Tyre Trends October_November 2022 issue

Srikanth

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A LONG WAY TOGETHER

WHEREVER YOU ARE, BKT IS WITH YOU

No matter how challenging your needs, BKT is with you offering a wide range of OTR tires specifically designed for the toughest operating conditions: from mining to construction sites.

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by Maya Powath at Five Star Offset Printers, Building no. 1/151, A, B & C, Nettoor, Maradu Muncipality, Ernakulam District, Kerala State, Pin 682040 and published by her at 20 Vaikunth, Mount Mary Road, Bandra (West), Mumbai - 400 050

Editor: Sharad Matade

RACE FOR EV

PRESIDENT Antony Powath

Matade

sharad@pin-365.com

ASSISTANT

EXECUTIVE

Eklahare

M

Shaikh

CORRESPONDENT

Louis P Rumao

CONTRIBUTORS

Rajiv Budhraja, India; Adam Gosling, Australia; Haluk Kizilay, Ertugrul Bahan, Turkey; Bobby Odhiambo, Africa; PP Perera, Sri Lanka

SENIOR

As

tyre companies have resumed their Capex investment plans of around INR 200 billion in the next three to five years, many suppliers follow suit to feed the demand. Epsilon Carbon claimed it will invest INR 5.50 billion to increase capacity by 87 percent to 215,000 tonnes in order to move up to third place in the carbon black market. Even Phillips Carbon Black had previously revealed an INR 100 billion capital expenditure estimate for FY23. To meet the expanding local demand, even top extrusion solution provider Troester launched an office in India.

Demand has also been increasing from export markets. Tyre exports from India went up by 31 percent and stood at INR 62.13 billion in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal. The growth performance in tyre exports in Q1 comes in the wake of robust tyre exports in the last fiscal year, when exports grew by 50 percent to cross INR 210 billion. The Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) said the curb on indiscriminate import of tyres has helped the industry increase the size and scale of production and integrate with global supply. India exports to around 170 countries. Interestingly, the top five export markets for Indian manufactured tyres in Q1 included the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy.

Electric vehicles will experience the greatest growth in India in CASE mobility. Indian tyre companies are responding more aggressively to the demand for electric vehicle tyres. In the past month, three significant tyre manufacturers – Apollo Tyres, JK Tyre and CEAT – introduced EV tyres to gain an advantage in the competition. While JK Tyre introduced smart radial tyres designed specifically for electric vehicles for all categories of buses, trucks, LCVs and passenger cars, Apollo Tyres introduced tyres for two-wheelers and passenger cars. CEAT also introduced tyres for electric buses and passenger cars. TVS Eurogrip focuses on the electric three- and twowheeler segment, which has a dominating position. The competition will further intensify as more and more EVs take to the roads. It will be interesting to see how tyre companies and allied industries realign their business strategies as ICE-driven vehicles will remain on the Indian road for a long time. n

Registered/Marketing Office:

PIN 365: 501/502, Imperial Plaza, Corner of 27th & 30th Road, Near Nilgiri Garden, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050, INDIA, Phone: +91-22-2640-1325, Fax: +91-22-2641-1894. Email: hello@pin-365.com, www.pin-365.com

Overseas Contacts: US: Jennifer Poda, Akron, Ohio jennifer.poda@gmail.com

China: Jerry Shen, China National Chemical Information Center Co. Ltd. (CNCIC) Beijing, P.R. China Tel: +86 10 64436510, M: +86 13601119887 Email: jerry.shen@cncic.cn

Japan: Shinichi Kato, Shinichi Kato Office Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. Tel: +81 3-5645-8670, Email: shinichi.kato@rubberstation.com

South East Asia: Dato’ Mohamed Ishak bin Abdul Hamid M: +60 19 350 3036 , E:mohamed.ishak181@gmail.com

Thailand: Ms Somruetai

Patana-anek (Mott), Managing Director, Busgum Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand, M: +66-1-8429105, Email: mott@busgum.com

Sharad Matade

Sri Lanka: P P Perera, Colombo, Sri Lanka. M: +94 772 972571, E: ppperera1946@gmail.com

Africa: Bobby Ouda Odhiambo; PO Box 30926-00100 NBI;

Phone: +254 795 508380, E-mail: bobby.odhiambo@ kingswaytyres.com

Middle East: Dubai, UAE - Markose Chenthitta, M: +971 55 665 7729, E: markose101@hotmail.com

BULLETIN

YOKOHAMA RUBBER OPENS OHT PLANT IN INDIA

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires (YOHT), a Yokohama Rubber Group company, has started production at its plant in Visakhapatnam, India, which will respond more quickly to expanding global demand for off-highway tyres.

In its initial production stage, the Visakhapatnam plant will have a daily capacity of 69 tonnes (rubber weight). The plant’s daily capacity will be increased to 132 tonnes in the second stage, planned to start in the first quarter of 2024. Further expansion of the plant’s capacity is under consideration, said the company.

INDIA NEEDS TO INCREASE NR CULTIVATION AREA: RUBBER BOARD CHAIRMAN

India needs to increase the area under rubber cultivation on a war footing to meet the domestic demand, reduce the dependence on imports and restrict the outgo of foreign exchange, urged Dr Sawar Dhanania, Chairman, Rubber Board.

NR production in India will not be sufficient to meet the consumer industry’s demands as consumption is expected to reach 1.5 million tonnes by 2025-26. Imports presently meet the production-consumption gap, which involves a considerable amount of foreign exchange outgo, said Dr Dhanania during his presidential address at the 181st meeting of the Rubber Board held at Kottayam.

As per Dr K N Raghavan, Executive Director, Indian Rubber Board and Chairman, International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), NR production in the country improved to 775,000 tonnes during 2021-22 compared to 715,000 tonnes during 2020-21, recording a growth of 8.4 percent compared to an increase of 0.4 percent registered during the previous year. An increase

To meet the demand for its products, Yokohama Rubber began the construction of the Visakhapatnam plant in the third quarter of 2020 to supplement a 1.6x expansion of production capacity at the Dahej plant.

The company already has two plants (at Dahej, Gujarat and Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu), which produce three brands – ALLIANCE, GALAXY and PRIMEX – used for agricultural, construction, industrial and forestry machinery. n

in yield, tappable area and area tapped during the year contributed to the rise in NR production.

The area under rubber during 2021-22 was 826,660 ha. Though the tappable area under rubber was 718,800 ha during 2021-22, only 526,500 ha (73.2 percent) contributed to NR production during the year. The average yield, measured in terms of output per hectare of the tapped area, increased to 1,472 kg/ha in 2021-22 from 1,442 kg/ha in the previous year.

India consumed 1,238,000 MT of NR in 2021-22, an increase of 12.9 percent from 1,096,410 MT consumed in 2020-21. The auto tyre sector registered 15.9 percent growth during 2021-22 against 3.2 percent recorded during 2020-21. At the same time, the general rubber goods sector registered 5.6 percent growth during 2021-22 compared to a high negative growth of 16.4 percent recorded during 2020-21. Auto-tyre manufacturing sector accounted for 73.1 percent of the total NR consumed in the country during 2021-22. The projection of NR production and consumption for 2022-23 is 850,000 tonnes and 1,290,000 tonnes, respectively.

Import of NR increased to 546,369 tonnes during 2021-22 from 410,478 tonnes in 2020-21.

Around 60 percent of the import was through duty paid channel and 87.5 percent of import was in the form of block rubber. The primary reason for importing vast quantities of this commodity is the gap between the quantity of NR produced within the country and that required by the consuming industry. n

KORDSA TO INVEST USD 20 MLN IN NORTH AMERICA

Leading tyre reinforcement producer Kordsa will invest USD 20 million to expand the tyre cord dipping line at its North American facilities to meet the increase in demand from tyre manufacturers.

The expanded dipping lines are expected to become operational in 2024 and will increase annual cord fabric production capacity by 19 kilotonnes.

Commenting on the company’s new investment in North America, İbrahim Özgür Yıldırım, Kordsa CEO, said, “We are commissioning a second dipping line to increase our cord fabric production in line with growing customer demands in North America. In accordance with our sustainable growth targets, we continue to invest in Türkiye and abroad with great consistency. We will continue to ‘reinforce life’ to consolidate our global leadership.” n

CEAT LAUNCHES E-2W TYRE

CEAT has introduced an electric two-wheeler tyre, EnergyRide EV, in India.

Before this new tyre, the company had launched a tyre for four-wheeled EVs.

The new electric two-wheeler tyre has been designed to maximise the EV scooters’ performance. The EnergyRide EV’s unique circuit design provides better grip in high torque and instant acceleration through superior water channelling. It also distributes the force exerted on the tyres evenly around the tyre, thus reducing the wear and tear of the tyres and eventually helping them to last longer.

EnergyRide EV tyres are incorporated with a unique rolling resistance compound that reduces energy loss during motion. The lower rolling resistance provided by the EneryRide EV tyres aids an electric scooter in saving energy and provides the desired extended range to the scooter.

Sharing more light on the launch, Arnab Banerjee, COO, CEAT, said, “At CEAT, we go out of our way to understand the consumer, and EnergyRide EV tyres address two main concerns of electric scooter owners, i.e. safety and range anxiety. We have designed the EnergyRide EV to manage the electric scooters’ instant acceleration while ensuring that tyre life is not compromised. Our low rolling resistance compound also addresses range anxiety concerns that many EV users face today.” n

APOLLO TYRES LAUNCHES EV TYRES FOR PV & 2-W SEGMENTS

Apollo Tyres introduced tyres for electric two-wheelers and passenger vehicles for the Indian market.

According to the company, the Apollo Amperion comes with best-in-class rolling resistance, low noise, electric tread pattern design and aerodynamic sidewall and will cater to the EVs in hatchback, compact SUV and sedan segments in India. It has also become the first Indian tyre to have received a fuel savings label with a five-star rating for the PV category by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

As for Apollo WAV, with its specialised design, low rolling resistance, low weight and high traction to resist the initial torque, it will cater to the majority of high-powered electric scooters available in the country, such as TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Ather 450. The company plans to develop EV tyres for motorcycles in the next phase, considering the extremely low numbers in this category currently. n

DR K RAJKUMAR REAPPOINTED AS DIRECTOR OF IRMRA

Dr Kasilingam Rajkumar has been reappointed as Director of Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association (IRMRA) for three years.

Dr K Rajkumar was appointed as the regular director of IRMRA w.e.f. 29th March 2016 for a period of five years. On successful completion of his five years tenure, Dr K Rajkumar’s period was extended twice for six months each till 28th march 2022. Since then, the post of Director (IRMRA) was vacant.

The interview process for the post was completed in January 2022 and ACC approval for the appointment of Director IRMRA was awaited. Now, after a gap of five months, with the approval of ACC, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Government of India has reappointed Dr K Rajkumar as Director of IRMRA for a period of three years vide their order No. Order Ref. No. P-39014/6/2020LR dated 01.09.2022.

During his tenure as Director of IRMRA, he accomplished several achievements. He was instrumental in collaborating with industry partners, commercialising the tyre sealant technology and extending the training programme to overseas customers. In his previous term, IRMRA started its southern laboratory branch in Sricity, Andhra Pradesh, and the eastern laboratory branch in SARPOL, Dulagarh, West Bengal. During his tenure as the organisation’s director, IRMRA started an academic course, M.Sc (Industrial Polymer chemistry), in collaboration with Mumbai University in July 2018 and a One-year Certificate Course in Rubber Technology in July 2019. IRMRA has been notified under Rule 124 of CMVR for Tyre Approval Certificate of tyres and other rubber components by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India w.e.f. 15th March 2017.

Dr K Rajkumar was awarded a long service award by ISO TC 45 for his contribution towards international standardisation activities and UPL Smt Sandra R Shroff CHEMCON Distinguished Speaker Award 2019 by Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers in his previous term. He was also given the Fellow of The Textile Association (FTA) award by The Textile Association (India) for his contribution to textile technology in the rubber industry.

His vision for the next three years is to work closely with various industry associations and stakeholders to promote rubber industries in India to tap untapped potentials. He will also identify the technological gap and fill it up with the support of the government to develop industrial competitiveness and to explore opportunities like Make in India, start-ups etc.

He also aims to strengthen IRMRA’s core competency to cater to the needs of the services to government and non-government sectors through transforming the operations to digital platforms.

Dr K Rajkumar will also carry out necessary R&D to support the government’s low carbon strategy initiative and facilitate implementation in the rubber and related industries. n

MAGNA TYRES APPOINTS NEW COUNTRY MANAGER FOR ITS INDIA OFFICE

Akash Gupta has been appointed as Country Manager of Magna Tyres India.

Specialised in the mining and OTR segment with 10 years of experience in the tyre industry, Gupta has been previously associated with various leading tyre brands in India and Africa. He will be operating from the Kolkata office of Magna Tyres.

Michael de Ruijter, President and CEO of Magna Tyres, said, “Magna Tyres has no doubt that Akash is the best person to lead our business forward in the country, and the future looks bright as India represents a highly attractive OTR market with an estimated USD 2.7 billion turnover in 2023 and a recorded 5.5 percent growth in the construction and mining sectors.” n

Dr K Rajkumar

Akash Gupta

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Dipankar Ghosh

DIPANKAR GHOSH BECOMES APOLLO TYRES GROUP HEAD, HR

Dipankar Ghosh has joined Apollo Tyres as Group Head, Human Resources (HR) for the Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA) region.

Ghosh has 25 years of diverse experience in leading FMCG, automobile and service industries in HR business partnering, strategic human resource initiatives, talent assurance, policy-making and employee relations. At Apollo Tyres, he will be responsible for the people pillar, overseeing people practices for the APMEA region, driving key strategies in strengthening the talent pipeline, ensuring the high-performance culture and building a highly engaged ecosystem.

Ghosh joined Apollo Tyres from Bajaj Consumer Care Ltd, where he was the CHRO, leading the HR, ER and administration functions of the FMCG company. Before that, he was with Diageo as Head, HRBP for manufacturing operations in India spread across multiple states. He also held the role of Head, HR for Diageo’s Commercial (Sales and Distribution) Organisation for India and emerging markets. He has spent a large part of his career with Tata Motors, managing multiple roles – leading sales HR for the passenger car business unit, setting up HR processes in the greenfield facility at South Africa and subsequently was Head, HR of the integrated Supply Chain and Quality function across seven manufacturing plants.

Ghosh will be based out of Apollo Tyres’ corporate headquarters in Gurugram, India, and report to Satish Sharma, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMEA). “I am excited to be part of the mobility solutions industry again and impressed by the possibilities the future holds for Apollo Tyres. I look forward to driving the talent agenda, steer innovations in HR practices and processes and take forward the ‘One Family’ culture at Apollo Tyres,” Ghosh said about his appointment. n

NOKIAN TYRES RESTRUCTURES MANAGEMENT

Nokian Tyres is reorganising the group’s organisation and management structure to improve operational efficiency and collaboration and focus on building the new Nokian Tyres as the company is investing in new European capacity and exiting Russia, effective 1 September 2022.

The company is combining its passenger car tyres commercial operations under one leadership because of the increasing strategic and operational synergies across the geographical areas. Anna Hyvönen, EVP North America, Nordics and Vianor and member of Nokian Tyres Management Team, has been appointed EVP Passenger Car Tyres and Vianor. n

NOKIAN TYRES MANAGEMENT TEAM

The members of Nokian Tyres Management Team as of 1 September 2022 are:

Jukka Moisio, President & CEO

Päivi Antola, Senior Vice President, Communications, Investor Relations and Brand

Anna Hyvönen, Executive Vice President, Passenger Car Tyres and Vianor

Adrian Kaczmarczyk, Senior Vice President, Supply Operations

Teemu Kangas-Kärki, CFO

Jukka Kasi, Senior Vice President, Products & Innovations

Päivi Leskinen, Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Manu Salmi, Executive Vice President, Heavy Tyres and Nokia Factory

Bahri Kurter, who has been EVP Central Europe and member of Nokian Tyres Management Team, is leaving the company to pursue his career outside of Nokian Tyres. “I want to thank Bahri Kurter for his contribution to success of the company over the past three years. We wish him all the best for the future,” said Jukka Moisio, President and CEO of Nokian Tyres plc. n

By Sharad Matade & Juili Eklahare

The Global Data Service Organisation (GDSO) for tyres and automotive components is only a few months old in the tyre industry but is doing an exceptional job at elevating it. The international non-profit organisation standardises data related to tyres and defines solutions to access and exchange data. Moreover, it establishes worldwide agreement on a web service to facilitate data access by stakeholders. Tyre Trends caught up with Riccardo Giovannotti, GDSO Secretary General, who explained how GDSO functions, the significance of sharing knowledge within the tyre industry and about getting more tyre manufacturers on board with the organisation.

Can you tell us a bit about GDSO?

GDSO was established in January 2022, which makes us pretty young. It was founded by five founding members that are tyre manufacturers – Bridgestone, Continental, Goodyear, Michelin and Pirelli. GDSO wants to be technology-agnostic; therefore, we aren’t paying attention to just one specific technology. We want to stick to standardised technology in line with the first word of our pay-off: ‘Standardise. Share. Simplify.’

