Preliminary Conference Program

HF is a worldwide leader in the development and delivery of curing solutions for the tire industry. Using the basis of our original hydraulic column curing press, developed in the 1990s, we have since extended our offering to meet the wide range of trench requirements for the passenger car and truck markets. Join us for an overview of our PCR, TBR and PCI solutions that will provide you with the lowest overall cost of ownership. We will address the digitalization (i.e. condition monitoring) solutions that HF offers.

With the introduction of Industry 4.0, the automation and control level of rubber calendering lines has increased. The number of sensors and controls allows a step forward: automatic production management that can show production status and record technological data and process efficiency; improve line profitability with more efficient production scheduling, automatic loading of production recipes and maintenance optimization; prevent possible human errors in raw materials and semi-finished product management; show and indirectly suggest any areas for production process improvement. Comerio Ercole will present a project to integrate a rubber calendering line in the MES available in tire factories.

Maximize the positives, minimize the negatives – with a focus on safety, flexibility, quality and productivity as well as minimizing energy consumption, costs and risks. HFMG will explain how to enhance your tire production with digitalized processes and smart automated mixer solutions in your mill room. In addition, further recycling and sustainability solutions are on their way; thus, digitalized solutions and sustainable measures for tire production will be covered in this presentation.

Lanxess’s Rhein Chemie business unit is currently the world’s largest supplier of additives for the rubber industry. Supplying solutions along the whole tire production process, the company invests effort in developing solutions to industry challenges and new trends. In this presentation, we introduce our Permanently Coated Bladders (PCB), a lean solution for manufacturing tires free of any traces of silicone on their innerliner. We will discuss what PCBs are, their main advantages and how production could benefit from them, together with some application examples.

Tire molding demands specific performance criteria at the tire-mold and tire-bladder interfaces. Progressive initiatives toward increasing the efficiency of the molding operation have resulted in increased vulcanization temperature as well as the introduction of new types of bladder coating and even novel systems for mold cleaning. The presentation will look at options to improve the bladder performance as well as mold coating systems and their contribution toward mold maintenance and tire aesthetics. The development of new chemical types applied to these critical interfaces yields further opportunities for even greater efficiency in the molding operation. The presentation will highlight that mold and bladder productivity extension is possible, while the use of consumable or sacrificial lubricants is eliminated.

Secondary structure is generally measured through Oil absorption value, has major role in wettability of polymer during initial stage of mixing and have positive impact if the value is higher. Quantification of this measurement has been done through the dispersion by conductivity measurement and very high resolution optical tools indicates that higher the secondary structure, possibility of better dispersion and hence enhanced network density and rolling resistance properties.

Clean-Lasersysteme was the first supplier of automated and hand-guided tire mold cleaning systems. Various customers worldwide use this technology today. For years, the laser has also been used for the adhesive pretreatment of the inner tire for bonding of sensors. The process was developed in cooperation with Continental Hannover. Furthermore, the complete inner tire can be pretreated (innerliner cleaning), for example for noise insulation or penetration sealing. The benefits are that it is a dry method with reproducible results and compact, flexible technology. A suitable processing system, as well as further applications around the tire, will be presented in the lecture.

Recent years have seen an ever-increasing number of tire specifications that have to be managed by tire factories. It is challenging to keep the output at required levels, while batches get shorter and more size changes have to be made at every step of the process. This requires flexible solutions so that equipment can produce at the lowest cost per tire in smaller production runs. In this talk, VMI discusses the value of new, flexible solutions that enable a new approach to inventory management, demand planning and reduction of waste.

This presentation will discuss the development of new tire building machine architectures by leveraging new tooling, machine setup features and advanced HMI functionalities.

This session will describe tire failure modes on radial and bias tires for various applications, including their potential causes, identification and the sometimes subtle nuances that go along with determining tire failure. The session will be helpful for investigators and individuals who need to explore and explain tire failures and point out the contributory factors. It will help to clarify failure root cause between tire production process deviation, tire design and service application, and explain the most common problems/issues related to tire handling.

