Thursday, August 24, 2023

Productivity and IE in Tire Manufacturing



Applied Industrial Engineering Module of Industrial Engineering Online Course Notes - Industrial Engineering Various Engineering Branches, Industries and New Technologies


Process of Making Tires



HOW A TIRE IS MADE

As many as two hundred different raw materials combine into a unique mix of chemistry, physics and engineering to become a tire. 

For illustration

Materials used: 
Rubbers: 1) Natural rubber( obtained from hevea tree) 
 RSS ribbed smoke sheet ( RSS 4 is used ) 
 SIR ( standard Indonesian rubber)  
 SMR( standard Malaysian rubber) 

2) Synthetic rubber  Butyl rubber ( import from russia) 30 kg each bale.  SBR 1502 (light yellow) styrene-butadiene rubber (Mostly used in bead wire compound)  SBR 1712 (oil extended rubber) (Import from Korea Used in tred and ply compound)

3.  PBR (orange yellow rubber) poly-butadiene rubber (made in iran)  EPDM ( eyhylene propylene diene monomer) Compounds in which load (strength) is requirement SBR is used and if load and speed both is required PBR is used. 3) Reclaim rubber ( vulcanized rubber) :  Butyl reclaim ( import from india)  Natural reclaim (50 kg each bag)  Natural and butyl rubber cannot be mixed so their setup is separate. Bale cutters and mixers are also separate.  To increase the heat resistance of natural rubber it is blend with SBR  Strength of 1502 is greater than 1712  Butyl rubbers are used to make tubes.  Butyl colours are used to stick on compounds  Hexane is used to separate rubber which stick to each other

4. Fillers ( mechanical holding strength increases): Reinforcing fillers: 1) Carbon black  N-220  N-330  N-339  N550  N-660 Particle size of N330 < N660 55 bags in each palate each of 25 kg. Non- reinforcing fillers: (cost reducing) 1) CaCO3 2) China clay 3) Crumb( recycled rubber from tyre scrap) Activators: 1) ZnO 2) Stearic acid Plasticizers (increase fluidity): 1) Aromatic oil (thick oil green in colour, highly viscous) 2) Paraffin oil (white oil) 3) Napthenic oil (colourless) Retarders (anti scorching): 1) PVI/CTP ( pre vulcanization inhibitor)

5. Accelerators: 1) TMTD 2) MBTS 3) MBT 4) CBS 5) TBBS 

6) DPG Resins (increase tackiness): 1) Koresin 2) Phenolic resin 3) Hydrocarbon resin 4) Rosin china Peptizers (decrease viscosity): 1) Struktol A-91 2) Struktol A-86 3) Peptizol -7 

Homogenizer: 1)Struktol MS-40 Anti-oxidants: 1) 6PPD 2) TMQ 3) Wax ( not used in ply ) 4) PBN Curatives: 1) Resin 1045 2) Sulfur 3) DCP


The basic steps of tire manufacturing process:



MANUFACTURING
The production process begins with the selection of several types of rubber along with special oils, carbon black, pigments, antioxidants, silica, and other additives that will combine to provide the  characteristics wanted. Separate compounds are used for different parts of the tire. 

Banbury Mixer: Banbury mixer combines the various raw materials for each compound into a homogenized batch of black material with the consistency of gum. The mixing process is computer-controlled to assure uniformity. The compounded materials are then sent to machines for further processing into the sidewalls, treads or other parts of the tire.

Assembling the tire: The first component to go on the tire building machine is the innerliner, a special rubber that is resistant to air and moisture penetration and takes the place of an inner tube. Next come the body plies and belts, which are often made from polyester and steel. Plies and belts give the tire strength while also providing flexibility. The belts are cut to the precise angle and size the tire engineer specifies to provide the desired ride and handling characteristics. Bronze-coated strands of steel wire, fashioned into two hoops, are implanted into the sidewall of the tires to form the bead, which assures an airtight fit with the rim of the wheel. The tread and sidewalls are put into position over the belt and body plies, and then all the parts are pressed firmly together. The end result is called a “green” or uncured tire.

Last step - Curing of  the tire. The “green” tire is placed inside a mold and inflated to press it against the mold, forming the tread and the tire identification information on the sidewall. Then it is heated at more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit for twelve to fifteen minutes, vulcanizing it to bond the components and to cure the rubber. (This twelve to fifteen minute curing process is for passenger and light truck tires. Off-road and large tires may take up at a day to cure).