When we talk about data, that could be static data like the tyre brand, tyre dimension, date of production etc. or also some possible performance data like the rolling resistance value, the uniformity data etc.

Today, the bigger challenge for the tyre industry is to retrieve tyre data. Visual inspection, data inspection etc. are causing a lot of waste of time and missed opportunities, leading to a lack of profitability – not just for the tyre manufacturers but all the stakeholders involved in the tyre value chain.

When you say data, what kind of data do you mean?

I mean the data around the tyre.

THE TYRE INDUSTRY: WORKING AS ONE Q Q Q

The tyre industry is one that is not very keen on sharing data, especially when it comes to raw materials. So what is the purpose of coming together to retrieve data?

We know that everyone in the industry is competing fiercely with one another. However, in the past five to six years, the tyre industry has realised that the competition will change. We are entering a digital era of opportunities and our vehicles are becoming more connected. Hence, we really need to step up together and elevate the tyre sector to the digital age. After that, tyre manufacturers will definitely compete with one another. But before we get there, we have to join forces so that the scale-up of the entire industry may be quicker. Thus, it is a win-win situation.

Plus, we need to share our knowledge with one another. Sharing knowledge is not an issue if we want to solve the industry’s problems together. In fact, sharing knowledge presents opportunities. So it’s all about the mindset – to

work together towards opportunities. And I am sure that tyre manufacturers will start competing once the data is available in an electronic format on the services to be provided, which would be very interesting. Therefore, we would like to unlock this potential through the sharing of knowledge and information, which should be further based on simplification.

Q

Speaking of knowledge sharing, are you open to having more GDSO members to get their insights?

While we already have a solution for retrieving data, we are open to engaging new members. Five members are not enough, and we need to bring the tyre industry to another level. In order to achieve this, we need new members to join us who can share their input from a technical standpoint. Hence, our organisation is already shaped with a clear governance that wants to be transparent. We want to have a shared platform from a collaboration standpoint. For this, we need the cooperation of different technical aspects made by different tyre manufacturers. The point is to come together for one common goal.

No, we don’t. GDSO acts as the highway controller – we show and provide the ticket to the correct entrance and the correct exit. However, the data and data ownership remain with the tyre manufacturer. We just provide an interface and a platform where the data provided by the tyre companies can be seen. This highway should just be an additional asset to be used and not burden the different stakeholders.

Can you tell us more about your solution?

The solution that we have invented is something that is not disruptive. It is based on the common commitment towards standardisation: the Tyre Information Service (TIS). Before launching the solution, we were looking for some benchmarks. While we had a clear understanding of ‘what’ the problem was, we wanted the ‘why’ to exist. Thus, before addressing the ‘how’, we decided to go for a benchmarking. It was possible that some other industry (not necessarily the vehicle or tyre industry, but beyond that) may have tackled the same challenge. And the answer was that no one had done it. This was because of the old mindset that competitors cannot share. So we engaged with stakeholders and went through ISO, GS1 etc. and brought about the solution. Our target is to work with entities and not with a single owner of the vehicle or tyre. The intention is to create an ecosystem.

The fact is that the tyre industry was still perceived as an old industry. Something like a beauty product – just a black product placed on the road. However, at the same time, we decided to consider this product as an asset, because from an engineering standpoint, it is the first sensor for the vehicle. Therefore, we can start understanding the friction condition, the road condition, the vehicle behaviour and so on. Earlier, every tyre manufacturer would start building services and solutions starting from this. Hence, we have an engineering angle but also new digital services. In truth, the tyre industry is also working on prognostic services. Ultimately, the concept behind unlocking the potential is to enable services and solutions that may make mobility safer and more sustainable.

Do you have data analysts on your team?

How are you making sure that the data is secure?

Cybersecurity does not really apply to GDSO. However, we want our members to have high standards of cybersecurity. We want the members and tyre manufacturers to sit together and set the standard that they must adopt for cybersecurity to apply to the TIS.

Being a non-profit organisation, what is the source of income for GDSO?

Our only source of income is the membership fees. Also, in any case, every start-up will be sustainable from an economic standpoint as well. And this is what we keep in mind as members, that is, to be sustainable as an organisation. Thus, we are already working on creating new services that we may sell (but not to make profits). The organisation itself is robust enough to be long-lasting.

Q Q Q

Is it easy to get more tyre manufacturers on board with GDSO, especially Asian manufacturers who are establishing their base in Europe?

We are already in the spotlight made by the big tyre manufacturers. Besides, different tyre associations were involved in this journey from the very beginning. I am in talks with Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association (JATMA) about the latest updates in the tyre industry and how they can now apply in order to be members of GDSO as well. Similarly, I am doing the same with other European and American tyre manufacturers. Besides, I also have plans on getting in touch with the Chinese tyre manufacturers. Hence, the momentum is quite good.

Nevertheless, I think the biggest challenge is going to be telling some of the tyre mould companies – which do not have a very global perspective and not a very long business plan – that digitalisation is not an option; it is a must and just a matter of time. I understand that these mould companies tend to concentrate more on daily, manufacturing-oriented activities. They may not have a clear signal of digitalisation as their customers are not demanding it yet. But they can start by having a clear understanding of what will be the long-term view – even if not by implementing digitalisation immediately – and can plan a strategy for the years going forward. n

VIEW POINT

By Adam Gosling

UNFORESEEN CHALLENGES IN NEW MOBILITY TYRES

Adam Gosling

Ifind the headlong race towards EVs and AVs to be fraught with hazard. The new mobility is presenting an old set of problems. Speaking with a doctorate researcher recently, I posed the question, “What has the ultimate control of an AV, and what does an EV demand that an ICE doesn’t?” The researcher was stumped; there was no connection drawn between EVs and AVs, and answers from others along the lines of cameras, computers, processing power were presented as the ultimate control of the vehicle.

For a race car driver, there is a limiting factor in attaining the lowest lap time. For a giant haul truck, there is a limiting factor for the load and speed the vehicle is capable of. For everyday drivers, these same factors are forgotten, or as I like to state, they are ASSuMed to be ‘ok’.

When a race driver turns into a corner, the response of the vehicle to the steering input is determined by the tyres. When you are braking in your daily drive at an intersection, your rate of deceleration is determined by the tyres. The mass carried by that heavy haul truck is supported by the tyres.

The absolute limiting factor of an EV and that of an AV is the tyres

The computer can try to impose a greater steering angle than the tyres are capable of, and when traction is lost … we already know that outcome. The computer can jam the brakes as hard and rapidly as it can, but the probability of a loss of traction leading to a lockup, in turn leading to a loss of control, is more than probable without knowledge of the capacity of the tyre to respond. I agree ABS will limit lockup, but if the level of traction is limited, then the braking distance will be extended beyond what could be called reasonably practicable.

This new mobility of AVs and EVs brings the same old set of problems; the primary being that designers, road managers, vehicle builders and the end user really don’t understand the foundation of the modern motor vehicle, the humble tyre.

If I were to wear an athlete’s spiked sports shoes on a hard pavement or polished floor, the loss of traction would be immediate. As a human,

I can compensate for this, but can a computer manage it? Most people do not consider their tyres, let alone appreciate this humble servant’s service to our vehicles. If I were to wear work boots to an athletic event, I would be greatly disadvantaged. The limiting factor is the connection between the human and the ground.

Why is an AV any different when we consider tyres?

I asked an AV manufacturer (of small buses) how they dealt with tyre pressures. I was stunned by the response: “We don’t monitor them.” So, as that bus is navigating the set route loaded with passengers, there is a good probability that it will start to dog track, i.e. turn sideways whilst travelling in a straight line. When a tyre on one side of the vehicle is operating at a lower pressure than the others, it has a reduced rolling circumference. This was the basis for all indirect tyre pressure monitoring systems; a delta in the speed of revolution between wheels indicated a difference in tyres, and probably pressures. A steering guidance system will note that the vehicle is pulling in the direction of

the tyre with suboptimal inflation, it will adjust, and lo and behold, we have a misalignment issue. Tyres are scrubbing as they are dragged or pushed instead of rolling. Fuel burn rates rise. The vehicle is approaching a loss of control. A human would feel this movement and react accordingly, we hope.

The new mobility is hobbled by the forgotten element of modern motor vehicles, the pneumatic tyre

I well understand that with electronics we can monitor and so manage the performance demands of an EV and the guidance requirements of an AV, but if we ASSuMe the tyres are ‘ok’, then the vehicle is doomed to failure.

In determining the performance of these new generation vehicles, new demands are being placed upon our industries’ products. Tyres are required to provide load capacity, greater acceleration, i.e. tractive capacity, and so we have higher steering demands from increased weight that demand more from our tyres.

I digress a little to revisit a concept I wrote about some years ago. We are all aware that this new generation

of EVs and AVs are so quiet that pedestrians have trouble hearing the approaching vehicle; the loudest part of the vehicle is now the tyres. The electric motors don’t have an exhaust note; there are no rotating cooling fans; there is no intake roar of an engine working hard; just the whistle of the body through the air. There has been talk of mandating a noise generator to be used at low speeds in an urban situation to alert pedestrians about the presence of a vehicle. Why is it not possible to have a tyre that makes noise at low speeds that reduces as the speed increases? Who would have thought 20 years ago that we’d be carrying a computer complete with hi-resolution cameras capable of streaming vision around the globe instantly and lots of data in our back pockets?

Tyre manufacturers are working hard on the issues around AVs and EVs, but unless we, as the industry, start to educate the end users on the criticality of understanding their tyres and maintaining them, the performance of the new mobility will be greatly compromised.

Just yesterday, I spoke with a driver who had no idea what the TPMS symbol, which was glowing on the

dashboard, actually meant. I didn’t have any phone range, so I could not speak with anyone to determine whether I should continue driving. This is an example of where knowledge about tyres is currently standing.

What are we, as the tyre industry, going to do to educate our end users? People know more about their cell phones or social media than they do about the very thing that supports their mobile safety – the humble tyre.

Without tyres, our world would be very different

I challenge the tyre industry to come together as a whole and develop an educational package for the average driver to be able to understand how their tyres operate, what the tyres require, and finally, what tyres contribute to our societies. Will our collective industry stand up and meet this challenge?

It doesn’t matter whether it’s an EV, ICE or AV. Take care, stay safe and look after your tyres so that when you need them, they will be able to provide the level of safety you reasonably expect from them. Check the pressures frequently if your vehicle does not have TPMS fitted. n

Goodyear invests in autonomous trucking company Gatik and collaborates to enhance safety and efficiency for autonomous middle-mile logistics

By Louis Rumao Louis Rumao

US EV TAX CREDITS TOO COMPLICATED TO HELP?

Good news: United States issues new expanded tax credits for purchase of electric vehicles (EVs). Bad news: It is estimated that a majority of EVs would not qualify for this benefit!

The new mobility comprises electrification, autonomous, connected and shared vehicles. Electrification is being pushed by most governments as a significant means of meeting global goals on climate change.

In the US, about 630,000 battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles were sold in 2021 – a number that must grow if the US is to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets. Those goals call for half of all new light-duty vehicles sold in 2030 – accounting for millions of vehicles – to be zero-emission vehicles. Surveys find that more than half of US adults agree that there are long-term environmental benefits of EVs, but few are personally willing to pay more for this benefit, and thus the need for incentives from governments that would lower ownership costs. Towards that goal, the Biden administration just implemented a broad new legislative package – the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 – that approves revised tax credits of up to USD 7,500 on certain new EVs.

The devil is in the detail!

But leave it to politicians to take a simple, straight-forward benefit and issue a hodge-podge of rules. This is because bureaucratic rule-making tries to please various special interest groups and to advance some political ideology. This has resulted in a lot of fine print for this act, causing confusion about which new and used vehicles might qualify for immediate savings. The auto industry is warning that the vast majority of EV purchases won’t qualify for the maximum tax credit. “The USD 7,500 credit might exist on paper, but no vehicle will qualify for this purchase over the next few years,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance of Automotive Innovation, a key auto industry trade group. “That’s a missed opportunity at a crucial time and a change that will surprise and disappoint customers in the market for a new vehicle,” he added. It is because the act has many requirements that

get progressively more stringent over time – to the point where, in a few years, it’s possible that no EV would qualify for any tax credit!

The newly approved tax credits go into effect for EVs put into service after 31 December 2022 and will be available through 2032. The bill budgets USD 85 million in new EV tax credits for the 2023 fiscal year, enough only for about 11,000 new vehicles sold to get the full USD 7,500 credit. That number will jump to about 60,100 EVs in 2024, far too little to make a dent in achieving the climate improvement goal.

Income limitation

The progressive faction in the legislature made sure that the tax credit would not be available to ‘rich’ citizens with annual income above USD 300,000 for a couple or to single taxpayers with income above USD 150,000.

Type-of-vehicle limitation

Any truck or SUV with a sticker price above USD 80,000 or car above USD 55,000 wouldn’t be eligible for the tax credit.

Limits on used EV tax credit

The rules offer a new tax credit of up to USD 4,000 on used EVs put into service after 31 December

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2023, but only if purchased from a dealership and costing less than USD 25,000. There are some additional restrictions, such as a vehicle must be at least two model years old when sold, and only one life-time tax credit for that vehicle. A buyer can claim this credit only once every three years and must be from a low-income household.

EV manufacturing location restriction

In a nod to American auto unions and workers, the rule requires that only EVs manufactured in North America be eligible, thereby excluding from the tax credit any vehicle made overseas. If the real goal is to protect the environment, why should it matter where the EVs come from?

Battery composition exceptions

First, to qualify for the credit, an electric vehicle must contain a battery built in North America with minerals mined or recycled within the North American continent. To qualify for the full credit, 40 percent of the metals used in a vehicle’s battery must come from North America. By 2027, that required threshold would reach 80 percent. If the metals requirement isn’t met, EV buyers would be eligible for half the tax credit of USD 3,750, when all other criteria are met.

If any minerals or components are sourced from ‘foreign entities of concern’, including China or Russia, the vehicle will not qualify for any tax credit. One component of the bill would require that after 2024, no vehicle would be eligible for the tax credit if its battery components came from China.

It is noteworthy that most vehicle batteries now have some parts sourced from China. The industry says the North American battery supply chain is too small right now to meet the battery component requirements.

Additionally, a separate rule would require that half the battery’s value must be manufactured or assembled in North America. If not, the rest of the tax credit would be

lost. Those requirements also grow stricter each year, eventually reaching 100 percent in 2029.

Right time to buy an EV?

Demand for EVs is at a high and outpacing supply, making them ‘really hard to find and really hard to get’, says a car-buying consultant. Even if you’re able to find one on a lot, dealers are reportedly marking up EVs by thousands of dollars. Currently, the average transaction price for a new EV is about USD 66,645 – more than USD 18,000 higher than the average across all new vehicles. According to Brett Smith, Technology Director at the Center for Automotive Research, “Over the longer term, automakers will adjust, bring their EV and battery manufacturing supply chains to North America and ensure that American tax dollars are going to support American jobs. Some vehicles that currently qualify will become ineligible. The tax credits will run out eventually – and likely pretty quickly for most popular vehicles, anyway.”

Still, it appears that it is better to wait till 2024 for an EV purchase. Stay tuned! n

By PP Perera

Some Deeper Insights Into New Mobility

carbon sequestering and providing bio-mass energy, which are some of the drivers for the new mobility by way of reducing GHGs. The mobility restrictions on natural rubber from the Asian countries due to Japanese invasions during the Second World War can be considered a blessing in disguise for boosting the synthetic rubber production in the United States and the West, again proving that necessity is the mother of invention, which is applicable to the case of ‘New Mobility’ as well.

PP Perera

Ipresume most of the professionals in the rubber industry, particularly those engaged in the tyre and automotive industry, will agree with my view that we are in an enviable position to talk about ‘New Mobility’. In a world that is heavily dependent on transportation and mobility, about 70 percent of the world’s natural and synthetic rubber is consumed by tyres and tyre-related products such as tubes, flaps, retreading and repair materials, in addition to automotive components. Hence, rubber plays a key role in mobility. The per capita consumption of rubber has become a vital statistic for the status of the economy in any country. We also cannot underestimate the significance of natural rubber plantations as a contributor to the green supply chain by providing a renewable raw material and playing a vital role in

‘New Mobility’ seems to have become a catch phrase during the recent years, although the word ‘new’ really caught the world in early 2020 with the emergence of the ‘new normal’ during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the term ‘new’ seems to have an invigorating effect on humans, be it at a personal/ family, company, society, national or global level. New Year, new dawn, new moon, new technology, new products, new job or even a new bride are a few that comes to my mind. An urge for motivation, and a need for action, self-propelled or influenced by others, is associated with the word. It is always linked to change or impermanency, which is a universal characteristic of animate and inanimate matter. Change always has a dualistic connotation. It can be for creating something new or for deterioration. We only have to consider the case of two mango seeds planted separately, one in ambient conditions conducive to the growth of a new sapling and one in dry soil without providing the enabling conditions. The important point stressed here is that external and internal conditions will always be a driver for transformation into the ‘new’.