Cleaning of tire molds is an essential part of the production process. Learn how you can control your cleaning process with Cold Jet as a system solution provider for automated and manual applications. Clean and safe with PCS and ASP-T.

The blow-point transition of rubber compounds is investigated by rheological techniques during curing. Oscillatory shear experiments and cavity gap thickness determination are performed during isothermal curing. Rheological measurements reveal that the initial stages of cross-link formation produce a sol-gel transition. In this study we show that the formation of a polymer network at the critical gel point is strictly related to the thermal curing history independently of the type of rubber. We observed that times corresponding to the sol-gel transition at different temperatures are characterized by the same degree of curing and by the same die-gap variation.

Analysis of the cross-link density and cross-link structure of rubber vulcanizates is a crucial issue. The Temperature Scanning Stress Relaxation (TSSR) technique has been developed for this practical analysis with a solventless system. This presentation reports recent results measured by TSSR with an emphasis on challenges and opportunities for measurement.

Companies increasingly need to focus on climate-friendly solutions for their production processes. This presentation shows you an easy way to save CO2 emissions and energy costs with clean cooling. Clean cooling means the use of natural refrigerants to cool down your processes and machines in production. We reveal plenty of benefits of using these new cooling technologies – such as using water as a refrigerant – that save money as well as our planet, and can drive your success.

Leverage technology to manage your uptime by correlating the manufacturing process models with your operational quality data to modify your manufacturing process in real time. Using real-world inputs and cloud interfaces, you can leverage the data you already have in your process to optimize your production. This presentation will discuss augmented solutions for your current control system with cloud-based and cloud-enabled technologies to capture production data and optimize ongoing processes. With the latest in automation technology coupled with digital assets, you can participate in the digital transformation of the tire industry now, and futureproof your manufacturing processes.

Real-time locating systems are increasingly critical to businesses that need to link their physical assets to their digital counterparts, providing accurate data on where they are right now and where they have been. This presentation shows some use cases to reduce search time and optimize material flow with dynamic, real-time locating data for each and every relevant asset in the tire factory. With the latest reliable locating solutions, which operate in harsh environmental conditions, you get full transparency and automatic notifications to optimize the material workflow in tire production.

The use of material flow simulation tools is slowly becoming the standard in the tire manufacturing industry. These tools should be part of the complete tire plant lifecycle, to continuously optimize plant performance. This can be achieved by using simulation libraries that are prepared for IoT and ready to integrate with commonly used systems, such as a PLC and MES. We will give an overview of the possible uses of material flow simulations in tire manufacturing. Additionally, we will give practical guidance on how to make these simulations fit for the complete lifecycle of a tire plant.

The need to develop new technologies in different fields of engineering is steadily growing. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the use of a special kind of tire known as a smart tire. A focus on improving the active safety of transportation and also the emergence of concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT) have driven tire industries to produce this tire. Smart tires mainly consist of different sensors and continuously evaluate various parameters like pressure and temperature. These sensors constantly monitor the performance of the tire and send information to the consumer.

This presentation will discuss the ‘digital transformation’ and how it is affecting the tire industry globally. Using personal experience gained in collaboration with startups from Silicon Valley, the EU and China, we will also explain how technology can be used for the transformation of the tire industry in a better way, step by step, from the R&D phase through the production phase until the sale of the tire to the end customer. A special part of the presentation will be dedicated to a Smarty Labs project for the development of smart tires.

We all know that tire manufacturing is a discrete type of manufacturing industry where the link between machines and product is filled by people. This imposes tremendous challenges in running the plant efficiently and smartly. To overcome these challenges, Industry 4.0 along with data science has to be adapted so that machines talk directly to machines and the product tells the machine how to process it. Each product or batch has to closely resemble the ‘golden batch’, maintaining consistent quality. Data science plays a big role in terms of machine learning for constantly improving the end product.

