BY: JOSE LUIS FERMIN Jose Ivan Cordero

Tires are manufactured according to relativity standardized processes and machinery. Over 1 billion tires are manufactured annually in around 450 tire factories in the world making the tire industry the majority consumer of natural rubber. We will be discussing over the components assembled to make a tire, the various materials used, the manufacturing processes and the machinery used to produce them.

 Inner Liner

Body Ply
Sidewall Beads

Apex
Belt Package Tread

Cushion Gum
Other Components

Materials Natural Rubber, or Polyisoprene is the basic elastomer used in tire making Styrene-butadiene co-polymer (SBR) is a synthetic rubber which is often substituted in part for natural rubber based on the comparative raw materials cost Polybutadiene is used in combination with other rubbers because of its low heat build up properties Halobutyl rubber is used for the tubeless inner liner compounds, because of its low air permeability. The halogen atoms provide a bond with the carcass compounds which are mainly natural rubber. Bromobutyl is superior to Chlorobutyl, but is more expensive Carbon Black, forms a high percentage of the rubber compound. This gives reinforcement and abrasion resistance Silica, used together with carbon black in high performance tires, as a low heat build up reinforcement

Materials Sulphur cross-links the rubber molecules in the vulcanization process Accelerators are complex organic compounds which speed up the vulcanization Activators assist the vulcanisation. The main one is zinc oxide Antioxidants and antiozonants prevent sidewall cracking, due to the action of sunlight and ozone Textile fabric reinforces the carcass of the tire

 Compounding and mixing - Compounding is the

operation of bringing together all the ingredients required to mix a batch of rubber compound. Each component has a different mix of ingredients according to the properties required for that component.

 Component preparation - Components fall into

three classes based on manufacturing process calendering, extrusion, and bead building. Tire building - The extruder machine consists of a screw and barrel, screw drive, heaters, and a die. The extruder applies two conditions to the compound, heat and pressure. The calender is a set of multiple largediameter rolls that squeeze rubber compound into a thin sheet, usually on the order of 2 meters wide. Fabric calenders produce an upper and lower rubber sheet with a layer of fabric in between.

 Curing - Curing is the process of applying pressure to

the green tire in a mold in order to give it its final shape, and applying heat energy to stimulate the chemical reaction between the rubber and other materials. In this process the green tire is automatically transferred onto the lower mold bead seat, a rubber bladder is inserted into the green tire, and the mold closes while the bladder inflates.

 Final finish - After the tire has been cured, there are

several additional operations. Tire Uniformity measurement is a test where the tire is automatically mounted on wheel halves, inflated, run against a simulated road surface, and measured for force variation. Tire balance measurement is a test where the tire is automatically placed on wheel halves, rotated at a high speed and measured for imbalance.

Tyre manufacturing process

Cutting the sloping incision

Collecting the latex

References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halobutyl_rubber#Tire_

Construction http://www.energymanagertraining.com/tyre/tyre_ma nufacturing_process%20.htm