When going through the vast array of information available, which itself is a manifestation of mobility in ICT, some key mobility trends that have been happening around the world over the past few decades, such as autonomous driving, faculty sharing, connectivity, as well as electrification of vehicles and automation of production and individual services, are about to change our ways of moving, sharing and using the traffic infrastructure. The spectrum of businesses in new mobility is growing rapidly, and the pace of change indicates that it

is more important now for the sector players to stay ahead of the game. The future of mobility is geared by three technologydriven disruptive trends, namely electrification of vehicles, connected and autonomous vehicles and providing mobility as service. One does not have to look far away to understand this latter trend; we just need to consider the proliferation of mobile deliveries of food, groceries, medicines and FMCG during the personal mobility restrictions imposed from early 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mobility is the ability to freely move or be moved. In today’s context, mobility is closely connected to transportation, which describes the act of moving something or someone, and describes the ability that has to be acquired and developed through suitable means. New mobility concepts are shaping the debate about the future of mobility but not the people’s everyday reality.

Urban mobility seems to be on the verge of a transition towards a new mobility concept. Car sharing concepts have become increasingly important, especially in urban areas in some countries, partly as a result of the pandemic. Yet the concepts are not fully implemented. Private transportation is firmly anchored in most people’s everyday lives and is likely to remain so for a long period to come, especially in the rural areas. However, the building blocks of the new concepts are seen to be falling into place in many countries.

Increased realisation of the deleterious effects of the depletion of natural resources, mainly of petroleum origin, and the GHG emissions, which have caused serious issues that threaten the very existence of mankind, has been another vital factor that may have induced the developed nations to look for new mobility options.

I do not intend to go into a detailed survey of the status of the new mobility and would prefer it to be deliberated upon by the experts in this field. However, I would like to offer some new insights on the subject based on my experiences, which can broaden the awareness of modern managers. As we were taught in our biology lessons in our senior classes in college about 6o+ years ago, the ability to move is a unique advantage for existence, survival and procreation. Fulfilling the basic needs and the ‘fight or flight’ response is heavily dependent of mobility. Even flowering plants, though immobile, use the mobility of bees, birds and insects for pollination and various mobile agents such as animals, man, wind and water for propagating their species. The Newtonian laws of motion have wider implications on human behaviour, apart from the mechanical aspects. The importance of external conditions, especially of forces to enable movement and to overcome the natural inertia (comfort zones and complacence), and the cause-effect relationships as implied by action and reaction, has wider connotations in human life. The desire to perform activities faster, easier, safer and more productively has been at the heart of human civilisation, which has continued up to the modern times. The invasions, wars and dominations seen throughout the history were made possible by mobility. Elephants, horses, chariots and warriors have been used in the great wars as described vividly in the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana. The colonisation of the Americas and the Far East by the British and the other European nations was made possible through sea voyages.

The Industrial Revolution, which is an evolutionary phenomenon that commenced during the latter part

of the 18th Century, opened up entirely new mobility initiatives with a new power source, namely steam, which paved the way for drastic changes in the mobility scenario by moving away from the traditional cottage industry to mass production and factories, resulting in mass migration, urbanisation and rapid commercialisation. Modern historians identify three stages in the evolutionary progress of the industrial revolution that transformed our modern society – the steam engine, the age of science and mass production and the rise in digital technology.

The first modern internal combustion engine, known as the Otto engine, created by Nicolaus Otto in 1876, the pneumatic tyre by J B Dunlop in 1888, tubeless tyres by B F Goodrich in 1946 and the Radial tyre by Michelin in 1948 are some of the significant mobility developments in the recent past. We have witnessed during our times the meteoric impacts of these developments in the global scenario. Synergised by these and other related breakthroughs in ICT, as far as mobility is concerned, mankind seems engaged in a never-ending race (or perhaps a rat race, as some would like to identify it). I presume some can remember the TV series Knight Rider from 1982-1986, and how some of us were fascinated by the incidents even at our middle age.

The fantasy seems to have become a reality, judging by the ongoing developments in the mobility field. The transformation of mobility, which in broad terms encompasses new business models, political support, new urban concepts and much more, has made our lives more complex and our social relationships more intricate. It would be crucial to embrace the complexity and integrate it into daily work, regardless of our roles in the industry and society. The rate of change of complexity itself has undergone a transformation of mobility over the past 60 or 70 years unprecedented in the entire history of developments.

In the rural setting of Sri Lanka, there was this practice of sharing manpower, basic equipment and time during all the stages of paddy cultivation and harvesting. One could see the sharing of resources and minimising the duplication as a move towards the concept of new mobility in metaphorical sense. In our school days, we could enjoy the luxury of a hot homemade lunch, although our schools in Colombo were about 20 km away from our homes. There was a very efficient mobility system. The lunches, packed in porcelain plates and wrapped in cotton cloth (no plastic or polythene), were delivered by bicycle-riding lunch carriers. They had intermediate stopover locations where they rearranged the lunches according to the respective destinations, and we were assured of our lunch plate by 12 noon. We used to take the empty plates home. It makes me wonder whether the DHL, which started in 1969, borrowed a leaf from the lunch carrier model.

These two scenarios from the past can be seen as the manifestation of social mobility. The other most important aspect of mobility is personal mobility, especially the mind mobility. In our primary education days, we were required to understand and memorise the multiplication and conversion tables. The back covers of the exercise books always had these tables printed as a ready reckoner. The students had the ability to do simple calculations mentally. This ability began to erode after the invasion of electronic calculators, and currently, the electronic calculator has become part and parcel of the toolkit of roadside vendors too. Overdependence on the electronic paraphernalia has become a glaring feature in modern corporate life. One of the senior executives I know could not remember his daily schedule without referring to the planner on his smartphone, and we see many business executives

incessantly using their mobile phones while driving as if the subject under discussion is a matter of life and death. On the contrary, I have seen some young executives using their laptops while waiting in the recent fuel queues, thus making use of the available time effectively.

It is interesting to note that unnecessary transport and excessive human motion have been identified as two of the seven deadly wastes under MUDA of the Japanese lean management approach. The philosophy here is to eliminate the non-value-adding activities as the first line of action, followed by combining, rearranging or simplifying the activities (ECRS). Similarly, identifying and removing what is not needed is the first step, SEIRI, in the Japanese 5S methodology, followed by SEITON, or finding a definite place or location. It has been amply demonstrated that these two steps for the identified items can reduce workplace mobility requirements by about 20 to 30 percent without requiring new investments in improving material handling and transportation mobility. Our mental mobility can also be enhanced by these two steps if we apply them to our minds, which will reduce the mental clutter and create more freedom and room for constructive and value-adding activities.

The Buddhist doctrine has identified four great efforts that we can use to make our worldly or spiritual endeavours successful:

1. Removal of unwholesome thoughts, words and activities –corrective action

2. Not allowing fresh unwholesome thoughts, words and activities to arise – preventive action

3. Maintaining and exhibiting wholesome thoughts, words and activities – system maintenance

4. Developing new wholesome thoughts, words and activities –continual improvement

It could be gathered that these four approaches describe the entire modern management in a nutshell.

Two more recent concepts that go closely with organisational and

managerial mobility are agility and the learning organisation. Agility is defined in the Theory of Agility put forward by Aron De Smet and the McKinsey team as the ability of an organisation to renew itself, adapt, change quickly and succeed in a rapidly changing, ambiguous and turbulent environment. Agility is not incompatible with stability, and in most companies, agility requires stability. The four forms of organisational agility are the structural, physical and operational flexibility, speed and efficiency, which will also support creativity and innovation.

Peter Senge, author of the Fifth Discipline, popularised the term ‘learning organisation’ in the early 90s. He defined learning organisations as those that encourage their employees to think outside the box and work in conjunction with other employees to find the best answer to any problem. While agility is an important skill or more of an attribute for facing workplace change, learning with experience helps us to respond to change better, be more resilient and see the positives out of every change. It is when we fail that we can often learn the most, and being agile helps us see those opportunities as learning moments.

Another important aspect of mobility in an organisation is people mobility, or internal mobility, and career agility. Internal mobility supports career agility by moving employees into new roles, projects, tasks and even new coaching opportunities so that they can become more agile as people and team members. New mobility options, irrespective of whether they are dealing with social, organisational or people aspects, will become increasingly important in the future. Accomplishing tasks faster, easier, safer and more cost effectively with more emphasis on efficiency will continue to be a well-trodden approach with a growing emphasis on efficiency. When going through the changes in the social and business scenario over the past five decades, we can identify three broad eras: the learning era, the information era and the knowledge era. According to a growing amount of social and industrial research, the 21st century could well be identified as the wisdom era. The most valuable asset of a 20th century organisation is the knowledge of a worker and his productivity. The need for converting this mindset into a different human paradigm with levels of compliance and maximum job contribution is being advocated with the incorporation of traditional wisdom, especially in the area of time management and introspection. The importance of a corporate nature based on trust, honesty and fairness with a focus on contribution and universal spiritual nature is becoming increasingly evident. The problem is that most of our management systems are still tied to the industrial era.

In this path on the fast track of mobility, characterised by instability, uncertainty, delusion and thoughts of frustration, mentoring and guidance will be much needed by modern managers to realise their full potential in corporate, social and family lives. According to Mahabharata, it was Lord Krishna who mentored and guided Prince Arjun to come out of his mental immobility and spur into action in the middle of the famous battleground of Kurukshethra. Undoubtedly, the modern business world will need several Lord Krishnas in its complex social, ethical and cultural context and rapidly changing mobility. n

The author is a Management Counsellor from Sri Lanka.

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New mobility is gaining more pace than anticipated, resulting in rapid changes in the global tyre business.

The prime purpose of new mobility, whether it’s about sustainability or safety or even generating data, will be to ply new mobility vehicles, and tyres will be one of the main enablers to that end. And this is putting pressure on tyre companies.

Though the fundamentals of making tyres will not see many changes, the tyres will see new changes in materials and the addition of sensors. Though the volume of new mobility tyres is insignificant, the groundwork is in full swing. We will see what is happening in the new mobility tyre space in this issue.

Could Tyres Become Smarter With New Mobility Systems?

By Ertugrul Bahan, Senior Tyre Expert

Accelerated, unique and advanced mobile websites are voice search interactive with massive insights into blockchain data and are already on key car panels. The different parts of the vehicle with the Internet of Things (IoT) can communicate with the car dashboard. Artificial intelligence and machine learning harmonise very well with moving objects. Why should quantum computing never be possible on car computers?

Tyre manufacturers already have examples of digitalisation such as webbased fleet management and RFID tyre operations.

New technologies, new business models and social trends are the three basic elements of ‘new mobility’ systems. New technologies are basically divided into zero-emission vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, partially or fully autonomous vehicles and infrastructure communication models.

Ertugrul Bahan

‘New Mobility’ systems are already diversifying the area of application and will have a significant impact on the economy.

What will mobility look like in the coming decades? Extended mobility partnerships are becoming more and more common in big cities. Shared-use, ride-sharing and car-sharing mobility models among ‘new mobility’ systems are becoming more popular and regular. The new trend is towards the non-motorised blueprint.

‘New Mobility’ systems are already diversifying the areas of application and will have a significant impact on the economy, the automotive industry and thus also the tyre industry in the coming decades. Mobility solutions will be subject to significant evaluations in the coming years. The horizon is unlimited with Web3 as part of the connectivity.

All of this requires a comprehensive digital transformation and a better educated generation embracing digital skills to learn, work and navigate. We are therefore talking about personal skills such as using software applications, communicating through digital tools, managing data properly, keeping up with new technologies and staying safe online.

Source: SRI Connectivity

‘Retread, Recycle and Repair’ are three ways to recover the entire tyre. Therefore, training more tyre repair professionals, retreading and recycling initiatives in the market is a real win for real savings.

Tyre manufacturers already have examples of digitalisation such as web-based fleet management and RFID tyre operations. The new mobility will continue to shape service operations through strong market competition. New business models and social trends are two prominent areas. Keeping up with all these developments requires a restructuring of organisations and the approach to business.

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Electric vehicle (EV) penetration will boost the autonomous vehicle industry and augmented mobility with evolved connectivity. Tyre design, technology, manufacturing and aftermarket approaches have to be adopted with new materials, construction methods, equipment, human organisation and skills, corporate structures, business models and aftermarket services.

Self-sealing, run-flat and airless tyres will be a core property of autonomous vehicles. This may not be in favour of the whole tyre market. As a part of the ‘antipuncture’ technology, the airless tyre will cover certain part of the market. Thus, failure-free driving and less maintenance of tyres will further contribute to extended mobility solutions.

Smart tyre technology is already used by tyre manufacturers who equip certain tyres with special sensors.

There will be collaborations between vehicle and tyre manufacturers for more technological and commercial applications. Smart tyre technology is already used by tyre manufacturers who equip certain tyres with special sensors. And eventually, these technologies will become widespread. These technologies are able to support mobile phones and make drivers aware of the creation of new services and better control of vehicle tyres and equipment.

New ‘driver assistance systems’ improve safety, driving comfort and economy. So smart tyres also help make it work better. The computerised vehicle stability control system is already a requirement of US regulations. New systems detect when the car is about to skid and bring it back on track by braking the other individual wheel. It also reacts in the event of a loss of traction, for example, on a specific wheel.

Computerised tyre technologies depend on common languages between the smart tyre and vehicle chips and require the same brand of tyres to be fitted. Systems that detect loss of traction in the tyres themselves, for

example, could help cars to react faster and better. Anti-lock braking systems are similarly found on all newer cars. Rapid pumping of the brakes to avoid rapid wheel lock and tyre skidding on the road surface may be more expedient if you get a continuous signal of tyre wear. Vehicle and tyre design companies need to work more and better together to achieve these shared capabilities.

Computerised tyre technologies can detect imminent traction loss faster and more accurately than the vehicle’s stability and traction control systems. However, these technologies depend on common languages between the smart tyre and vehicle chips and require the same brand of tyres to be fitted at each location.

Smart tyres can warn you to slow down or stop if there is a nail in the tread or there is a risk of excessive aquaplaning.

For the past two decades, most passenger cars have had tyre pressure monitoring systems that only issue a warning if the tyre pressure is too low. Rather than deflation being critical, today’s smart tyres can provide more accurate direct readings to detect and warn of deflation earlier and more accurately.

Likewise, self-driving cars will have plenty of sensors to deal with expected tyre issues. However, more warning has a potential problem, like an air leak or worn treads. Every driver has some experience with early direct-fit TPMS systems. Faulty signals delay drivers on other correct warnings.

The general belief is that when the road surface is slippery or a car is about to skid, a self-driving car cannot have the feel of a skilled human driver. This is an open area and further developments are expected in the coming decades. In contrast, self-driving vehicles are already serving some countries directly. The proliferation of all of this in mainstream commercial vehicles is very much related to government incentives, regulations and general societal acceptance.

Can tyres become smarter with new mobility systems and what role will smart tyres play given these massive changes and societal expectations?

Smart tyres can warn you to slow down or stop if there is a nail in the tread, if there is a risk of excessive aquaplaning, danger and skid zones, an excessive drop in road surface temperature or a sudden icy surface. They might even help you drive better, stop sooner and get better gas mileage.

One thing is therefore certain: you will never be under-inflated and worn out compared to today’s tyres. n

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Long-Term Synergies Hold The Key In Indian Market

Founded in 1880, Belgium-based Bekaert is a global market and technology leader in steel wire transformation and coatings. In India, the company started its operations by establishing its first steel cord plant in Pune in 1998. In an exclusive conversation with Tyre Trends magazine, Srikanth Chakravarthy, Vice President Global Strategy – RR and Managing Director India, Bekaert, says, “The Indian market wants to reduce its dependency on imports. We have a strong demand from our customers to invest here and support their growth plans by providing the best quality material with the highest service levels locally and mitigating several risks in the process for them. Over the next decade, we are clear that we will keep growing in line with the market and grow our market share further.” He highlights the milestones of the company, the way forward, expansion plans, the company’s philosophy and the major transformations in the post-Covid world.

By Sharad Matade

Please give us a brief outline of the business journey of Bekaert in India, along with its crucial milestones.

It’s been a good run for Bekaert in India. It was a courageous decision to be the sole investor in India for steel tyre cords and purely for the domestic tyre industry. Several companies have been selling tyre cords through exports into India but have not invested yet. This is where our commitment to the market is distinguished.

We procured the land back in 1998 for our manufacturing facility, and in 2000, we established India’s first steel tyre cord plant. We set up our technology centre in 2010, which is our third such centre in the world. This also illustrates how specific our development focus is for India. The way the vehicles are used as well as the road conditions in India are unique. Therefore, we must develop solutions that are specific to the country. This centre works in close collaboration with our centres in Belgium and China, thereby offering the Indian market solutions that take into account not only local requirements, but also benefitting with global experience.

