Tire curing equipment specialist Uzer Makina has acquired Uzun Hidrolik, a hydraulic products manufacturer that serves a range of heavy industries, including energy, harbor and mining. The acquisition marks the evolution of the relationship between the two companies, which have been working together for over two decades.

By acquiring Uzun Hidrolik’s experience and expertise – including the production of client-based designed products and function as a research and development center – Uzer Makina aims to diversify its revenue streams. By integrating Uzun Hidrolik’s capabilities into its existing infrastructure, Uzer Makina is expected to expand into other processes of tire manufacturing, as well as other heavy industries.

Continue reading Uzer Makina acquires hydraulic specialist Uzun Hidrolik at Tire Technology International.

Bekaert has developed a new range of lightweight, high-tensile-strength steel cord. Yiwen Luo, head of the company’s R&D center in Asia, tells Tire Technology Expo how the new cords meet the tire industry’s demands for sustainability, lower weight and reduced rolling resistance.

To find out more about Bekaert’s steel cords, visit Booth C644.

Continue reading VIDEO | Bekaert showcases new developments in steel cord at Tire Technology Expo at Tire Technology International.

A live demonstrator model of Entex’s planetary roller extruder, designed for use within rubber compounding and rubber devulcanization, is on display at Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany.

Flexible by design, the planetary roller extruder differs from conventional extruder technologies such as twin-screw or single-screw models. It offers low-shear processing and has a larger surface area and enhanced temperature control, enabling a wider range of use cases. One central spindle turns while the planets are free flowing in the process chamber. The extruder has a high number of kneading gaps, and its temperature-control mechanism allows it to actively cool while undertaking the required process.

Continue reading Tire Technology Expo Day 2: Entex live-demos planetary roller extruder at Tire Technology International.

Making its debut at Tire Technology Expo 2023 in Hannover, Germany is VMI’s all-new VMI UNIXX belt maker, which manufactures high-quality, endless steel belts using an accurately controlled extrusion process. This latest machine can handle an array of different compounds.

VMI’s system is designed for ‘hands-off, eyes-off production’. Due to the limited width of the extruded strip, the amount of scrap and waste from angle and compound changes is reduced. Automation means the UNIXX belt maker is highly adept at delivering consistent, high-quality belts. It can also produce thinner belts to reduce a tire’s overall weight and rolling resistance.

Continue reading Tire Technology Expo Day 2: VMI launches VMI UNIXX belt maker at Tire Technology International.

Continental Tires’ Conti Bladders unit is presenting the company’s most recent development – a new bladder series specifically designed for ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) passenger car tires – at Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany.

The bladders have a boxy design that corresponds with the contours of green tires. They also feature a robust, flexible compound and an advanced pebble design with an optimized continuous gauge transition (C-type). These improvements help improve the shaping process and reduce tire scrap while guaranteeing a longer, more consistent bladder lifetime.

Conti Bladders is also speaking to customers and visitors about its expanded curing bladder portfolio for OTR and agricultural radial tire sizes.

Continue reading Tire Technology Expo Day 1: Conti Bladders presents its latest bladder series for ultra-ultra-high-performance tires at Tire Technology International.

UTH is exhibiting its extensive product range at Tire Technology Expo in Hannover, Germany, including its Roll-Ex fine mesh straining solutions and Roll-Ex gear pump technology.

Both of the technologies enable rubber and tire manufacturers to meet the challenges of rubber processing, including the sector’s demand for the highest-quality products and increased cost-effectiveness. To achieve this, and to deliver sustainable and reliable processes, UTH has developed its latest generation of Roll-Ex machines.

The machines have been designed for use within a multitude of tire manufacturing areas, including in the rework area, the mixing line for the final compound and masterbatch, complete offline straining cells and the extrusion line.

Continue reading Tire Technology Expo Day 1: UTH showcases advanced rubber processing technology at Tire Technology International.

Vipal Rubber’s VR01 Smart Duo buffing machine has been installed at Tyre Retreads in Christchurch, New Zealand – the first machine of this type to be delivered outside of Latin America by the company.

The system can buff up to 35 tires per hour and enables loading, unloading and finishing to be performed simultaneously during the procedure, thus streamlining the whole retreading process.

Representing Vipal, André Desconsi, Tiago Campanharo, Leandro Paim, Marcelo Cenci and Henry Pasqualotto traveled to Oceania to celebrate this important milestone for the Brazilian company. During their time there they were able to meet and exchange knowledge with members of Power Retreads, an importer of Vipal products in the region.

Continue reading Vipal Rubber installs first buffing machine outside of Latin America at Tire Technology International.

Toyo has developed a new device that effectively reduces resonance in tire cavities, which is one of the main sources of interior noise.

Engineers conducted simulations to visualize the air inside the tire when the tire is rolling. It was ascertained that the air itself generated flow in the circumferential direction and in the vertical direction.

One method for reducing tire cavity noise is to mount sound absorbing material internally. However, Toyo engineers turned their focus to the air flow inside the tires.

Noise is reduced when it passes through a pore. There are two attenuation mechanisms, namely, friction generated at the wall faces of the pore that the air passes through, and a vortex that is generated by the sound passing through the pore.

Continue reading Toyo develops technology that reduces tire cavity noise at Tire Technology International.

Lanxess has revealed details of a number of additives for higher-performance rubber and easier production. Its range of Rhenogran products are designed to shorten mixing times, lower processing temperatures and improve the quality of the finished tires.

Rhenogran CLD-80 is a sulphur donor that ensures a stable vulcanization network by forming mainly mono- and disulfidic bridges. Lanxess says this results in excellent heat aging resistance of the vulcanizates and prevents premature reversion.

It does not generate carcinogenic N-nitrosamines during vulcanization, nor do the vulcanizates show any blooming. Rhenogran CLD-80 should therefore be ideally suited to rubber parts that are exposed to extreme conditions such as high-performance tires.

Continue reading New chemicals and additives for tire production from Lanxess at Tire Technology International.

This unique patented stud technology, implemented in the new Hakkapeliitta 9, uses different studs that operate during braking, acceleration and concerning, to provide high levels of longitudinal and lateral grip on snow and ice.

“One of our starting points was to develop a completely new studded tire that combines balanced longitudinal and lateral grip with eco-friendliness. A product that enables drivers to remain safe even if the weather and grip level change suddenly. The new Hakkapeliitta 9 has a special tailored stud for the center of the tread and a separate stud for the shoulder areas,” said Juha Pirhonen, VP of R&D for Nokian Tyres.

Continue reading Nokian develops revolutionary new functional stud concept at Tire Technology International.