Virtual sensing of roads using accelerometers inside the tire is being actively explored in the tire and automotive industries, owing to its multitude of applications and advantages. In addition to characterizing road surfaces and their conditions, the virtual sensing of the tire-road interaction can be leveraged to understand the current state of the vehicle. At the Center for Tire Research (CenTiRe), we have successfully developed and implemented data-driven algorithms for estimating tire normal load, vehicle velocity and characterizing the structure-borne noise due to tire-pavement interaction. Estimating such parameters using advanced data processing is a stepping stone toward accurate control algorithms and increased safety of vehicles. In this presentation we will explore these estimation algorithms.

The integrated tire factory requires a high degree of automation. Consecutive process steps in the production must be intelligently connected with each other. In addition to the controls, software and communication between the subsystems, it is a prerequisite that every single process step is robust and designed to provide the desired flexibility. However, in the raw material supply and dosing systems for the mixing room, there are still special requirements and limitations due to the varying properties of the powders or liquids in the recipes. Continuous improvement of these process steps enables production with better quality and higher output. This presentation will address the conveying of carbon black and the dosing of liquid additives. The Overflow Bypass technology for pneumatic dense phase conveying of carbon black and silica has been proved for more than two decades. It has been developed further with a new feature that allows online remote adjustment of the bypass valves along the conveying line. This development makes the base technology smart, resulting in higher flexibility for raw materials and improved carbon black and silica quality for feeding the rubber mixer. With the new Liquid Dosing System (LDS), handling of up to 36 liquid additives can be modularly implemented. The LDS provides highly accurate liquid injection into the mixer and at the same time avoids cross-contamination of the different components.

Tire manufacturing is undergoing a digital transformation. However, although digitally smart manufacturers are gaining a competitive advantage, many are still hesitant to take a digital leap. One of the main obstacles to digitalization is the uncertainty about how this new, major investment will pay off. With so many technology options available, it can be hard to calculate the best path forward. The effects on sales and profitability are hard to measure, which complicates the task of ranking investment priorities. Let’s take a look at new technology through the lens of profitability. Where can well-orchestrated digitalization improve processes? How does it translate into revenue and business value?

Today, the key to success is the intelligent combination of a large number of various field data, their direct integration and timely availability. Tire manufacturing is now able to leverage intelligent sensor data across all information levels. Sensorik4.0 offers a broad range of smart field devices including proximity switches, photoelectric sensors and RFID. At the same time, new opportunities for transmitting data have been introduced in industry, such as IO-Link, OPC UA and MQTT. For the tire industry, these standards offer a wide range of new advantages. The presentation will include conceptual and practical solutions for the tire industry.

Handling and weighing components by hand is a high cost for tire manufacturing businesses. Currently, many companies weigh out powders by hand, exposing operators to H&S risks while businesses suffer from human error and product failure. The presentation will share how advanced technology and robotics can address these issues by removing the human operator from the process. Following work with the University of Lincoln, OAL has developed and commercialized the APRIL Robotics Weighing System, which automatically stores and weighs out components to a works order.

More steel and iron alone is not enough to help extrusion aggregates in times of IIoT. Subjects such as machine efficiency, sustainability and safety are more in focus than ever; the optimization of steel and iron alone will not lead to the goal of a smart extrusion aggregate. Condition monitoring ensures that the machine status is permanently recorded by measuring and analyzing specific variables such as volume flow or temperature to demonstrate an optimum level of system availability. Coupled with augmented reality, the operator is quickly and reliably shown how to remedy the cause, if necessary with the support of the machine manufacturer. With digital twin, it is also possible to monitor, predict and optimize products and systems before investing in assets. Finally, additional sensors such as pressure and humidity serve to extend the life cycle of an extrusion aggregate, if possible without the action of an operator.

Requirements for tire compounds have been continually growing for the tire industry during the past few years, while the pressure to contain costs has significantly increased. Many tire manufacturers have recognized that fine mesh straining of master or final batch improves the quality of the tire compounds by filtering impurities and non-mixed ingredients, with a positive effect on the manufacturing process. The Roll-Ex gear extruder technology allows particularly gentle straining and extrusion of tire compound in the mixing line with output rates up to 10,000kg/h and the use of extremely fine screens.