We have expanded our capacity several folds over the past two decades and added other units. One of our plants primarily produces high-carbon wire for automotive applications. We have another factory that makes high-quality steel fibres for concrete reinforcement, with about 3/4th of the output being exported. The engineering division, which is focused on making our machines, not only supports the needs of the Indian market but is a part of the global engineering solution. Our engineers have also installed and commissioned equipment in Latin America, Europe and other parts of the world. We have a robust talent pool of young people and good engineers.

India is a shining example of diversity and inclusion. There are numerous cultures, and we are highly tolerant, as a nation, in embracing diversity. Our high level of adaptability has allowed us to expand our global services and hire people to work in global positions in departments like finance and IT (in technology as well as engineering). India is presenting a new opportunity

Srikanth Chakravarthy, Vice President Global StrategyRR and Managing Director India, Bekaert

for Bekaert globally as well. I think the future also looks quite exciting for us both in services and production of goods.

Bekaert India has completed 25 years in business, and so have you. How has the experience been for you to be with Bekaert for so many years? What is the way forward for Bekaert India?

For me, to be as old as the company entity in India is quite interesting, and it also shows we are a company where people stay long enough. Many people like me have worked for a long time in the company because it’s a great company. Over the last 25 years, we have maintained our commitment to being the best value creator for the market, and this has not diminished during any of the years. Consequently, we have over 50 percent market share in the rubber reinforcement business.

Going forward, the next decade belongs to India as there will be great growth in India. I am naturally excited about our

opportunities and eager to see more of our Indian talent contribute globally to Bekaert. In terms of innovation, we work very closely with our customers to solve today’s problems and anticipate the challenges in the next 5-10 years. We drive down the needs from a market point of view and prepare well enough to have the right technological solutions.

Would you like to elaborate more on your expansion and future plans?

We currently have a capacity that caters to 50 percent of the Indian market demand. This we plan to grow significantly in the coming years, but we will increase our capacity by 50 percent within the next 18-24 months. This is critical from a timing point of view, as today the world is facing the challenges of inflation and recession, yet we make growth plans. The Indian market wants to reduce its dependency on imports. We have a strong demand from our customers to invest here and support their growth plans by providing the best quality material with the highest service levels locally and mitigating several risks in the process for them. Over the next decade, we are confident that we will keep growing in line with the market and grow our market share further.

Can you kindly elaborate more on the HR philosophy of the Bekaert group and, along with it, the kinds of safety measures at the manufacturing facility?

‘Diversity & inclusion’ is natural to India, and we need to see this more in the people’s demography in the industrial space. In terms of gender

COVER STORY

diversity, we have an opportunity to do more. We are taking affirmative actions such as introducing policies and facilities that consider the specific needs of women – whether they are single women, married or have children – and engaging with our female employees to understand what constraints they would face in being able to work in a manufacturing setup. We want to bring more women to the shop floor and management roles – not just in HR but also technical, commercial, legal and engineering roles. We have increased the women workforce in our company by more than threefold in the last four years. We are still not where we want to be, but we believe we are definitely on the right path with the right programmes.

We have many programmes to ensure they feel empowered, engaged and included. There is no limit to the growth an employee can experience at Bekaert as it has a very talented and performancefocused setup. We do help people enhance their performance as well.

The safety programme is a critical element of people care. We have something called BeCare in Bekaert, and this is a programme that we started mainly with our employees. The Bradley curve shows that we move from being independent to interdependent, where we work and collaborate with each other to take care of each other. We have many safety programmes that are pretty intense in the operational environment, but we also take it beyond the operational environment. We cover all the life-saving rules which are part of everybody’s performance criteria and assessment. The most important element is to have leadership role modelling a team that can walk the talk.

We impose on our leadership to take the initiative and keep the BeCare programme alive in their daily behaviour. Initially, we started this with the employees and then took the BeCare programme to families because a person works for 8-9 hours in the company and they are at home the rest of the time. The perception of safety and risk at home is very different from the standards in the office. This is why we’ve launched programmes wherein we educate the families regarding road safety risks and the risks at home. There is also participation and encouragement from the family on that. Now we’re taking it even further into communities, where we are partnering with schools and trying to ingrain safety at a young age to support a future that is more safe.

Sustainability is the foremost requirement for the long-term growth of any business. How do you ensure sustainability at Bekaert and what is your roadmap?

Sustainability is a rather broad term. First of all, we are in business and we have to remain profitable. Thus, there must be financial sustainability in the business model and how we make decisions and execute them. Therefore, we have focused on a customer-centric business approach that takes a long-term view of co-creating with our customers. That’s why we invest in markets like India, where we have an outstanding relationship and commitment with our customers. Sustainability is a topic of high priority in Bekaert. We do have programmes where we have sustainability initiatives focused on the product. We recently got an award for BeCoFree, one of our technologies, which removes cobalt from the tyre itself. Cobalt is used as an adhesion promoter but is not environmentally friendly. With this solution, we help the tyre makers eliminate it completely from the tyre, and we got an award for innovation of the year at the Tire Technology Conference, Hannover, this year. Bekaert has about 1,800 patents. Hence, we are constantly finding innovations that lead to more and more sustainable solutions.

Our manufacturing processes are all reviewed from a sustainability point of view. Since we make our machines, we are also designing our machines to consume lesser energy and produce lesser noise and vibration. We are also developing processes that can reuse things, and we want to remain a global industry leader in this regard. For instance, 50-55 percent of the energy needs in our factory in Pune today are fulfilled with solar power. Going forward, we will use multiple sources. It is also a Zero Liquid Discharge plant. Our commitment to a greener planet is rock solid.

Could you please describe your company’s product portfolio in India and its key applications and USPs?

We provide steel reinforcement for every tyre that uses steel in its manufacturing, but we do not yet produce or sell bead wire in India. If you look at the tyre cord reinforcement, we have solutions for twowheeler and motorcycle tyres, which is a very small market today, but there is a growing interest in that, and we have solutions for that. We are also looking at the passenger car, from 12-inch tyres to 19-20 inch

tyres and high-performance tyres. Also, we have solutions for the truck, bus and off-the-road market. Additionally, we also import some products necessary to cover segments like mining and OTR tyres and rubber tracks.

We are different again because we really go down into the application and see where it makes a difference at the segmented level, where the customer can enhance their performance. This comes from a very close dialogue with our customers, understanding their needs very well at that level and then finding the right steel cord solutions that fulfil that particular purpose.

We also see that the Indian tyre makers are increasingly exporting, and those market needs are different. What works in the US may not work as well in Europe and vice versa. So there too, we have an intense collaboration with our customers to find the right solutions.

How do you look at the Indian market? What are your expansion plans for manufacturing capabilities, product range and the market you serve in India?

I am quite buoyant about the Indian market. We are a nation of 1.3 billion people with a strong demographic dividend and a solid democratic sociopolitical structure. Although our growth is inherently driven by the domestic market and our customers, we have solutions for the world through exports or investments outside India.

I have strong faith in our quality and am proud of the quality standards of the tyre makers in India. They manufacture superior quality tyres for all kinds of conditions, and we partner with them to make their products as outstanding as they envision. I think the next decade belongs to India, and we will be there with the right investments at the right time for the right portfolio.

What challenges do you foresee and how do you plan to overcome them in future?

Cost competitiveness is a matter of concern compared to some countries offering more industry support. India is changing in this regard, but there is still a difference. Energy is definitely a challenge. Recently, power utilities announced that the Fuel Adjustment Charges (FAC) in Maharashtra were increased by 10 times. Things like these do affect our competitive ability. Nevertheless, I am assured that we will find a solution and could be

competitive with the right scale. We must realise that the Indian market is still much smaller for our business than the Chinese market where there is advantage of scale. However, we are quite creative and resourceful. Thus, I believe we will find ways to overcome the challenge regarding competitiveness as we are all in this together. We will work with our suppliers very closely to participate in this.

Earlier, government legislation used to be a huge setback. Now it is not like that anymore. One needs to be aware of how things work. In my understanding, digitalisation has made many processes much easier than before. We’ve recently received a certificate from the GST council for submitting our GST taxes on a timely basis and correctly. This shows that the government is quite proactive in terms of encouraging good business practices. Besides, we have also established a very healthy relationship with the Belgian consulate and the Belgian Embassy in India. They support us and help us with access to the proper ministerial departments. They have a pro-business mindset. As a consequence, they strongly encourage investments in India.

All in all, I don’t perceive any significant challenges that could be roadblocks to growth. As a matter of fact, I believe that there are more opportunities and positivity than there are challenges.

Please shed some light on the changes you’ve seen in this postCovid era.

For us, the biggest lesson from the Covid pandemic is that the nature of change can be quite dramatic. We need to build agility deep into our organisation. We may make three-year or five-year plans, but they are based on certain assumptions about situations that can always change. We have seen how freight logistics had a massive impact on trade flows and, in turn, market footprints based on export models suffered significantly.

Thus, we believe in being closer to our markets and our customers. We think that it is a sound strategy. Our approach is not just to build one massive plant and supply it worldwide. As a global or regional manufacturer, you would like to have more certainty about the availability of products or raw materials to drive your growth. In my understanding, being closer to the customers has made us one of the most globally local companies. This approach has helped us in various ways and has allowed us to be highly agile and adapt quickly. I think this will remain a perpetual outlook because we have learned that changes can be extremely dramatic and consequential!

Anything else you would like to add to this interaction?

I just want to reiterate that the footprint of Bekaert in India will grow. Today, we are mainly based in the Pune region, and if we need to expand our presence beyond Pune, we would have to plan strategic expansions. Also, I would like to emphasise the importance of partnerships. I firmly believe that the value chain can act more collaboratively, and everybody can win in the value chain if we work closely together. Therefore, we follow this principle while collaborating with our customers and suppliers. In fact, we believe this long-term partnership concept will make us winners in the future.

In the near future, we will be heavily engaged in partnerships to support the growth of Bekaert, not just in India but in the global markets. We now associate with several Indian firms for various global needs, whether in engineering, IT, technology or so on. Presently, we are sourcing parts from local manufacturers that are also exported around the world. This is majorly motivated by the right price and the right quality. In my opinion, the way forward for us to attain growth is to foster good partnerships. We will look forward to synergies in that direction to get closer to different regions, explore new markets and expand existing markets for different requirements. n

‘Rolling’ With The EVs

Apollo Tyres recently introduced specific tyres for electric vehicles (EVs) for both passenger vehicles and two-wheelers in August this year – the Apollo Amperion range of tyres for the PV segment and the Apollo WAV range for two-wheelers. In an interview with Tyre Trends, Satish Sharma, President (APMEA) and Whole Time Director, Apollo Tyres, discusses how EV tyres are different from those of ICE vehicles, how there will be a rise in informed customers coming in for EV tyres and Apollo Tyres’ three technological foundations for EV specific tyres.

By Sharad Matade

Recently, we have seen growing competition in the EV tyre space. How do you see the growth in the EV tyre space?

Although India’s EV market is still at a nascent stage, various organisations and authorities are aiming to install and enhance the charging framework with a long-term perspective. We see more and more EVs being rolled out by auto manufacturers, and they aim to release more in the upcoming years. And with the availability of EV-specific tyres with low noise, low

rolling resistance and better durability, the OEMs and end users would opt for these tyres instead of conventional tyres. We anticipate strong growth in the EV tyre market and would target a dominant market share.

Which segment will see better growth in India among PV, 2-W, 3-W and CV EV tyres?

The EV industry has undergone a substantial change during the recent past. India, however, has a low level of EV adoption, but there is still room for growth in areas such as EV’s ecosystem development, charging infrastructure and financial incentives, all of which are crucial for India’s electrification. We expect that the two-wheeler market in India will electrify first, followed by the market for passenger vehicles. As you know, the cost of electric vehicles and the availability of charging infrastructure are the only factors influencing the rate of electrification in India.

How would the EV tyre business be different from the ICE tyre business?

We would have more informed customers coming in for EV tyres as compared to those for tyres for ICE vehicles. The sales and service offerings from tyre manufacturers have to accordingly match the expectations of the customers of EV tyres.

How are EV tyres different?

EV tyres might look similar to the ones used on ICE vehicles. However, they are very different in terms of components used, tyre design and construction. EV tyres use latest generation polymers, traction resin

What initiatives would you take to expand the company’s presence in the EV tyre segment?

As a technology-driven organisation, we are concentrating our efforts on developing high-quality products through extensive research and development. The AQUT and BEST tech are two significant technologies that Apollo Tyres has developed for EV-specific tyres. Apollo Tyres is strengthening the three key technological foundations for EV-specific tyres – noise reduction for minimising the tyre noise, low rolling resistance for extended battery range and traction improvement to withstand high torque. We believe that technologically superior products, especially on these three parameters, will help us acquire more and more customers.

Would we see more launches in the EV tyre segment in the near future?

The R&D team is closely interacting with the OEMs and working towards the requirements for electric vehicles. The team is now focusing on the design and development of tyres for various vehicle categories. We’ll soon be introducing EV-specific tyres for several vehicle segments and other market segments as well.

and other raw materials. To handle the instant acceleration of EVs, the tyres handle more torque, which means an improved tread pattern and rubber compounds.

EV tyres are usually designed with lesser rolling resistance, amounting to around 30 percent. This results in EV tyres extending the battery range of the vehicles. The tyres for electric vehicles have increased load-bearing capacity at the tread, plies and sidewalls.

What about shared and autonomous mobility? How are you preparing for the same, as eventually, these mobilities will come to India sooner or later?

The development of newer technologies, which started with internet connectivity, has led to the exploration of algorithm-driven systems and artificial intelligence (AI). These days, the mobility industry is being revolutionised by technologies like self-driving cars. The West is already exploring autonomous mobility and testing driverless cars, while in India that is still a distant objective. The complex urban surroundings, which may provide safety risks, are another obstacle to India’s progress in this technology.

Apollo Tyres is a technologically advanced and adaptable organisation, and we are constantly working on concepts that will make our products future-proof, no matter what new technologies emerge or old ones become outdated. n

By Sharad Matade & Juili Eklahare

AUTOMATED TYRE MANUFACTURING: NO TURNING BACK

There couldn’t be any industry that isn’t implementing, or at least knowing about, automation. And if there’s actually one, then it has probably been living under a rock. The tyre industry has already opened its doors to automation, and this helps make tyre manufacturing more sophisticated and reliable. The tyre manufacturing process itself has been experiencing constant changes – from different tyre sizes and constructions to targeting less usage of energy. Automation must be on every tyre company’s to-do list, if it hasn’t adopted it already. Don Heelis, Sales Manager, Cimcorp, gave Tyre Trends more insights on the different aspects of automation in the tyre industry and its absolute requirement when we met him at the Tire Technology Expo 2022 in Hannover, Germany. Read on…

factory. Therefore, with production machinery, mixers, extruders and tyre building machines, the level of technology being implemented in these processes is increasing. Moreover, these processes are getting more sophisticated.

The other aspect of this is integrating the production across all the different areas (another factor for the dramatic change in the modern tyre factory).

In the past, the different areas of production were not necessarily well connected. However, today we see them getting connected a lot more –and this is being driven and enabled by technology.

This is where companies like Cimcorp come in – who happen to provide material handling and automation technology so that different tyre manufacturing processes are better integrated.

Explaining this, Don Heelis, Sales Manager, Cimcorp, said, “When you produce your work in process, what you’re producing is in synchronisation with what’s being produced in other areas of the factory. This helps minimise the work in process and have a manufacturing process that’s more efficient.”

Going the modular way

But how does one integrate different machines and processes in the plant with all the different machines and manufacturing processes involved? Heelis let us in on this.

“The trick is to implement the automation and connectivity in a modular way,” he revealed and went on, “That way, the connectivity is physical and mechanical but involves software as well. Thus, we take an approach where the modules are flexible and can connect to various inputs and outputs; however, the module is in itself standardised. Hence, the modules can work for different factories – only the interconnection needs to be flexible.”

The philosophy of tyre manufacturing has changed dramatically. A part of the change in that philosophy relates to automation implementation in the tyre manufacturing process. However, we also find more technical perspectives being adopted and taken into account at new, modern tyre factories today.

This technical perspective can be considered to be coming from a few different areas, one of them certainly being from the actual production part of the tyre

The green tyre

While implementing automation, one, of course, would want to implement it where they get the biggest value.

“Traditionally, that has been in the palletising area – in managing and

handling the finished product. Basically, palletising, storing and retrieving the finished product,” Heelis informed us and continued, “This is where everyone has traditionally looked in the past. However, a lot of focus has been put on the green tyre area in the past 10 years. That includes green tyre handling, storage and retrieval and its automatic delivery to the curing process.”

A green tyre is work in process – simply put, a tyre that has not been cured. “A green tyre is made up of a number of components. It’s built on a tyre-building machine,” Heelis further told us. “Once a green tyre is built, it is buffered, followed by being cured – and automation machines are required in order to do this. Hence, this is a key element of the modern tyre factory.”

He added, “This has been an area of key focus where productivity and simplicity can be gained. In fact, the whole process can be done with less plant floor space. Ultimately, factories that want to be competitive have to implement automation technologies in that area.”

