How tyres are made

Durability, strength, wear resistance, wheel cushioning and traction capabilities, among others are factors to consider when manufacturing tyres. The complex technical procedure for tyre construction involves joining various components such as treads, the side-wall, cap plies, bead, body and belts closely together to come up with a standard product. This article delves into how manufacturers go about making tyres.

Collecting raw materials

Tyre parts are made either from synthetic rubber, natural rubber or from a combination of both. Tyre manufacturing The rubber elements are blended by using the Banbury, after which, they are mixed with other chemical products, such as black carbon or sulfur to give the tyre its resilient characteristics. Since tyres are used in different ways and conditions, specific chemicals may be used to give them special characteristics.

Designing the tyre

Tyres consist of three main parts: the tread, which makes contact with the surface and is manufactured from a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber. The body, on the other hand, is manufactured from a ply fabric such as polyester cord in several layers referred to as plies. The number of plies in the tyre determines the characteristic strength of the particular design. The body is responsible for giving the tyre its shape and supports the tread. Lastly, the beads hold the tyre on the wheel rim and are mostly made from rubber, coated with high strength steel. The tyre industry has in recent years, adopted the use of computer technology, using design software to simulate tyre designs and collect data to analyse the performance of each tyre design.

Producing prototypes

After successfully obtaining a tyre specification from the computer software, the next step involves engineers and tyre assemblers to produce prototypes for actual testing. If the tests are successful, then the tyres will be ready for mass production.

Future of tyre manufacturing

As the world embraces environmental conservation, so has the need for manufacturers and suppliers to embrace these changes. Even with the precedence of new tyres which offer greater mileage and enhanced performance, manufacturers are also trying to come up with green tyres which ensure environmental conservation. Computer-aided designs also ensure reduced rolling resistance, which results in increased fuel efficiency.