Continuous mixing for rubber compounds offers significant advantages when compared with conventional batch-mixing systems. Extensive efforts over the past decades have been unsuccessful due to the limited mixing and temperature control capabilities of the equipment, especially at high production rates. This presentation will introduce the RingExtruder (RE) and its benefits for these applications. The fundamental machine design and resulting operating characteristics will explain how the limitations of alternative continuous mixing systems can be overcome with the RingExtruder, and compounds with outstanding properties can be produced.

RFID tags embedded in tires ensure reliable tire identification (unique, unfalsifiable and permanently readable during the entire tire lifecycle). By associating tire ID with its digital twin, Michelin makes tires that ‘communicate’ by linking them to a more global ecosystem, to create infinite potential for innovations and added value for customers, sustainably. While Michelin continues to foster market adoption of RFID, discover how the technology can improve efficiency and enhance quality and trust throughout tire lifecycle: for tire manufacturers, country authorities, OEMs, dealers, end users and for end-of-life treatment.

The tire industry is in a period of significant change. To stay competitive, you need smart, flexible, low-cost tire operations that can help you contend with challenges like scaling operations in response to consumer demand in a challenging economy, and maintaining operations with a potentially remote and changing workforce. Tire producers must also manage cost pressures resulting from more global competition and a tightening economy, with more SKUs to meet the needs of auto makers offering more tire options and new tire mixes that promote longevity but create production challenges. When expenses are being managed tightly and the options for digital technologies seem limitless, three digital solutions can have the biggest impact on your tire business. Join us to hear experts explain how a modern manufacturing execution system (MES), advanced analytics software and digital twin software can help you achieve your goals and remain globally competitive.

What about an alternative to the QR code, which is less visible on tires, won’t be damaged easily and can’t be easily counterfeited by third parties? What about an identity that connects you directly with your end customers? Koenig & Bauer Coding and Digimarc will present the benefits of Digimarc Barcode, a new digital identity for the tire industry. Utilizing Koenig & Bauer Coding laser engraving systems, Digimarc can be engraved on tire sidewalls and reliably scanned by mobile phones. Digimarc can hold a variety of data, and when scanned, the data can serve a variety of use cases across the value chain for manufacturers and end customers.

Traceability and sustainability are quickly becoming part of doing business in the tyre and natural rubber industry, with more companies seeking to better understand their supply chains and uncover sustainability risks. The industry will need new digital infrastructures to support the high volume of data generated by the supply chain. Gerald Tan, CEO of HeveaConnect, will share how HC is building an integrated suite of products to help each supply chain actor generate, analyze, and report the data needed to achieve their company’s sustainability vision.

The presentation will provide an overview of the latest technologies to meet today’s challenging demands for seamless tire identification and full traceability. It will show how innovative solutions enable full visibility throughout all production processes, into the warehouse and alongside distribution up to the final destination.

This presentation is about the tire RFID tag and will cover the following aspects: related international standards, whole solution of RFID tire, sharing practical experience, future development.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many problems for machine producers, mostly connected with travel restrictions. For example, machine commissioning, operator training and quick provision of maintenance have become difficult. What’s more, it happened before Industry 4.0 requirements for smart production were fully integrated into the tire industry. Mesnac has reacted to the situation with many new development projects, realized at Qingdao R&D and Slovakian MERTC R&D. Both teams are focused on new smart machine functionalities, augmented and virtual reality, predictive maintenance and research into the relationship between machine setting and final tire quality, based on big data and AI.

Production and intralogistics in harmony. Once considered two distinct disciplines, now these areas are growing closer thanks to advances in automation and digitization. The goal is to make the material flow and the production process itself completely transparent. With intelligent sensor solutions, all steps – from the raw materials being delivered, through the various production processes, to delivering the finished tire – can be monitored at all times. Using that information and the additional information that many sensors can supply, the prerequisites for a smart, networked production facility are created.