Increased efficiency

There are many brownfield factories out there that have to modernise and be viable for the future. One of the key areas that they need to modernise and automate in is green tyre handling. Heelis asserted, “By having an automated storage and retrieval system, one can track and trace all of the work in process. Plus, one is able to store in a manner that maximises the quality of the green tyres. And then, one can deliver them from the storage system to the curing process in a very systematic and accurate way. This way, when a particular green tyre is needed in the curing area, it can be delivered there in the appropriate amount of time.”

“In this methodology, when the green tyre arrives at curing, it is at that point in time when it is needed, and the production does not have to stop,”

Heelis further shared. “If this can be achieved, then the curing process can be run more efficiently; the efficiency can go from 80 percent to over 95 percent. In theory, one can increase the output of their factory by 10 percent. In such a case, one can imagine how many tyres can be produced in a factory by following this methodology.”

Automation – its role during the pandemic and inflation

While automation tends to bring in efficiency, how have companies managed to keep up their competence and productivity during the thorny period of the Covid pandemic? The pandemic has definitely brought some insights to the tyre industry from a management point of view, like it did to many other sectors. According to Heelis, automation has come to the rescue of the tyre industry in the pandemic as well.

“One important thing that the industry learnt from the pandemic was that it has a risk to its ability to produce products,” he mentioned and went on, “The absence of automation will make any company in the industry highly dependent on the labour force, which might not be available to keep the production going. On the other hand, with automated processes, a company is less at risk to events like a pandemic.”

Another issue we are dealing with right now in the global economy is inflation. Inflation equals to costs going up – from the cost of materials to the cost of labour. “Nonetheless, a company can mitigate some of the impacts of inflation if it has embraced automation. In fact, the ones who automated their brownfield factories three to four years ago are in a much better position today than their competitors who had not,” Heelis pointed out and went on, “This is because the former can mitigate some of the inflation costs, is less dependent on the workforce and is able to produce better-quality products – and at a higher level of efficiency at that. We know that there is a tremendous shortage of people in the workforce in the US right now. Therefore, automated companies have a significant competitive advantage.”

From the tyre industry’s challenges due to the pandemic and inflation, we turned to the challenges Cimcorp itself faces on the commercial side. Heelis responded that, commercially, the current challenge for them is being a lowcost, high-quality producer – which one has to be in order to compete in the market. “Furthering this challenge is how we become a low-cost, high-quality producer and stay that way. And from our perspective, the way to get there is through innovation and technology,” he stated.

Automation in the Asian tyre industry

CIMCORP opened up an office in India roughly three years ago. With its presence in the country and Asia, Heelis told us that the tyre companies in Asia are no stranger to automation and are implementing it. “As a move forward, the mentality is that if you want to be a world-class manufacturer and build a new factory, then you build the factory with automation. And this is a global perspective,” Heelis asserted.

Cimcorp’s customers in Asia range from traditional tyre manufacturers to new manufacturing entrants in the industry, so it’s a mix. Throwing further light on this, Heelis said, “We all know the traditional manufacturers like Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental and more. But beyond these, there are new companies emerging. And these new companies have an advantage in some ways because they are not constrained by the old ways of thinking. They are forward thinking, with a clearer mindset to do things in the current environment – the environment of automation and technology.”

“Moreover, the manufacturers who don’t invest in automation, and try to run the company with practices that were developed in the 1960 and 70s, will not be able to survive or compete,” he further added. “Their market will eventually

consider them to be non-competitive, non-global and unable to produce the quality expected of them.”

Cimcorp has plans for India as well. “Our strategy is to continue to grow our business in India with the domestic tyre manufacturers, and we have been successful at that,” Heelis shared and went on, “When I say domestic, that goes for manufacturing facilities within India, from Apollo Tyres to MRF to JK Tyre to Goodyear to Michelin. Thus, we plan to continue to build our business with those factories and customers from an automation perspective, and then from a full customer service point of view.”

The other aspect comes to brownfield factories. Heelis averred, “With brownfield factories, whether in North America or Asia, the cost of automation is the same; there may be different payback scenarios between the two. However, it stands true that no matter where a company is present in the world, if it is operating a brownfield factory, then it needs a strategy to modernise. And the strategy to modernise is based on implementing automation.”

Automation in brownfield factories – what will it take?

The strategy to modernise when automating a brownfield factory is especially challenging in an already existing system. Therefore, when automating a brownfield factory, one of the most important considerations is to not interrupt their day-today production, Heelis cited. He mentioned that the factory has to continue making its certain number of tyres each day. Hence, a strategy that enables the factory to do that is needed – while concurrently implementing automation there.

“Besides, when you implement automation, you have to be able to do it in a standardised way,” Heelis further enlightened and continued, “This can be done with the help of flexible automation modules that can work in a lot of different scenarios. Therefore, you can deal with different brownfield factories depending just on how you arrange your automation modules. Thus, you can come up with a custom solution for every different

Service provided

From providing standard modular systems to hardware to software, Cimcorp strategically has a service aspect to its business – Success Services. Therefore, the approach from its service side is to enable its customers to be as successful as possible.

“That could be achieved by providing a 24/7 support. So if the customers contact us due to an issue they are facing in the solutions provided by us, we are available at any time of the day or night to support them,” Heelis revealed and added, “We can do it remotely. In fact, as technologies emerge further, we’ll see how we can do this more remotely with virtual techniques. Here, their serviceperson could be using special tools, which enables our people (who are remote) to actually be in virtual situations in our customers’ plants. In such wise, we can be more responsive and be as if we are in place in real-time in order to provide a service.”

Tyre warehouse automation or manual operation – making the choice

Nevertheless, Cimcorp does not just stop at its 24/7 services or providing its automation solutions for tyre manufacturing processes. It goes beyond that –to the finished product warehouses. However, interestingly, that depends to a degree on which part of the world the automation is needed in; while some areas will need automation that is well advanced, some areas will use a more manual operation.

Heelis explained, “There are some key factors that determine whether the facility/area in question needs to be automated or not. For example, the cost of real estate. If it’s a manual operation, then that typically involves a very large warehouse, say around 100,000 sq mt.”

“For automating, on the other hand, you require lands that are much smaller,” Heelis further highlighted.

“For instance, land is very expensive in Japan. Thus, one wouldn’t want a very big footprint warehouse over there. Which means, you go vertical wherever land is expensive.”

“On the flip side, land is very cheap in some areas and inexpensive to build the generic building (like in some areas of the US). So there is less incentive to go vertical with automation there,” he added. “But there might be other factors that could dominate.”

Choosing automation over manual operation – why?

While some main factors do influence the decision if a warehouse is going to be a fully automated one or a semi-manual one, an automated one is always preferred. For clear reasons.

“The benefit of an automated warehouse is that everything is extremely well controlled,” Heelis informed. “What’s more, you have complete control of your product – you know exactly where it is, how much of it you have and you can get on-demand access.”

“As for a semi-manual warehouse, there are fork trucks, people moving things around and putting them in different storage locations,” Heelis further clarified. “This process is much more manual, involves a lot more interaction and is time consuming. Therefore, you have much less control over the process.”

Automation – a need not to be confused as a luxury

The automotive industry has been one of the earliest industries to adopt automation. So it’s high time that tyres, an integral component of any vehicle, did so too. It’s clear that automation, today, is not a luxury but a need. No company can afford to not have it. No tyre company must be limited to older technologies, and they must invest in automation for the long term. This would not just help tyre manufacturers meet their customers’ demands without any delay, but also help modernise the industry with the world’s rapidly changing technologies. n

brownfield factory out there with the help of a modular approach and on the basis of how you connect those automation modules together.”

HYDRAULIC PRESSES for NEW AGE TBR TYRES

When it comes to hydraulic presses for radial tyres, leading tyre manufacturers worldwide turn to Larsen & Toubro for their new requirements.

L&T’s wide range of hydraulic presses - ranging from two-wheelers, PCR to TBR - are designed to handle the high-performance requirements of radial tyres. They conform to the most stringent statutory requirements across geographies.

Geared towards the ever-evolving requirements of the tyre segment, L&T’s culture of innovation and continuous learning will ensure the smooth movement of the wheels of the future.

Why Choose us

Compact Footprint

1:1 replaceable with TBR mechanical tire curing press

Compact centre mechanism to reduce pit depth

Single machine flexible to accommodate moulds from 62” to 67”.

Quick mould height adjustment through indexing mechanism.

Panel-less technology.

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Higher accuracy.

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L&T

TEST INDUSTRY

By Sharad Matade & Juili Eklahare

Your Best Test

A very crucial factor in tyre development for any vehicle is testing the tyre itself. Logically, it isn’t sensible or safe to send a vehicle part out on the road unless you are sure that it will do its job properly. With the rapid transformation in technology and the ever-changing world, the tyre industry is investing more in R&D, and tyre testing companies are going one step ahead by even providing customised solutions to their customers. Test Industry, which was established in 2017 with the merger of Bimal (1984) and Leonardo (1994), comes with a mission to become a group leader in the design and production of test stands, for production and for laboratory purposes, along with a focus on tyre testing. Eng Paolo Mastrostefano, CEO, Test Industry, and Eng Giovanni Inveradi, Head of Sales, Leonardo, spoke to Tyre Trends about customers looking more for solutions than products, testing the noise emitted from tyres, the flexibility of their machines and more. Read on…

Can you please throw some light on the Bimal and Leonardo brands of testing?

Mastrostefano: Bimal and Leonardo are brands of Test Industry Group. We have four production plants – two in Italy (Leonardo and Bimal) and two in Germany (Testing Service and GiM). Plus, we have a commercial branch in the US – however, it is not a production branch.

What equipment do you use for tyre testing?

Mastrostefano: Test Industry can provide a complete series of machines for tyre testing for both in-line and laboratory tests.

The machine for laboratory is used for qualifying the tyre

Eng Paolo Mastrostefano, CEO, Test Industry

during the development or to verify the production process. The machines include rolling resistance, stiffness, footprint, wear, endurance and HSU measurement.

The in-line machine is used to test 100 percent of production to ensure that all the tyres supplied to the final customer are compliant. Our portfolio includes machines for the measurement of runout, unbalance and uniformity.

How does the testing differ from tyre to tyre, especially with passenger and commercial tyres?

Inverardi: The testing requirements are, of course, different for every tyre. For instance, for a passenger car tyre, higher speed is required or uniformity and very accurate measurements of rolling resistance must be applied. For a commercial vehicle or truck tyre, on the other hand, it doesn’t require higher speed but a stronger force.

How have you seen the testing industry for tyres change over the years?

Inverardi: We see the mobility scenario changing now and electric vehicles getting traction. Today, the noise emitted from the tyre is the most critical, especially in electric vehicles. For this reason, uniformity or high-speed uniformity machines will be needed much more in the future. That’s because we have to see at which frequency the noise is being emitted and change the tyre design accordingly, thereby reducing the noise.

But it’s not the tyres really making the noise; the noise is emitted when there is traction between the tyre and the road surface. In fact, even the weather has a role to play in the noise emitted by tyres. What machines are used most for noise test?

Inverardi: There are three tests involved here. The first is the uniformity test to avoid vibration.

The second test is the semi-anechoic chamber test, where you can also put a microphone and directly measure the noise. Nevertheless, the most critical issue when it comes to this machine is that you can’t have any other noise coming in the way.

The third test is the rolling resistance test.

The rolling resistance becomes very important because you need to ensure that the resistance that takes place when the tyre moves is lower due to (or owing to) the reduced consumption in terms of green mobility.

The machines used for these three tests are foremost and will be needed more in the future.

While these very machines can be made by other manufacturers, how do the ones manufactured by your company stand out?

Inverardi: We have the complete range of machines and experience of all the machines. Hence, we infuse our experience into all aspects of the machine, from mechanical to electrical to software and so on. And with the support of the entire group, we can offer worldwide and complete services.

Does this also help bring down the cost of testing?

Mastrostefano: That isn’t really our strategy. We want to remain significantly on the premium side of the offerings. We want to do this by using the best quality of materials and taking maximum care of the design and other aspects.

Eng Giovanni Inveradi, Head of Sales, Leonardo

How flexible are your machines? If a customer needs an upgrade, will they need to change the machine entirely or will making a few changes here and there be enough?

Inverardi: If a new, completely different regulation comes up, you may need a new machine. For example, through HMI software created by us, it is possible to customise the test sequences in a flexible, simple and intuitive way. Therefore, basically, the customers can pick different steps themselves and then transfer the file with the new test to the machine and follow the steps. Thus, we provide a wide range of flexibility on our machines.

Who are your main clients? What exactly are their expectations?

Inverardi: All the big tyre manufacturers are our customers. The tyre customers today don’t want machines – they want solutions. We have different machines and we must choose the proper one for each tyre test. Hence, with our experience, we can work out with the customer which solution is best suited for their needs, which can even be customised.

Can you throw some light on your services?

Mastrostefano: We are hoping that the pandemic is over now. However, it wasn’t possible to service the machines in the last two years. Hence, we have made improvements in our factories. For example, we have brought in smart glasses. By using the smart glasses, it’s as if the customer is with our technician. We, of course, couldn’t travel during the pandemic and thus solved the problems of the machines remotely. In fact, even today, the quickest way to check a machine in any part of the world, whether India or China, is through remote means. While this type of solution helped during the pandemic, it is a good solution for the future as well.

How do you see the Asian market turning out?

Mastrostefano: We see that the Indian market is one of the most important markets for the tyre industry, especially because it’s a market that will continue to grow further and further. Plus, the other markets that are very important are for sure China and the Southeast Asian market.

What are the challenges in the business of testing?

Inverardi: One of the challenges is to increase our business portfolio. For instance, we have introduced an all-in-one machine for truck tyres that combines it all and offers balance testing, run-out testing and also uniformity testing for TBR. Our challenge is to cover all the sectors with a high-quality machine and different tests. In fact, we have a new machine and new implementation of the machine every two years. Two years ago, we brought in a road simulation machine. The culture of our company is really to face the challenges with patience and the desire to bring it on.

On the other hand, what are the strengths that make Test Industry stand out?

Mastrostefano: The most important part for us is the technical part. This is because we have a very strong expertise in our brands. People don’t reach out to us for our machines – they want our expertise. The best thing about Test Industry is that we would like to grow with our unique product – the test rig. It is our strong identity and we would like to build a big name in testing. Has the current Russia-Ukraine war affected business in any way?

Mastrostefano: It was affected because we had a lot of business in Russia. n

AFRICA

By Bobby Odhiambo

Tyre Mileage Monitoring – Tracing The Steps Of The Big Foot In Africa

Consider the tyre to be built like a human being, with its non-porous tubeless cavity equating to the lungs and respiratory system, the steel carcass equating to bones and skeletal formation, and the crown, shoulder and sidewall rubber becoming feet and limbs for movement. Just like the human, the tyre would like nutrients to survive. Since the tyre can mostly eat and survive on ‘air’, we have to break down the components of air. Oxygen (20

percent) would be its proteins, while nitrogen (78 percent) would be its carbohydrates and carbon dioxide and other inert gases (1.75 percent) would be its minerals and vitamins. Of course, all living things need water/moisture (0.25 percent) that is ever present in the air. Like humans, tyres have a cradle to grave lifecycle; tyres run, undergo stress, are cured, become bald, age and crack and sometimes are romantic to the extent that they even KISS. Yes, ‘tyre kissing’, just like in humans, leads to excessive heat and eventually tyre separation. This article is about HOW tyres give birth of cycles of mileages. The first cycle as a new tyre. The second as a regrooved tyre and third life as a retread tyre. A warning, however, to any reader who wants to proceed further that the article mainly relates to truck tyres in the context of fleets.

Get a grip of the road ahead, as lawmakers and customers ask for ever better and ever cleaner tyres. With Nynas in the passenger seat, you can become a driving force in an industry that keeps moving. Nynas tyre oils will take you all the way to your destination.

Getting a grip just got easier

On a cold Sao Paulo evening, in the wild west of tyres, the good, the bad, the ugly and the wise sat down to have a poignant debate. Which is the BEST TYRE IN THE WORLD? The other two were Marcio Oleivera (Senior Manager at Budini Tyre Software) and Amit Arjundas (General Manager Nasser Bin Khalid Tyre Division). This article focuses on what Mr Wise said on that evening. His name is Tony Nicolini –Co-Founder of Budini Tyre Software. But first a background of what led to the argument. As a tyre salesman and field technical engineer, the most common question I get is, “HOW GOOD IS YOUR TYRE?” I have learnt over the years that this question could be interpreted as:

a) How well can your tyre perform?

b) Does it have warranties and guarantees? – In Africa, these words are used inter-changeably even though they have different meanings.

c) Would the price match its performance?

d) Is it suitable for my operations ?

The French taught me early that to reply ‘’IT IS A GOOD TYRE!” was not only naïve but also infantile. At this point, the customer is not just asking if it is A GOOD TYRE, they are also asking, “HOW GOOD?” And a few times they ask, “SO WHAT IF THEY ARE GOOD?”

Having tracked and reported on thousands of tyres during my tyre career, I find the illustration by Nicolini to be best suited for this article.

View the products, applications and evidence matrix below for one product – a tyre in the transport fleet context.

