How to make tires

Most people think of making car tires as a very simple process: you pour a rubber compound into a mold, heat it to harden, and you're done. But in fact, this is one of the most complex, high-tech and, moreover, secret processes in modern industry. The secret, because the competition is deadly and the business is worth billions of dollars. So let's take a look at one of these mysterious factories and follow the milestones in creating a modern car tire.

1. PREPARATION OF THE RUBBER COMPOUND. Tire production begins with this process, as the recipe depends on the purpose of the specific type of tire (softer for winter, harder for all-round, etc.) and can include up to 10 chemicals, primarily sulfur and carbon. And, of course, rubber, a highly elastic polymer found in the bark of almost 500 different species of tropical plants.

2. PREPARATION OF THE MATRIX FINISH. As a result of injection molding, a rubber band is obtained, which, after cooling with water, is cut into pieces of the required size.

The carcass of the tire - carcass and belt - is made from layers of textile or metal wire. They are laid at a certain angle.

Another important element in production is the board, which is an inextensible, strong part of the tire, with which it is attached to the wheel and retains its shape.

3. ASSEMBLY OF THE ELEMENTS - for this, a special drum is used, on which the frame of the layers, the board and the frame - protector are successively laid.

4. VULCANIZATION is the next step in production. Rubber, assembled from individual components, is placed in a vulcanizer matrix. High-pressure steam and hot water are supplied inside it. The curing time and the temperature at which it is produced depend on the size and density of the tire. A relief pattern is formed on the protector, previously engraved on the inside of the matrix. This is followed by a chemical reaction that makes the tire strong, flexible and resistant to wear.

SOME OF THESE PROCESSES are also used in the retreading of old tires - the so-called retreading. 

The major tire manufacturers are in constant technological competition with each other. Manufacturers like Continental, Hankook, Michelin, Goodyear are constantly innovating to gain an edge over the competition.

An example of this is tire noise reduction technology. Different manufacturers call it differently, but it has already established itself and entered the production of tires.