Inspection:  Every tire is then inspected, and sample tires are randomly taken from the line and tested. Some are x-rayed, some are cut apart to look for flaws, others are run on test wheels, or road-tested to evaluate handling, mileage and traction performance.

Every tire is carefully inspected, and random samples are pulled for additional safety tests. As part of these tests, tires are x-rayed, cut apart and examined, run on test wheels, or road-tested to evaluate handling, mileage and traction performance. 

If properly cared for, tires can last a long time – usually from 40,000 to 80,000 miles, depending on the application.



Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Rubber Mixer
A rubber mixer is a machine that kneads rubber, the raw ingredient of tires, with sulfur and other chemicals using rotating blades. The mixing process is critical to the final quality of rubber and tire products. We offer a full lineup of various rubber mixers to cater to our customers' needs.

https://www.mhi.co.jp/technology/review/pdf/e533/e533043.pdf

https://www.slideshare.net/HassanBilal19/mixing-report-final-66700072  Mixing process described in detail.

Cutter
A cutter is a machine that cuts rubber-coated sheet-form materials, made of numerous cords made of synthetic fibers (such as nylon) and steel, into predetermined sizes and at specific angles.

Molding Machine
The molding machine is used to assemble the sheet-form material cut by the cutter, the tread (thick rubber for the outer circumference of a tire), the bead (a steel ring to fix a wheel and a tire), etc., into a shape close to a tire.

Curing Press
The curing press is a machine used to apply heat and pressure to mold the outer surface of the tire to form grooves and trademark and other designs, as well as to finalize the tire by curing the rubber through a chemical reaction.

https://www.mhi-ms.com/products/rubber_tire/tire_curing_press/
https://www.ltmindia.com/products-services/hydraulic-tyre-curing-presses/
http://www.uzermakina.com/tire-curing-presses
https://www.hf-tiretechgroup.com/en/heizpressen/

https://literature.rockwellautomation.com/idc/groups/literature/documents/wp/oem-wp016_-en-p.pdf

Inspection Machine
Upon completion, the balance and overall uniformity of the tires are tested by the inspection machine to ensure that they satisfied a prescribed level of quality.
https://www.mhi.com/products/industry/rubber_tire_machine.html

Sample cutting machines
https://www.shibuya.co.jp/en/cutting/usm1000.html

Uniformity machine (UFM)
Dynamic balancing machine (DBM)
Combined line of UFM & DBM
https://www.mhi-ms.com/products/rubber_tire/tire_testing/

Top 10 tire companies - India


Electronic air pressure regulators and air flow control valves -Tire Manufacturing Solutions & Applications


Tire Manufacturing Machines https://dir.indiamart.com/impcat/tire-manufacturing-machines.html

Tire Manufacturing Equipment Manufacturers  https://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/manufacturing_process_equipment/manufacturing_equipment_components/tire_roll_manufacturing_equipment

Tire Manufacturing Patents


https://patents.google.com/patent/EP0953435A1/en



Productivity and Cost Reduction in Tire Manufacturing - News and Events


2023

Gudel - Tire & Wheel Handling Solutions - Automation
The competence center for your tire and wheel manufacture.
Sorting, palletizing and de-palletizing, Güdel solutions allow you to automate all post-vulcanization processes right up to the shipment..

Our modular system allows you to increase the level of automation according to your needs. Whether you need individual components, functional packages or turnkey solutions including Material Flow Control MFC, Warehouse Management WMS, conveyor technology, and prime care.

Gudel - Handling, commissioning, and palletizing everything from green to finished tires
Efficient handling of green to finished tires



Industry 4.0 Lighthouse - First Global Tire Facility  - CEAT’s Halol Tyre Manufacturing Facility


CEAT’s Halol Tyre Manufacturing Facility has been designated by the World Economic Forum as an ‘Advanced Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Lighthouse’
CEAT is the first tyre company globally and the first auto ancillary company in India to be recognised for adopting advanced fourth-industrial revolution technologies.
CEAT First Tyre Company In The World To Become Lighthouse Certified
 20-Jan-2023

The company embarked on  Industry 4.0 journey in 2020 and, since then have seen substantial improvements in  operational efficiencies through digital technologies.  

Improved productivity by digitalising 100% of the operator touchpoints. All of these initiatives have resulted in reducing the plant operating cost by 25%. There was growth in  global and OEM sales.