In the above case, we have six product variables and five application variables. In Kenya, where I am based currently, a transporter gets an average of seven visitations or calls per day from various tyre company representatives. One question that is frequently asked is, “HOW MANY KILOMETRES CAN YOUR NEW TYRE OR RETREADS GUARANTEE?

Knowing what the transporter wants to hear, a tyre representative from company X would say ‘200,000 km’ or a figure that is likely to appease

Features (Products)

Benefits (Application Variations)

of transport industry

type

and conditions

design

Wheel position

level

system

Proof of industry sustainability

Proof of vehicle and tyre inspection

Proof of maintenance of routes

Proof of perfect pairing

Proof of consistent retread brand

the client. What are the chances that the salesperson is telling the ABSOLUTE TRUTH ON TYRE MILEAGE?

Using the table above, where we have six product variables and five applications variables, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THE SALESPERSON IS GETTING IT RIGHT WHEN PREDICTING MILEAGE FOR THE SET OF TYRES THAT HE WANTS TO SELL? The answer that I normally get is 1/30. He has a 1/30 chance of getting the predicted mileage correct.

This is the INCORRECT answer. Mathematics of probability shows that the correct answer is deduced as shown below. The truth is that he has 1/7,776 CHANCE of getting it right, and that too if he compares apples to apples. The fallacy of guaranteed mileage is as remote as

two salesmen from the different tyre companies sharing the same birthday or girlfriend. It is even more remote when the person is less acquainted with his products or the application variations of the customer and proposes only a product that he has available in his store.

Yet, every seasoned salesperson can rely on the ‘Features and Benefit’ mantra that has guided us through the years. Failure in sales is failing to properly communicate to the buyer what you are actually selling – the real value.

A feature is what the product is. It is the physical, unchangeable characteristics of the product. Benefits are what the features do for the customer. A Michelin 315/80R22.5 tyre will enable the customer to ferry his goods to destinations, thereby earning him income. Here, 315/80R22.5 is a permanent feature of the tyre and the benefits are what he gets when he uses this tyre.

The F.A.B.E.S ACRONYM is a totally original idea that I have come up with over the years. It does not even exist on Google Search

Features, Benefits and Evidence (FABEs)

How many times have we heard as salespersons that we need to stick to the ‘straight and narrow’ plank of FABs – Features and Benefits. Explain the value and not the price! Evidence sells just as well in the form of testimonials and referrals. As has become the norm, software normally helps guide the customer’s journey before, during and after the sales. Now one out of five sales searches for a product including tyres begins with an enquiry on the internet.

Because of the huge amount of data all the above variables produce, maintenance of this data must shift from the traditional paper/Excel sheets/D-Base to a modern tyre monitoring software.

Evidence in sales

The grudge process of buying a tyre is a journey that can be summarised as a journey of BELIEF, FAITH AND EVIDENCE. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Evidence is the absolute proof of the performance of the product. However, the way the customer chooses to read the final PROOF is totally subjective.

A wise student once asked his master, “What is important, the JOURNEY or the DESTINATION?” The master replied, “THE COMPANY – the one who accompanies the traveller during the journey.” In this case, the tireless sales persons helping to gather evidence along the journey. Sadly, transporters and other tyre end-users are left to travel the long or short journey that the tyre affords them devoid of the much needed COMPANY. Tyres have unfortunately dwindled to a ‘sales by dropping item’. Gathering of information about the fleet and end-user must precede the sales/buying process using AIDA technique (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action), continue during the usage period (recording of the tyre purchase details and inspections carried out) and summarised after the use of tyres. Not all tyre sales models ascribe to this process. Where fleets lack the capacity to monitor tyres, budget tyres seem to me more attractive.

‘S’ is for software

Tyres have multiple lives from cradle to grave. I have in past articles likened the lives of tyres to that of human beings. The best tyre is one that is able to hold air and carry the load over the longest period and spaces. The construction of a casing accounts for nearly 70 percent of the cost of a new tyre. Unlike passenger and 4x4 tyres, truck and earthmover tyres are normally repaired and often retreaded. A repair or retread can later determine how long a tyre will continue in service. The many transaction and inspection details can only be captured over vast period of times using a database with a tyre monitoring software. There are many in the market. Top among these are Budini and En-tire.

A current case study of tyres that we have been tracking and managing shows that the tyres have clocked over 800,000 kilometres over a period of six years. First as new and now running in their third or fourth lives as retreads.

Of course, the process of mileage monitoring is built through the funnel of progress that involves the fleet owner, the commercial and technical side of the tyre supplier team. This is discussion for another article. Briefly, it involves the maintenance stage of tyre tracking to the tyre optimisation process of management.

Photo courtesy: Bridgestone America

Some unique details about Africa (Bongo) that make mileage tracking and management a dangerous sport

The Africa (Bongo) I refer to are areas where I have had a chance of working in and interacted with the end-users. They include East Africa, Djibouti, Malawi and the Democractic Republic of Congo. Problems of tyre tracking and management include:

l Lack of proper monitoring systems.

l Breakdown of monitoring odometers.

l Rerouting of operations.

l Data from tyres is highly perishable.

l Perishability of new tyre and retread brands in the market.

l Fallacy that mileage tracking is for the crown rubber and not the tyre casing (carcass). To understand this further, the reader is asked to research on casing versus tread mileage.

l Lack of strict adherence and enforcement of laws means that many casings are run to destruction. Often, these tyres are compared to premium tyres that have to be removed at four or five mm for retreading. The last mileage comparison gives the wrong notion.

Suggested solutions

l Investment in a proper tyre monitoring system.

l Multi-tiered and faceted training programmes on tyres for the selling staff and end-users sponsored by the tyre manufacturers.

l There now exists in Kenya and neighbouring countries UBER-like services for truck owners, applications like SENDY, LORI that can partner with tyre manufacturers to find holistic solutions beneficial to tyre end-users.

l Eventually, tyre comments and reviews, such as the ones trending on tyrereviews.com, will surface for truck tyres, enabling the end-users to share their experiences on tyres and purchase quality tyres.

Benchmarking of tyre mileage across fleets in the same industry is grey area. Though standardisation can be implemented in the way data is collected, analysed and reported, benchmarking of data does not guarantee workability. Hence, tyre data belonging to fleet A cannot guarantee approximate or equal tyre mileage in fleet B even when the transporters are in the same industry. However, I have in the past set mileage contests in fleets between drivers with a benchmark and received tremendous benefits to the fleets

Big Foot in the title of the article

So what does BIG FOOT have to do with this article? To grapple with the answer, you need to remember the look and feel of the Hairy Monster Big Foot (Sasquatch) in the Six Million Dollar Man movie. Rarely seen but ever present.

The acronym BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) refers to the long-term plans that companies must set to in order to ensure long-term survival. The term was coined in the book ‘Built to last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies’ by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras.

Tracking the Big Foot in Africa (BONGO) has been an elusive affair mainly because of the lack of coherent data (FOOTPRINTS) from most of the transporting concerns. If a blueprint existed from the tyre manufacturers on how tyre mileages should be tracked and reported, this would go a long way in improving conditions on how tyre mileage lives are reported. The easy thing to do is to produce a disposable onetime-use tyre. This is no different to a fetal abortion. ‘Tyre abortion’ in a fleet therefore is the premature removal of tyres before they are adjudged to have been used optimally. Tyres need to be cared for throughout their lives for transporters to harness their potentials

Ideal experiments are normally carried out in a laboratory. Closest comparison to a lab in the transport industry would be a Formula 1 race track. Our everyday transporters face nothing close to these ideal conditions, and therefore, tyre mileage data comparisons cannot meet the threshold of uniformity. The deviations between the empirical and uniform theoretical data are so diverse that a salesman would have better luck guessing which direction a dog will wag its tail. n

IoT-enabled GPS-Integrated Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

By Helixtap Team

THAI PRICES CLOSE TO NEGATIVE MARGINS TO COMPETE WITH INDO RUBBER

l Thai producers selling at prices close to negative margins due to continued downward pressure in TSR prices and competition with Indo rubber

l Thai margin seeing a reduction over Indo margin since June due to a shrinking gap in prices for both raw materials and processed rubber

l Indonesian market participants who previously explored importing Thai raw materials for processing are less likely to do so due to the reduction in the raw material price spread

The past two months, from mid-July to early September this year, saw the Helixtap STR20 price spread over Thai raw materials decline towards USD 219/mt in late August. Earlier in June, the same spread was at the highest weekly value of USD 491/ mt since September last year. With that drop, Thai producers have been approaching margins that are close to incurring losses despite a stronger US dollar cushioning some of this impact. As of early September, the average factory costs are THB 7-8/kg for processing. Factoring in exchange rates and taking the higher end of THB 8/kg, this translates to approximately USD 219/mt to produce STR20. These costs reflect Thai producers selling at prices almost in the territory of negative margins.

On the other hand, the Indo SIR20 price spread over Indo

raw materials reflected a similar reduction in mid-August. This Indo margin dipped below USD 100/mt for the first time since February. On 1st September this year, it also recorded the biggest intraday drop in SIR20 prices since late October last year, for a USD 40/mt decrease. In the Indo market, an approximate factory cost per metric tonne in Indonesia would cost USD 236/mt to produce SIR20. Processing costs are well above physical price margins over raw materials, signifying a continued trend of negative margins in the Indonesian rubber market. Assuming USD 236/mt as a flat processing cost, Indo processors have been incurring losses since early December last year, where the weekly margin was at USD 269/mt. Since the start of this year, this weekly average price margin has not increased above USD 200/mt for a total of 35 consecutive weeks, or almost nine months, based on Helixtap data. Such a prolonged period of negative margins led to a couple of factories in Indonesia shutting down in June. Two factories of Pt Prasidha Aneka Niaga in Palembang closed down, with a few others struggling even when running at 50 percent capacity, according to market sources.

In the past two months, the difference between the STR20 margin over Thai raw materials and SIR20 margin over Indo raw materials has narrowed since a high of USD 352/mt in late June 2022. At that point, the Thai margin was about 3.5 times the Indo margin and has since trended back down towards 1.4 times for the week ending 26 August this year. This difference narrowed to USD 63/mt and was last observed to be below USD 100/mt in April.

Thai margin seeing a reduction over Indo margin since June due to a shrinking gap in prices for both raw materials and processed rubber

One factor behind the narrowing margin since June 2022 was the reduction in both the intraregional spread between STR20 and SIR20 as well as between Thai

raw materials and Indo raw materials. Previously, Helixtap SIR20 had a premium of USD 72/mt in June, falling by about half to USD 37/mt in September. Similarly, Indo raw material prices had a premium of USD 424/mt over Thai raw materials prices, which has fallen by almost USD 250/mt to USD 172/mt over the same period.

Over the past month, the intraregional spread between Helixtap STR20 prices and SIR20 prices was observed to return towards par. A USD 8/mt discount, the narrowest amount in the past four months, was recorded in late August. An intra-regional spread close to par was last observed in mid-April this year, where both prices were trading close to their daily highs since the beginning of the year at close to USD 1,850/mt. Historically, STR20 prices have traded at a discount 73 percent of the time to SIR20 prices. A race in prices downwards across both regions would most likely impact margins in both locales further. When comparing TSR grades of STR and SIR, both grades have seen prices move downwards to about USD 1,350/mt at the end of August. This is in contrast to earlier months of May through July, where the average intra-regional spread for Helixtap STR20 over SIR20 prices hovered at a USD 60 discount. This spread has since narrowed to a USD 36/mt discount over August this year.

Indonesian processors who stopped buying Indo raw materials and explored importing Thai raw materials due to their relatively lower cost are now less likely to continue doing so. This may be due to the Thai raw material price spread over Indo raw materials narrowing towards USD 87/mt at the end of August.

The chart above shows imports of HS400129 for raw materials from

Ivory Coast and Thailand from last September till July this year against the raw materials price spread between Indonesia and Thailand. The data seems to suggest that whenever the Indo raw materials price premium over Thai raw materials price narrows to around USD 100/ mt, the attractiveness to import Thai raw materials into Indonesia falls and raw material imports from Ivory Coast will increase. Such a trend happened conclusively in November 2021 and in March 2022. From November 2021 to March 2022, Indonesia imported around 37,000 mt of raw materials from Ivory Coast. This compares with just around 20,000 mt imports from Thailand during the same period. Outside of this time period, imports from Thailand were regular while imports from Ivory Coast were non-existent.

Higher raw material imports from Ivory Coast also coincided with lower unit cost compared to Thai imports. For March this year, Ivorian raw materials imported into Indonesia had a USD 1.04/kg unit price, while Thai raw materials imported into Thailand had a USD 1.57/kg unit price. These import values already have freight costs factored in, translating into an approximate 34 percent discount per kg for Ivorian raw materials. Such a discount might reflect the difference in quality. n

Helixtap physical rubber price assessments are market-surveyed prices across the supply chain and key demand nodes. These assessments are published based on a robust pricing methodology and are more reflective of the physical rubber market. For access to these price assessments, please scan the QR code.

Indonesian market participants previously exploring importing Thai raw materials for processing less likely to do so due to reduction in raw material price spread

SUSTAINABILITY

By Juili Eklahare

Sustainability All The Way!

Like every technology sector requires testing, so do the tyres that come with any vehicle. It is important that the tyres of a vehicle function smoothly on different roads and under all weather conditions. This results in tyre manufacturers conducting a number of vital tests to ensure that their tyres perform when the end user sits behind the wheel. Dr Dieter Barz, Director – Sales and Service, and Executive Board Member at Altracon, a company that provides tyre and material property testing solutions and configurations, throws light on tyre testing standards, how the Indian market is one of the major markets of the future for tyre testing and how the future is about sustainability.

the tyre has to show that it is capable of fulfilling those standards. And that is the role of tyre testing.

What kind of regulation, according to you, will fuel more demand for testing businesses?

The future is about sustainability. Energy consumption is one of the most important factors and is influenced by a lot of things. If we look at compound development, we have to find compounds that have low rolling resistance and low damping in order to be energy efficient. So the focus on tyre testing will be in terms of sustainability and energy consumption, looking into the compounds and the complete tyre as well. These are two very important elements to look into.

Does the Asian market require different testing machines?

In general, no. You have different standards to prove, although the test machines are more or less the same. The software program that you run for the test is what stands.

Which is the most exciting market for Altracon right now?

As sustainability is a global project, there are no priority markets. However, we also see that India is developing very fast. Therefore, the demand for tyre testing, now and in the future, will be very high in India. Hence, India will definitely be a focus market in the future.

Can you elaborate more on this? What is Altracon’s scope in the Indian market?

What is the role of testing in tyre development as a whole?

When a customer buys a tyre, they, of course, have to be sure that the tyre is safe, comfortable to ride and not noisy. Therefore, tyre testing is essential.

The tyre is a very complex, built-up element. As for tyre testing in general, it is split up into several areas. For one, there’s subjective testing, like the feeling of driving a car, for instance. This would be the tyre performance. Then there’s tyre measurement. When it comes to tyre measurement, it’s very important that during the development process, one proves that the tyre is fulfilling various standards. These standards are different for different countries – there are European, American, Japanese or Asian standards and so on. But on the whole,

Altracon is already very well known in the Indian market. In fact, we offer machines that directly suit the country’s requirements. Plus, along with our machines, we also provide tools that are sustainable. For example, we offer special energy management to operate the machine. Besides, we also offer machine programmes that help shorten development processes, thus enhancing sustainability by reducing manufacturing and testing efforts. This saves fuel and reduces emissions and pollution.

Can you tell us a bit about the services provided by Altracon? How do you make sure that your customers receive timely and the most effective service possible?

In the past, we have experienced that the online service we provide fulfils more than 90 percent of customer requirements. If there is any issue with the machine, we start a remote service via the internet in order to look into the machine and solve the problem along with the customer. We have a very fast response time and low costs as there is no travelling involved. We go out to the customer in person and fix the machine only if it is really needed. n

Dr Dieter Barz, Director – Sales and Service, and Executive Board Member at Altracon

Transforming Operations Sustainably

The tyre industry is under great pressure to become more environmentally conscious and more sustainable than before, and this pressure can only grow over the years ahead. VMI, as an industry leader, is transforming almost every part of its operations to meet higher standards of sustainability. In this article, Herman Hodes, Global Manager for Quality and ESG, explains just what they are doing, how they are involving their workforce in this historic effort, what insights they can share and what these changes could mean for customers.

Making sustainability our top priority

What do we mean by sustainability? In simple business terms, being sustainable means your business model and operational characteristics are designed to remain viable for the long term, from an economic, social and environmental perspective. It means investors can confidently back you, customers can buy your products and services, and employees can dedicate their working lives to building the business, knowing that you have a viable future.

Of course, it is not just up to us as individual businesses. You might build the most sustainable business model imaginable, but if others don’t do the same, none of this will be enough. And this is urgent, after all. The regular UN IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) reports have underlined how close we are coming to true climate breakdown, and how catastrophic that might be for us. We can also see the impact of climate change in our own lives, happening right now. It’s affecting all of us, as industries, societies and people.

