaluated on EVs.
criteria. And in my view, the actual tire labeling Climate change and the need to improve road
is weak in terms of grade settings. Surely any transport safety will result in more research funding
meaningful approach should have been based on into conventional tire replacements. While the need
the current best performance as the lower limit; for future generations will be centered on reducing
targets to reach the higher standards should be real CO2 emissions, governments may well prioritize
tire improvements. the cost of road traffic accidents. In the UK the
Instead the industry representatives have annual cost of road traffic accidents is some £15bn
achieved a result where the lowest common (US$23bn) – nearly 12% of the total health budget.
denominator is the norm. Does the adopted My view is that if tire industry trade associations
approach do the customer or the progressive have a role to play, they will need to change
tire manufacturers any favors? Why were the their philosophy, promoting considerably higher
governmental authorities not sufficiently aware of performance from the conventional tire and
tire technology to observe what was happening? moving rapidly to global standards for those tire
The push for a legal limit to tire life in the properties that really matter to the customer and
USA led to years of well-meaning research the environment.
and testing, but no agreement between the Whether the trade associations will succeed in
tire industry bodies and the legislation authorities changing, given the urgency and current rate of
has been achieved. Interestingly, after a fatal coach change in research and development activities, is
crash in the UK, there has been pressure from doubtful. But however much progress is delayed by
individuals on the UK government that may bring lobby groups and their ilk, the scientific truth will in
legislation closer. the end win the final argument. tire
In these examples, the science is established but
progress is being restrained. The Tire Technology
Conference is the global event for tires, yet we have
had only two government officials present papers
and none attending as a learning exercise. Trade
and standards bodies have spoken on some five or
six occasions, but only when invited to do so.
Are trade bodies irrelevant to today’s world and
is there a need for more informed government
officials? The failure of industry trade bodies to work
on a global scale has resulted in the fragmentation
of tire legislation even within the EU, which does

72 www.tiretechnologyinternational.com July 2015

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