The Amazing Ways Goodyear Uses Artificial Intelligence, Industry 4.0 Technologies And IoT For Digital Transformation


Goodyear uses internet of things technology in its Eagle 360 Urban tyre. The tyre is 3D printed with super-elastic polymer and embedded with sensors. These sensors send road and tyre data back to the artificial intelligence-enhanced control panel that can then change the tread design to respond to current road conditions on the fly and share info about conditions with the broader network. If the tyre tread is damaged, the tyre moves the material and begins self-repair. The tyre has the ability to monitor and track tyre pressure, vehicle data, and road conditions. This data is then analysed by Goodyear’s algorithms to gain insights about maintenance needs and ways to improve the safety and performance of the fleet. 

The Oxygene model, another 3D-printed tyre  has embedded sensors connected to the internet of things and also uses living moss and photosynthesis to power its electronics. The self-generated electricity powers onboard sensors, an AI-processing unit, as well as a light strip that illuminates when a driver brakes or changes lanes.  The tyre is  printed from rubber powder from recycled tyres.

Goodyear has focus on the advancement of mobility-focused on connected, autonomous, and electric vehicles.

At the operational level, Goodyear has also leveraged the power of technology to increase its productivity. 

Goodyear is running an internet of things proof-of-concept using sensor data from the factory floor to inform maintenance needs. Investments in workplace modernization is taking place in  Goodyear operations (in more than 150 countries, 48 manufacturing facilities and research and development centres in Germany, Luxembourg, China, and the United States). The company is also exploring how Microsoft HoloLens and other technologies could impact virtual tyre modelling and design. 


Case Study related to knowledge processes.
Tire Manufacturing: Standardization and Digital Automation Increase Production, Slash Downtime, and Reduce Avoidable Waste

Optimising curing presses with AI

Festo Motion Terminal: the flexible cost-cutter.
The automation platform VTEM speeds up tire production
Global production volume of 1.8 billion car tires per year. VTEM  digitises pneumatics, thereby speeding up processes and reducing costs, for example when transferring the rubber layer to the tire building machine.

Tailored AGV solutions for the tyre industry
Your tyre company will benefit from a combination of proven technology, trustworthy maintenance and expert staff behind Rocla AGV solutions. You can rely on the Rocla AGV modular design, which is based on tried and tested warehouse truck technology from Mitsubishi Logisnext Europe.
https://rocla-agv.com/for-your-industry/agv-solutions-for-the-tyre-industry/

Modern Automation in Tire Plants
https://www.tiretechnologyinternational.com/features/special-report-manufacturing-technology-machine-reasoning.html



2022

Goodyear Plant - Production time for large rim diameter passenger tires four times faster with new process


The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company officially opened its new manufacturing facility in Dudelange, Luxembourg, following a $77 million investment in its industry 4.0 digital manufacturing process.

The new facility  features a new process focused on small-batch production of large rim diameter ultra-high performance (UHP) and ultra-ultra-high performance (UUHP) tires, which enables Goodyear to produce tires four times faster than a standard production cycle. 

Silicone Free Inside Tire Paints

What it solves
In addition to allowing tire producers to eliminate silicone residues from the inner liners of their finished tires, these water based inside tire paints allow tire manufacturers to more efficiently produce innovative tire options that improve their customers’ mobility.


Rockwell's Kalypso strengthens tire practice with new appointment
20 May 2022



The digital service unit names industry veteran Aleksandar Boskovic as principal

Milwaukee, Wisconsin – Kalypso, the digital services arm of Rockwell Automation, has appointed Aleksandar Boskovic as principal, managing director and partner for tire & automotive operations.

Boskovic has over 20 years of experience in the product development and manufacturing domains, and has led digital transformation projects in the automotive, tire, aerospace and defence industries.

Most recently, he served as the digital manufacturing services director for Accenture, said Kalypso in a recent statement.

He holds a PhD in industrial engineering and robotics from the University of Windsor and a masters of manufacturing engineering degree from the University of Belgrade.
https://www.european-rubber-journal.com/article/2091451/rockwell-digital-service-unit-strengthens-automotive-tire-practice


How Automated Buffer Storage Optimizes Tire Production | Kardex

24 Mar 2022
______________________



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsf6C1IsL_w
_______________________

Improvement of Inspection Operations


Tire Component Inspection
Ensuring the quality of each component in the tire manufacturing process is critical to the performance and safety of each tire produced. Traditionally tire component inspection has been a manual process relying on operators to make the determination if the component meets quality standards which can be time consuming and highly variable.