So what can we do about it? No single business can mitigate climate change on its own. We can all play our part, however, within a growing, integrated effort to improve resilience, build long-term sustainability and eliminate the environmental damage caused by carbon emissions and pollution. We need to show commitment, focus and determination. This is how we at VMI are facing up to our responsibilities.

How do we foster sustainability?

At VMI, we have identified four major focus areas in the drive to become more and more sustainable, year

Herman Hodes, Global Manager for Quality and ESG, VMI

on year. We are investing time, money and, above all, commitment into all these areas, and the results are already clearly visible in terms of environmental and market performance.

First, be compliant. Though VMI is a global business, we are headquartered in the EU, which imposes the highest environmental and sustainability regimes in the world for Climate Change Mitigation and Climate Change Adaptation. It is our legal duty to prove compliance through detailed, timely reporting, but we are going further still.

Our parent company, TKH, requires us to reach the highest standards in 21 different parameters of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) performance. That covers everything from becoming carbon neutral (environment) to being a champion of equality (social) and managing all stakeholders and relationships with scrupulous fairness and honesty (governance).

We have mobilised our own people across the company to get involved in all of these actions and are making compliance a basic and essential part of everything we do.

Second, improve our own operations. TKH has tasked us at VMI to become fully carbon neutral by 2030, and this is now part of our core business goals. Our task, therefore, is to become greener and fairer in everything we do, so a key task is to scrutinise all our operations to systematically reduce energy use and waste. Actions include using only electric vehicles; making maximum use of solar panels installed on our factory roofs to provide as much electricity as possible from renewable sources; using natural air flow for ventilation rather than air conditioning and finally recycling everything

At our plants, we work to apply the classic sustainability approach of Reuse, Recycle and Reclaim as the key to reducing energy use and creating waste. We routinely recycle as many items used in production as possible. Employees at all VMI plants are personally involved in the search for efficiencies and know how they can contribute to reducing energy use, cutting down on emissions and eliminating everything that might pollute the environment. Our original and still largest factory stands in green fields, surrounded by farms. That helps to keep us green!

Third, make better use of technology. Designing and building efficient technology platforms is what we do, so the largest contribution we can make to positive environmental performance is by making our own machines more sustainable. So, step by step, we have introduced new systems, products and methods designed to cut out process stages, dramatically reduce energy costs and also find new ways to deal with the environmental impact that is an integral part of the tyre industry.

Our core tyre building platform, the MAXX, for example, has been upgraded and enhanced through new vision systems (greater accuracy, lower wastage), controls (fewer touch points, less downtime, better operator safety) and data (faster intervention, full audit pedigree of each product). Building a tyre now takes less time and uses less energy, while our technology approach makes the best possible use of modularity. The platform is designed for upgrading and updating as new advancements appear. That is in itself a dramatic improvement on past working practices. And that’s not the whole story.

Our new Revolute bead apex machine, introduced this year, uses extensive robotic automation and new design features (such as the ‘flip over’ apex) to

cut down on materials used and reduce wastage by applying only one cut to the material, not two. The new design also permits use of wider compound options, enabling tyres with high-efficiency characteristics, such as lower rolling resistance, to be built at higher speed and lower cost.

We are also rethinking the use of LAT100, our muchadmired laboratory compound tester, to enable a stronger focus on how rubber abrasion causes particle emissions, which are rightly becoming a major cause for concern today. An ongoing research project, with a Tier 1 tyre company and two universities, is enabling VMI to explore how compound options can be tested, not just for such factors as rolling resistance and grip, but also for their propensity to emit dangerous particles. Rubber compound is the only part of a vehicle that is in continuous contact with the road. By testing abrasion characteristics in the laboratory, VMI aims to establish ways to measure particle generation from tyres, enabling manufacturers to reduce particle emission, reducing both air and water pollution, faster and more efficiently than by using road testing alone.

Fourth, collaborate. One of the key measurements of improved sustainability performance is the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 1 to 3 requirements. This presents

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a phased approach to performance improvement, starting with Scope 1 and Scope 2 (reducing emissions in your own business) and then moving to Scope 3 (reducing emissions within the value chain). Scope 3, now coming into force, requires organisations to reduce emissions across their entire value chain, including from upstream stakeholders, such as direct or indirect suppliers, and downstream stakeholders, such as customers and their end users. All have to be included in our Scope 3 approach.

VMI has always realised that sustainability is not something you do alone but together with partners and customers. Our renewed emphasis on service is designed to move from reactive (something goes wrong, so we send an engineer) to proactive (extend reliability levels and asset life, use remote monitoring to identify issues in advance, manage maintenance to limit downtime, optimise to enhance operational efficiency…).

This approach, based on our new 24/7 helpdesk and online performance diagnostics, is designed to help customers extract maximum benefit from VMI’s services to deliver a joint approach to sustainability improvements.

Our four-stage approach has enabled us to improve sustainability in every key area – but this is not the full story. What happens next?

Priorities for the future

We support and serve the global automotive industry, which is likely to evolve faster than ever over the next 20 to 30 years. We will almost certainly see not only a historic shift from fossil fuel power to electric vehicles,

a process happening much faster than previously expected, but also significant growth in use of autonomous vehicles, which could lead to new entrants in the field, new ownership models and entirely new business relationships.

We are also seeing major changes in the current model of globalisation, which is characterised by long supply chains and centralised manufacturing. Most large businesses are suffering from supply chain problems and many governments are strongly encouraging ‘reshoring’, based on smaller manufacturing units closer to end user customers. In other words, the entire industry is facing major structural changes, some of which will have major implications for sustainability and environmental performance.

Reducing the distance travelled by products, components, raw materials and sub-assemblies, for example, could have a dramatic and positive effect on energy use and emissions. Reducing the particles released by tyres may become the next major focus for the industry as air pollution becomes the single biggest cause for concern in cities across the world.

It is not necessary, or possible, to predict the future with any certainty, but it IS necessary to keep sustainability in all its dimensions at the heart of strategy, decision-making, attitudes and behaviours. VMI is determined to be a sustainable business and to play its part in helping customers be more sustainable as well. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we can be ready for the challenge, and we will do that by applying the right principles, consistently, in everything we do. n

By Gaurav Nandi

Hankook Aims To Bolster Sustainability Goals In Europe Through New Hammelburg Factory

The newly built plant at Hammelburg, Germany, was established following a pentup demand from Hankook’s expansive clientele. The plant spans over 2,000m2 in the whopping 15,000m2 facility. The new plant has enabled the tyre major to double its Alphatread production capacity to 100,000 units a year.

a pent-up demand from its expansive clientele. The plant spans over 2,000m2 in a whopping 15,000m2 facility.

According to Manfred Zoni, TBR Sales Director at Hankook Reifen Deutschland, said. “With the completion of the new plant, we can meet the increased demand for hotretreaded tyres. Compared to the old factory, we have been able to almost double our production capacity. We can now produce up to 100,000 hotretreaded tyres each year. Alongside state-of-the-art technology, the decision to exclusively use A-carcasses helps to make Hankook Alphatread profiles the highest quality.”

European retreading space

The European retreading market has been in a challenging position for the last decade, with multiple challenges like the rise of single-use budget tyres, increased legislation and regulation and rising costs of operation.

solutions,” informed Guy Heywood, Vice President, Marketing, Truck & Bus Tyres at Hankook Tire Europe.

“I think going forward we will see a market for high-quality retread tyres in Europe because they offer fleets an opportunity to reduce costs and environmental effects,” he added.

If retread continues to offer a quality product with close to premium performance at less cost and far less environmental impact and energy use, the market will continue to rise, said the executive.

The growing environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers and dealers. The requirements of the European Union are also playing an increasingly important role in the present situation.

Sustainability goals

Guy Heywood

The increasing demand for sustainability in the global tyre industry has resulted in major OEMs focusing their attention to come up with avenues to realise the feat. In line with this, South Korean retreading major Hankook Tire established a new hot-retreading factory for its Alphatread brand to bolster its sustainability goals.

The newly built plant at Hammelburg, Germany, was established following

The truck and bus radial retread market has witnessed a 25 percent slump in production numbers compared to its peak in 2011 when production stood at 5.6 million tyres. Presently, retreaded tyres account for 20 percent of all tyres sold, falling from 30 percent market share held in 2011.

“After a rapid consolidation in volumes up to 2018, we have seen a stabilisation in the size of the market, partially because of the imposition of a European anti-dumping tariff on Chinese tyre imports and a resurgence in interest from fleets in cost-effective and environmentally friendly tyre

Alluding to how the new factory will realise the company’s sustainability goals, Heywood said, “Hankook has set an industry benchmark target of 100 percent sustainability and carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this goal, we must work on all aspects of our business: materials, production, in-use phase of tyres and also the end of life reuse or recycling.”

“Retreading is an almost perfect example of a circular economy where the original tyres are firstly re-grooved to extend the in-use phase of the first tyre life. They are then rebuilt close to a new tyre standard via hot-cure retreading, and these retread tyres are again regroovable for a second time before the used tyre casing can be finally recycled. The Alphatread tyre

enables the saving of 70 percent of raw materials and 29 percent of land used in growing rubber and also leads to 24 percent less C02 emissions, 21 percent less air pollution from particulate emissions and 19 percent less water consumption. So it is a significant lever in the drive for 100 percent sustainability in Europe,” he added.

Premium carcass

Answering whether Hankook’s highquality carcass can be retreaded multiple times, the executive affirmed, “We design and build retreadability into all of our premium TBR tyres. Practically, this means we add extra reinforcement into the casing construction to withstand the effects

of a second hot-cure process when retreading. We know that this strength is recognised by the market as our casings are used by all independent retreaders.”

The company uses first life category-A casings in Alphatread, so the casing is used only one time for retreading. Hankook premium tyres and casings deliver up to 250 percent tyre life. “We’re talking about the four lives of a commercial vehicle tyre. For the first life, we equip it with a more voluminous undertread than usual. This enables the second life, which is the regrooving of the profile. This extends the service life of a commercial vehicle tyre by around 25 percent. The Alphatread retread corresponds to the third life of a

Hankook commercial vehicle tyre, which - in the fourth life - can be regrooved again,” explained Heywood.

Hot vs cold retread

Comparing the demand for hot and cold retreading, Heywood informed, “We are seeing a growth in hot-cure retread sales in Europe, and today the market is divided almost equally between hot and cold processes.”

“Both processes can deliver quality retread products if good quality casings are used and the retread process is managed well. Environmentally, both solutions deliver similar gains in energy, material and C02 savings,” he added.

Hankook chose to focus its retread approach initially on Alphatread hot-cure product, because it has the volume to justify the mould investment, and is targeting tyre performance.

“The perception of the market suggests that hot-cure retreads are a more premium product because of the curing process, which is the same as new tyres, and also the fact that most hot-cure retreads also have renovated sidewall veneers. This means the end product is as close to the new tyres in terms of production and aspects as possible,” said Heywood.

Cold-cure retreads have a place in the European market because the process of developing new tyres is more flexible and less costly. So, for remote locations or for producing tyres in smaller sales volumes, cold cure is the most viable option.

Futuristic scope

The company envisions a bright future for Alphatread hot retreading in Europe because it delivers a product with close to new performance at 70 percent of the cost of a new tyre, as well as because the manufacturing process saves raw materials, water, energy and C02. This means this process can contribute to the delivery of the Paris climate agreement for emissions reduction and also support its fleet partners in their continuous drive for reduced costs of operation.

“We also see a future for the cold-cure retread process as this can provide similar cost and environmental

savings with a far lower financial investment. This process makes sense where the retread facilities are smaller, production volumes are too low to justify the hot-cure process and mould investment or the logistics mean aggregation of retread production is not viable. These conditions are the case for many markets in the European Union, and we do not see this changing significantly in the medium term. So we will see hot-cure and coldcure processes operating within the European Union for some time,” he said.

Seamless supply

The company has recognised the need to offer a broader range of products and also to set up production in multiple locations across Europe.

To ensure a seamless supply chain, Hankook is investing in new moulds for all of the five production locations across Europe and has started an investment programme to significantly increase the capacity.

“Our vision is to have the major retread products available to all of our European Union customers from our European warehouses or retread production facilities. We are investing in retreading when many in our industry are reducing their industrial capacity, because we are 100 percent convinced that retread products are key to offering our fleet partners the lowest cost of operation and also the most sustainable tyre solution,” averred Heywood.

SmartLife solutions

Explaining Hankook’s SmartLife solutions, the executive said, “It is a process we are promoting which will enable all of our fleet partners to extract 100 percent of the value we build into our premium TBR tyres.”

Hankook TBR tyres are built with multiple tread lives in mind. Its latest generation of tyres are built with extra durable compounds to deliver maximum mileage and fuel efficiency from the start.

Once the regrooved tyres are fully worn, the fleet can then take advantage of the extra strong tyre casing to retread the tyre, delivering close to new tyre mileage. In the Alphatread retread process, the company also adds 5-9 mm of extra rubber under the original tread to again allow a second regroove.

Hammelburg plant’s future

“We recently announced the results of our multi-million-euro investment in our owned retread facility in Hammelburg. Ever since we acquired Reifen Muller in 2018, we have been investing in new moulds and additional capacity. We did this to boost the volume and range of retreads available across Europe. We have a total capacity of 100,000 retreads and can expand this further as we develop our range and Hankook SmartLife fleet sales,” informed Heywood while alluding to future plans about the new plant.

“Our expectation is that Hammelburg will be the benchmark Alphatread facility in Europe and will provide the full range of retread products to meet the needs of our German as well as European fleet partners. So we anticipate further investment in the site in future to develop the range and volumes,” he added.

The company is also investing in four other European facilities to boost volumes and range of available products.

Shedding light on its activities in the Asian market, the executive revealed that Hankook has a retread business in Korea, which is supporting the development of new tyre sales. The company is currently working on a long-term plan to expand its retreading business in Korea. n

RETREADING

By Gaurav Nandi

India Inches Closer To Attaining A Sustainable Tyre Industry

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has included retreaders in its new guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility for waste tyres,

inching towards attaining a sustainable tyre industry. The move comes after deliberations by the Tyre Retreading Education Association (TREA) over its earlier draft notification issued

on 31 December 2021, which overlooked the contributions of retreaders in recycling waste tyres.

According to media reports, India accounts for 6-7 percent

(Representative image) Photo credit: Vipal Retread

of global waste tyre reserves. In light of the indigenous tyre industry growing at 12 percent a year, waste volumes are hiking. Although the country has been recycling and reusing waste tyres for over four decades, estimates point out that 60 percent of them are disposed through illegal dumping.

Welcoming the move on behalf of India’s retreading sector, Hemant Kaul, Chief Executive Officer, Marangoni India, expressed gratitude saying, “The ministry has awarded us with a great opportunity through this policy, and it is important that all proponents of the value chain, i.e. manufacturers, recyclers, retreaders and fleet owners, work together for making it successful. The policy bestows certain responsibilities on the OEMs, and recyclers and retreaders have an equal amount of obligation while processing the tyres.”

Recycling guidelines

The new guidelines state that OEMs have to recycle 35 percent of tyres manufactured or imported in 2020-2021 by 20222023. In 2023-2024, OEMs have to recycle 70 percent of tyres manufactured or imported in 2021-2022, while for 2024-2025, EPR obligations state that 100 percent of tyres manufactured or imported in 2022-2023 have to be recycled. Following 2025, EPR responsibility mandates OEMs to recycle 100 percent of tyres manufactured or imported each year.

The EPR guidelines for waste tyre importers mandate recycling 100 percent of the imports made each year. However, the ministry has prohibited imports for producing pyrolysis oil or char.

The EPR obligations allow retreaders to retread waste tyres but only upon getting registered on the Central Pollution Control Board portal and obtaining a retreading certificate.

Industry talk

Commenting on the move, Vijay Srinivas, CEO, Indag Rubber, said, “TREA and the

retreading industry participants certainly welcome the move by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This recognises the vital role retreaders plays in bringing down the environmental footprint –which is well documented by TREA. While the focus was always on the economic benefits of retreading to the fleet owners and operators, this puts the spotlight on the environmental benefits of retreading. It is a great beginning, and it is good to be a part of the EPR ecosystem.”

Speaking about how the new guidelines will bolster the country’s sustainability goals, the executive averred, “Any sustainable development goal focuses on circular economy. Therefore, the focus should be on the three pillars, namely reduce, reuse and recycle. It is important to recognise that all the three pillars are important to reduce environment footprint and promote circular economy.”

“The decision of the government to include retreaders recognises the important contribution of ‘Re-use’ in promoting circular economy. By producing the retreading certificates, the extended producer responsibility can be deferred by one year for the corresponding quantity. This promotes the idea of retreading by duly recognising and incentivising in the EPR regime,” he added

Answering how retreaders are preparing for the new guidelines, he said, “We are awaiting further guidelines from the Central Pollution Control Board to understand the nuances and actual mechanics of the guidelines. TREA will continue to engage with the ministry and Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association to prepare a guideline for retreaders across the country for smooth implementation of EPR obligations.”