AI and sensor fusion on a XenomatiX XenoTrack lidar are used to measure and estimate the road surface properties (asphalt, concrete, pavement, etc), attributes (potholes, road markings, repairs, etc) and condition (dry, wet, snow, etc). This information is combined with a tire model to predict the tire grip levels ahead of the vehicle, while driving. This presentation discusses the measurements, training and validation of the AI algorithms, prediction results and the potential applications in AV path selection and advanced chassis system controls.

When expenses are being managed tightly and the options for digital technologies seem limitless, there are three digital solutions that can have the biggest impact on your tire business. Join us for this must-attend event and learn how these technologies can bring insights that enable personnel to make better design, operation and maintenance decisions. Understand how they can transform processes to reduce downtime, optimize speed and improve quality in tire production while enabling you to quickly scale your operations so that you can quickly respond to customer needs and market changes. Hear experts explain how a modern manufacturing execution system (MES), advanced analytics software and digital twin software can help you achieve your goals and remain globally competitive.

Integrated robotics is defined as the single line or cell controller controlling the robot, which eliminates the need for a dedicated robot controller and associated hardware components such as servo motors, drives, teach pendant and I/O. This is enabled by our latest processors and Kinetix 5700 servo drive with integrated safety on Ethernet/IP, which mitigates the need to separately wire the drive for safety. This reduces overall system wiring, saves time and money in installation and helps remove potential points of failure, thus resulting in less downtime and troubleshooting. Integrated safety provides the capability to change the safety zoning and configurations without needing to physically rewire the devices. Advanced safety features provide five safe stop functions and three safe monitoring functions. For robot-human protection, our new SafeZone 3 safety laser scanner adds the advantage of integration with a GuardLogix control system using an add-on profile in Studio 5000 Logix Designer.

A fully connected tire enterprise requires a comprehensive approach to industrial cybersecurity. This includes policies and procedures that address people, processes and technology-related risks. It is critical to understand the potential risks and start building security into your industrial automation control systems. Join us to learn how to manage potential threats and build a more secure industrial control system, with a defense-in-depth security approach that addresses internal and external security threats.

It is no secret that tire manufacturing is a very energy-intensive process. Manually collected energy data may be plagued with flaws, and historical reports may make it difficult to take meaningful action to achieve your energy goals. Industry 4.0 and digital transformation provide a unique opportunity to develop a comprehensive WAGES (water, air, gas, electricity and steam) management system. Collect WAGES consumption data from the factory floor, contextualize this data with production data in an IoT platform, and then take action in real time. Then optimize your energy efficiency further and reduce your overall costs by utilizing automated demand response, IoT, machine learning and artificial intelligence.

It’s a crippling problem: around the world, tire production plants have seen KPIs like OEE, machine uptime and reliability worsen in recent years. Furthermore, unplanned downtime has been disrupting production and hurting the bottom line for tire makers. The problem? Corrosion. Specifically, atmospheric reactive compounds generated in the tire-making process are combining with temperature and humidity to cause corrosion on the electronic components in industrial control products. These reactive compounds aren’t new but they are having a bigger impact on modern control systems. This is why it’s critical that the steps you take and solutions you use to combat corrosion in your plants are based on an understanding of the unique factors that contribute to corrosion in tire environments. Rockwell Automation has invested years and significant resources to research corrosion-related component failures in tire environments. Join us for this must-attend event and learn how we worked with some of the world’s largest tire brands to identify and understand corrosion problems in their plants. Understand how we measured and analyzed environments in plants globally to identify the cause of corrosion and how we performed industry-standard accelerated corrosion testing on industrial control products made by us and our competitors. Attend this event and hear about how we’ve developed installation guidance, industrial control solutions and a first-of-its-kind corrosion test protocol representative of tire and rubber environments – all to help you improve uptime and stay productive.