In our continued efforts to provide innovative solutions Bartell has created a full line of bead inspection systems. From mechanical measurement to advanced non-contact imaging our technologies provide the most accurate measurements available and include capabilities such as networking and data storage to provide easy statistical quality analysis and documentation.

Inspection Systems for the Tire Industry - Micro-Epsilon

Tire Manufacture
Inspection Process
Tires are checked to find cracks, distortions, etc. in the inspection process.

Tires are inspected by devices to measure balance, uniformity, etc. Only tires that pass inspection will be shipped out.



Tire Inspection Goes High-speed 3D
A typical 3D vision system uses laser triangulation to capture images by projecting a laser line across the surface of each target object while a high-speed camera captures an image of the laser line as an elevation profile.


Automate Tire Manufacturing Processes and Ensure Quality with High-speed 3D Vision
August 2, 2016

Improve inspection process in tire manufacturing


ASRS Solution for Green Tire Handling.

Automation software development group, DMC successfully defined and deployed a custom ASRS solution for green tire handling. A single ASRS system manages over 5,000 tires daily while maintaining high reliability, with advanced material tracking and flow control customization. Utilizing an engineering team of multifaceted expertise, DMC provided software architecture design and development services from the lowest level machine controls, through external communication interfaces with the plant MES solution.
Customer Benefits
Improved plant floor space
Reduced manual tire handling 
Automated work instruction fulfillment
Improved process flow controls


2021

There is still great potential for savings in the automation of intralogistics along the production line.

The Kardex Group is an experienced intralogistics partner to the tire industry. The portfolio provides various solutions including: automated storage and retrieval solutions (ASRS) for pallets with rubber compounds, customer-specific transport carts, green tires, and rack-supported storage systems for finished goods. The selection of suitable components is usually determined by the desired dynamics and the number and type of logistics units used.
https://www.kardex.com/en/industry-segments/tires

https://www.tirebusiness.com/news/us-tire-production-tanked-2020-dropping-1950s-level

Emerson’s Automation and Control Solutions - Boost throughput, cut downtime and reduce energy consumption throughout the tire-making process

June 2021
Machinery and processes for tire manufacturing need to provide improvements in throughput, quality and sustainability. By implementing Emerson’s automation and control solutions, production efficiency and availability can be increased through greater equipment performance and reliability. The solutions will help identify areas of underperformance and waste, helping you to lower operational costs and achieve your sustainability targets.



2020

Digital is disrupting Indian tyre market: Parag Satpute, Bridgestone India
2 Jul 2020
____________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz5YT8gNTh4



https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2020/07/07/how-is-robotics-shaking-up-the-tire-industry/33825/

https://www.itvoice.in/bridgestone-emea-selects-dassault-systemes-to-boost-their-smart-factory-program
____________________

https://lanhang.en.made-in-china.com/product/kKwnqpCMEEYX/China-High-Productivity-Natural-120L-Rubber-Banbury-Mixer.html

Here are three examples in the tire-manufacturing process where electric actuators have brought new efficiencies to the process:  
https://www.tolomatic.com/blog/artmid/843/articleid/435/how-electric-actuators-keep-tire-manufacturing-up-to-speed

IIoT solution for tire manufacturing plants - Return on Invest (RoI) of less than one year.


Proven Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solution for tire manufacturing plants increases tire output by up to 3%, while reducing scrap and process cost with a Return on Invest (RoI) of less than one year.
https://www.identecsolutions.com/home/products/newsroom/tire-manufacturing-how-to-increase-tire-output-in-brown-field-production-plants/


Digital Tire Production: A Better Way to Manage Cost and Complexity



Innovative processes allow reuse of tyre production waste and rubber from old tyres.
2019




Bridgestone is investing  in digitalisation and smart factories across eight European production sites.

The plants in Poland, Hungary, Spain, Italy and France, will be equipped with technology to apply algorithms that can improve the consistency of quality by 15%. A 'smart energy' project will optimise the plants' energy consumption and costs, enabling savings of approximately 10%.

Design engineers  will also gain access to data from tire production which will allow them to design improved tire models and halve the lead time for introducing new tires.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to analyse data and forecast potential faults in machinery enabling smart maintenance. Production data will be analyzed in real time, to take action and cut production reject-levels. The logistics processes will be considerably simplified through digitalisation. In the plant, the digital tracking and managing the path of prepared materials and semi-finished products within the plant will take place.

Bridgestone launches smart factory project. European Rubber Journal, 02664151, 7/1/2019, Vol. 201, Issue 4

875,000 square feet, Sumter, South Carolina, Tire Manufacturing Plant of Continental Tire the Americas, LLC


SSOE led the value engineering effort for this facility, developing more than $17 million in savings opportunities, resulting in more than $11 million in total incorporated changes.
https://www.ssoe.com/project/tire-manufacturing-plant/

2017

Six-sigma application in tire-manufacturing company: a case study

Vikash Gupta, Rahul Jain, M. L. Meena & G. S. Dangayach 
Journal of Industrial Engineering International volume 14, pages511–520(2018)

Wastage of material is happening due to variation in the bead splice of a tire. This wastage is financial loss to the organization. Therefore,  variations in the bead splice has to be reduced to minimize the wastages. The value of process capability index C pk is calculated to be 0.94 which is less than 1.
The Ishikawa diagram was used for finding the root cause of the problem.

First cause of the problem was bead splice setting on higher side caused by slippage of bead tape from gripper. The slippage of bead tape from gripper was generated due to worn out of the griper key.

Second cause was variation in the advancer setting caused due to change in skill of worker. This man-to-man variation was caused due to lack of the standard setup guidelines available.

The third cause was related to the frequency of sensor setting. Setting of sensor is required frequently as the former diameter changes. However, due to non-availability of guideline, sensor setting could not change frequently. 

The last cause was that the workers were not using the measuring tape.

For the the root causes, the corrective actions were taken. The capability index C pk value is improved to 2.66
https://link.springer.com/journal/40092/volumes-and-issues - Page Journal of Industrial Engineering International

2016

100 years of improvement in Banbury Mixer
Fernley H. Banbury received his original patent on Oct. 2, 1916

The original machines had very little horsepower, and the newer machines have four times  connected horsepower.

The advent of finite element analysis helped to optimize heat transfer, temperature uniformity and mechanical strength.

Borzenski had recently patented a “keel” bottom weight technology.
HF Mixing now has the management of Banbury's firm.

2015

Fast, efficient handling of sticky, green tires.

Güdel Introduces New Green Tire Trays -  eliminate damage during conveyor offload - allows tires to travel the conveyor at higher speed

01/21/2015



ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. Güdel introduces its new Green Tire Trays which are designed to eliminate damage during conveyor offload, and yet they allow tires to travel the conveyor at higher speeds compared to other trays. These trays can be installed directly into existing conveyor Gudel Green Tire Tray titls at 45-degrees for optimum storage with no loss of quality.systems, and they work with all types of systems from roller to wide-belt or narrow-belt.



2014
This paper provides an overview of how an integrated control and information solution from Rockwell Automation can be used on a tire curing press machine to  help maximise productivity.
With the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system, EtherNet/IP technology and 
PID/PIDe functionality, the MESNAC (MESNAC is a leading tire and rubber tire machinery supplier.) curing press machine was able to:
 Control the temperature within a range of ±1 degrees. The pressure can be controlled within a range 
of ±0.1MPa. 
 Improve productivity by 10% thanks to cycle time reduction, repeatable performance and integrated 
information.


2013
http://www.kneadermixer.com/News/Banbury_mixer_machine_temperature_control_can_effectively_improve_production_efficiency-en.html

2012

CONTINENTAL TIRE PLANT INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY, REDUCES WASTE


After installing AeroScout Wi-Fi-based RFID tags and RTLS software, the company's French factory is producing 5,000 more tires per day, while decreasing waste of materials by 20 percent.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?9466

2011

Increased Productivity of Tyre Manufacturing
Process using Lean Methodology
Ajit Chavda, Prof. M.Y.Patil


1992
https://meridian.allenpress.com/rct/article-abstract/65/4/792/91967/Optimizing-Mixing-in-the-Banbury-Mixer-with?redirectedFrom=fulltext

1980
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO1981002849A1/en

1974
https://patents.google.com/patent/US3897070

1954
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2820836A/en

Updated on  24.8.2023,  14.5.2022,  3.5.2022, 14.4 2022,  2 June 2021,  9.9.2020
21 Feb 2014
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