Commenting about the effect on the unorganised sector, Srinivas iterated, “This will accelerate formalising the retreading industry, which is already set in

motion after demonetisation and introduction of GST. More formalised and organised retreaders means promotion of scientific retreading practices, resulting in improved life of a retreaded tyre. At the end of the day, the fleet owner and operator should get lower cost-per-kilometre and a reliable retreaded tyre, which is maximised by the formalisation of this industry.”

Marangoni’s view

“The policy has indeed recognised retreaders as an important part of the tyre value chain. This policy is related to end-of-life tyres and the tyre value chain has retreading as an intermediate step that extends tyre life. The government’s intent is sustainability of the tyre value chain, and without retreaders, it remains incomplete. Hence, the ministry’s move to include retreaders not only adds more value to the policy but completes the value chain,” said Kaul.

Explaining how unorganised retreaders will be included in the policy, Kaul said that as retreading has been included in the policy, interested parties will have to get registered on the portal. Without registering on the portal, one cannot be part of the policy at all.

He also added that TREA’s biggest challenge would be to consolidate the unorganised players and bring them under the policy. The industry players will deliberate on how to disseminate the ministry’s guidelines among all stakeholders and bring them together. As India is a large country, the consolidation will not happen overnight, but with proper planning, the feat can be achieved.

The new guidelines certainly have added another feather to India’s commitment to sustainability. The indigenous retreading industry is in full swing to implement the guidelines, showing support to this environmentally friendly endeavour. n

LAUNCH

By Arushi Kak

BRIDGESTONE INDIA INTRODUCES PREMIUM CAR TYRE WITH 29% LONGER LIFE

Bridgestone India launched the Bridgestone STURDO, a next-generation tyre that provides 29 percent more life for the passenger vehicle segment, focusing on the demand for longer life. STURDO will be available in 27 sizes ranging from 12-16 inches variants for cars across the hatch, the premium hatch and the mid-sedan segment across its dealer outlets.

Bridgestone STURDO, according to the company, provides a 29 percent longer life, a 6 percent reduction in rolling resistance and a 4 percent increase in wet grip index when compared to currently available tyres.

Rajarshi Moitra, Chief Commercial Officer of Bridgestone India, talked about the new range by saying, “STURDO is the effort of our local technical

team working closely with our two global tech centres made for the Indian market.” Moitra gave an insight into how the tyre has a 29 percent longer life by saying, “These new range tyres have an improved 2-ply construction in the sidewalls to deliver stronger durability for Indian road conditions. The 3D triangular block structure helps in better driving safety, thus dealing with better-wet gripping, which is a core parameter. The tyres also come with a special tread compound used to increase wear-resistant properties, resulting in longer tyre life and a 29 percent longer life than the current products.”

Bridgestone entered India around 25 years ago, and today it has two plants – one at Indore, which manufactures passenger car tyres, while its Pune plant produces passenger and bus/truck radial tyres. Today,

the Japanese tyre company produces 30,000 tyres per day and around 99 percent of the company’s business is met through Indian operations. Bridgestone also claims it holds the leading position in the passenger car tyre segment due to the introduction of high-end products.

Deepak Gulati, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer, spoke about their marketing campaign ‘Zamana Badal Jayega, Bridgestone STURDO Chalta hi Jayega’ and referred the campaign to the most common question

in India, ‘Kitna Lamba Chalega’, which underlines the longevity of the product.

He continued, “We have a very strong and holistic marketing campaign for several touchpoints to bring this idea to life. Now, we focus a lot on regional marketing; that’s where the consumer interest is going. We also have a strong digital marketing plan, and we will reach out to about 1.3 billion audiences through our digital plan.” n

In conversation with Parag Satpute, Managing Director at Bridgestone India…

How is Bridgestone India adapting to digitisation??

So, over the last four years, we have invested heavily in digitisation. We also have invested in a dealer management system and sales force automation. We are now working with an integrated supply chain plan. As a leading global tyre company, we have much expertise from our plants from all over the world. So, in the coming years, we are investing heavily in smart factories, which will connect all our equipment and ensure that there is a seamless connection between demand and our production.

Connected and driverless vehicles are getting introduced nowadays. How are your tyres supporting these vehicles? Is there a change in design that your company has adopted?

For connected vehicles and smart tyres, not necessarily a change in design. We have a technical team sitting in our centre in Rome, called the Digital Garage, where they are working on developing these sensors that go into the tyres, but more importantly, in the algorithm and the software because of data on its own. Sensors will give data, and data on its own will not provide much value. The kind of intelligence you can draw from this data and the algorithm you need to turn this data into something actionable is essential.

We have a team in Rome and invested in a team in India to create this algorithm using artificial intelligence and machine learning. For example, we get tyre damage complaints; typically, our salespeople would have to go and inspect it and then say if it’s a valid complaint or not. Now our dealers have to take a picture and send it to us.

We have developed an algorithm that can look at the picture and respond within a minute to what kind of claim it is and whether it’s accepted or not.

So it’s a huge improvement.

What is the pricing of these tyres?

As you saw, we launched Bridgestone STURDO, which gives up to 29 percent more life and does

not compromise on rolling resistance and wet grip, which is about safety. Despite all of this, we want to launch it at a price range within the band of the current product because we believe that we can deliver significant value to the customers.

Are your products available on any online platform?

We don’t have any online platform for ourselves, but we are working on an omnichannel initiative – but I know that our dealers put our products on Amazon or other portals. But there is a very typical problem with tyres. To fit them, you need specialised equipment and skills; you have to go to a dealer. We are looking to enable our dealers to do this on the doorstep; so what we call the ‘select on wheels’ is where the customer can contact the dealer and the dealer will send a van that will come to their home and fix the tyres there.

What is the warranty of these new tyres?

We offer an unconditional warranty on this range of tyres.

How is your company coping with the climatic changes that affect the rubber industry?

So I showed in my presentation that our founder believes that corporate has to contribute to society, creating sustainability. We have been working with it in three ways. One is within our operations; we have significantly invested a lot in using renewable energy, solar and biomass. Secondly, the products we develop are more fuel efficient, which helps with sustainability, and our parent company is helping develop rubber that is also more sustainable.

How are you planning to cater to the electric vehicle segment in terms of wear and tear?

So the electric vehicle is a very interesting segment. As you elude it, it puts high wear and tears on the tyres due to the high torque. We have the technology globally because we have already been doing that business for many years in Europe, Japan and the US. So we have the technology and are investing in it to bring it back to India. n

BRIDGESTONE ON EXPANSION SPREE

Tyre

major Bridgestone has announced several investments in its plants to ramp up production across the globe.

The company will invest around USD 12.6 million in its plant at Nasu, Japan, to expand its supplying capability and strengthen the implementation of a premium business strategy for motorcycle tyres.

From 2026, it will gradually expand the annual production capacity of premium motorcycle tyres to approximately 90,000 units.

By further expanding its production and supplying capability for premium motorcycle tyres, the Bridgestone Group will accelerate sales of BATTLAX tyre range and help promote a wide range of sustainable motorsports activities globally while continuously providing ‘Driving Excitement’ in 10 years, 20 years and beyond.

HPT Output in Brazil

Bridgestone Brazil will invest USD 51million in the modernisation and expansion of its plant in Camaçari in the state of Bahia to meet the growing market demand for high-performance tyres. The new investment brings the company’s total investments announced for the Bahia plant since 2021 to more than USD 185 million.

The additional investment will be used to deploy new manufacturing technologies and the industry 4.0 concepts, including artificial intelligence control technology and the application of knowledge and data in a digital manufacturing environment. The company said that the investment will also create 126 permanent jobs.

Vicente Marino, President of Bridgestone Latin America South, attended the official ceremony alongside Rui Costa, Governor of the State of Bahia, and his team. “This investment is part of our strategic plan for sustainable growth in Brazil, focused on the premium tyre market and the production of tyres for more sustainable and electric/ hybrid vehicles, which reinforces our commitment and the country’s strategic position for the company’s global business,” said Vicente. “This expansion is also a major

capability play for Bridgestone, as we look to deliver on sustainable solutions journey with products that will be incorporated with digital readiness.”

USD 550 million investment in TBR plant in US

Bridgestone Americas will invest USD 550 million to expand and modernise its Warren County, Tennessee, Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyre plant in Morrison. The investment will expand the plant’s existing footprint by 850,000 square feet to support increased capacity and accelerate the use of advanced technologies that support cleaner, safer and more efficient commercial truck and bus fleets.

It will also create 380 new jobs, taking the company’s workforce to 10,000 in the US.

With the investment, the Warren plant will produce TBR tyres equipped with RFID, which will help in more efficient asset management and optimisation of fleets’ investments in tyres, including retreading.

To enhance fleet management’s efficiency, the plant will incorporate technology for digital readiness in tyres, including integrating tyre-mounted sensors that support advanced, data-driven insights.

Bridgestone will also invest in AI control technology that increases productivity and the application of knowledge and data in a digital manufacturing environment. Combined technologies will help accelerate the company’s progress toward its sustainability goals, including carbon neutrality, by 2050.

The expansion, which will increase the plant area from 1.97 million to more than 2.8 million square feet, is expected to start before 2022 and be completed by 2024.

“With new investment and jobs, we are moving our Warren County plant forward, driven by growing demand for our products, our commitment to investing in US manufacturing and our Warren team’s dedication to innovation, efficiency and quality for our customers. We appreciate the state of Tennessee and Warren County’s committed partnership, which we celebrate today as an essential element of this plant’s continued success,” said Paolo Ferrari, president & CEO of Bridgestone Americas. “Our Warren County plant team plays a vital role in supporting our company’s commitment to providing safe and sustainable mobility solutions.”

Investment in NR plantations in Asia

Bridgestone will invest USD 26.7 million by 2030 to strengthen investments in natural rubber plantations it owns in Southeast Asia.

With the investment, Bridgestone targets ensuring a sustainable supply of natural rubber, a material used in producing tyres. It will bolster its initiatives to contribute to circular economies and carbon neutrality across the entire value chain through the sustainable operation of natural rubber plantations. n

Bridgestone Americas will invest USD 550 million to expand and modernise its Warren County, Tennessee, Truck and Bus Radial (TBR) tyre plant in Morrison

DR WILLIAM MARS HONOURED WITH HERZLICH MEDAL

DrWilliam V Mars, PhD, PE, received the Herzlich Medal recently at the International Tire Exhibit and Conference (ITEC), the largest tyre manufacturing trade show and conference in North America.

The award is bestowed every alternate year to recognise a tyre industry pioneer whose career and accomplishments have improved the industry, leaving a lasting impact on tyre design, development and manufacturing.

Receiving this medal is a pinnacle point in Dr Mars’ lifetime quest to improve how rubber products are designed and brought to market.

Dr Mars is an international leader in the failure mechanics of rubber, and his career has focused on applying experimental and computational mechanics in pursuit of better-performing rubber products. He is the author of the Endurica fatigue life solver – the world’s first commercially available and most highly-validated simulation for fatigue analysis of rubber.

He is the founder and president of Endurica LLC, a firm whose solutions are used by 13 of the top 20 global rubber product producers.

Dr Mars has over 30 years of experience developing testing and simulation methods in the rubber industry, including 16 years at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. He earned his Honors BSME with Polymer Specialisation at the University of Akron and his MS and PhD degrees at the University of Toledo. He has also served as the Chief Editor of both Rubber Chemistry and Technology and Tire Science and Technology. He has over 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications and four patents in elastomer durability.

Medal presenter Bruce Meyer, Editor of Rubber News, noted his relationship with Harold Herzlich, whose career spanned decades in the tyre industry, decades more as an expert in tyre forensic cases and more than a couple additional decades as Technical Editor of Rubber & Plastics News

Herzlich served as the Founding Conference Chairman for ITEC and 10 subsequent ITEC conferences. “I worked with Harold for many years,” explained Meyer. ““He truly was one of the good guys of the tyre industry. And that’s appropriate, because today we are honouring Will Mars, Founder and President of Endurica LLC. And I can say definitively that Will also is one of the good guys in our industry.”

“Harold Herzlich himself is retired, (but) he did serve on the committee tasked with choosing a winner from among the highly qualified nominees. I asked him to send along a message for me to share, and this is what he had to say: ‘‘Even though I had very limited contact with Will, I, like many technical people in the industry, was aware of, and depended upon, his very capable and generous contributions as Editor to the Rubber Division’s highly regarded Rubber Chemistry and Technology. Will went beyond his publication activities and contributed actual hardware and software capabilities that are already accelerating the industry’s innovation process worldwide.” n

Key impacts of Dr William V Mars’ career on the tyre industry:

l Pioneered Critical Plane Analysis that enables accurate tyre life prediction under complex loads.

l Explained the phenomenon of improvement in fatigue life of the sidewall compounds in inflated tyres (strain crystallisation).

l Expanded Futamura’s deformation index to predict tradeoffs between stiffness, mode of control and durability.

l Developed incremental calculation method for elastomer fatigue analysis, enabling the simulation of multi-step durability tests, including FMVSS and high-speed protocols for tyres.

l Developed rapid test method to determine the long-term durability of rubber. The method reduces testing time from weeks (or months) to under one hour and is based on intrinsic strength/fatigue limit physics.

l Introduced fatigue crack growth testing protocols that produce more reliable data relative to prior methods.

l Current market adoption: 13 of the top 20 global rubber product producers are using Endurica methods today.

VMI SCALES UP GLOBAL TECH SUPPORT

Leading tyre-building machine maker VMI has ramped up its technical support service globally. It has launched a programme of investments to enhance its consistently high-level technical support.

VMI said this service is strategically based at three global locations in Yantai (Shandong Province, China), Epe (Netherlands) and Stow (Ohio, US), enabling each expert team to provide the same level of support across the globe.

Based on the Asset Management platform, the VMI technical support service enables engineers to respond fast and expertly when customers raise issues or questions. They can use remote monitoring for fast diagnosis, access the complete corporate knowledge of VMI’s engineering teams globally and respond with effective solutions.

Erik Lapré, VP of Global Services at VMI, said, “We understand that regardless of the location, customers need fast access to the best advice in support of key business priorities. For example, ensuring that production is not interrupted or avoiding quality issues such as excessive waste. The fastest way to deliver this support is through remote service centres, where customers can be certain of receiving the best insights, know-how and practical advice to resolve issues and get their operations back on track. As these centres all leverage the same infrastructure, information and processes, our services always stay consistent.”

Proactive and expert support meets agreed KPIs

The Asset Management platform ensures that support teams operate to best practice levels at all times, with new insights and experiences added to the database at once. Engineer scan collaborates with the customer to look at machine performance levels at the site, down to individual machine and component levels. They can simultaneously review the required service standards, KPIs and all agreement details. With customer permission, VMI can conduct regular reviews and proactively offer guidance and advice designed to enhance asset performance and extend useful life while improving sustainability and productivity.

Mike Norman, Chief Commercial Officer at VMI, said, “Customers are rightly insistent on high-security assurance levels where data is concerned. VMI’s solution is designed for fast response to customer needs, with all monitoring and data access carried out within strict, pre-agreed limits.”

Breaking new ground in service support

The Covid pandemic, coupled with the need to manage supply chains under stress at times of economic difficulty, showed that the traditional service method, which usually involves calling out an engineer onsite, is simply not fast or agile enough to deliver the support customers rightly demand today. VMI’s remote service support solution ensures expert intervention worldwide, when and where the customer needs it most. This enables most problems to be resolved fast, reducing costs, saving time and proving how valuable a more proactive approach can be. n

WHAT FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING SUV TYRES?

When buying a replacement tyre for your SUV, what are the questions that come to your mind? Mostly, we don’t care as we just go to a local shop and get the tyre fitted, without even asking about relevant things such as tread pattern, tyre type and the overall performance it would offer. Tyres are one of the most essential pieces of equipment in our car, and if we tend to ignore them, they would give problems at a later stage, and we might end up regretting our decision.

SUVs are currently the talk of the town, as this segment has grown remarkably in the past decade, with compact and mid-sized SUVs ruling the roost. So buying an SUV tyre becomes all-important due to the high demand for such vehicles and the purpose for which they are bought. Good SUV tyres can help the driver and passengers in many ways, such as ride quality, speed increment and decrement, braking, road grip etc.

The key responsibilities of the best SUV tyres are to provide high safety, assess and address the street conditions and deliver a comfortable ride quality. But at times, when you enter a tyre shop for purchase, seeing a variety of brands which differ in quality, cost and composition can give you a troublesome experience.

The replacement timetable of an SUV tyre can be between 40,000 and

Photo credit: Pirelli

70,000 km. However, the real question remains unanswered: when you plan to buy a tyre for your SUV, what things you should consider before choosing the right tyre? So here we mention some of the crucial factors you must look into before choosing the tyres for your SUV to derive the optimum comfort and performance from them.

Type of SUV

Given the blooming automotive space in India, there are now a plethora of SUVs available from compact to mid-sized and full-fledged ones. The type of SUV you have and the conditions they will be exposed to will essentially give you a general idea of what type of tyre you should purchase.

Mostly, SUVs are purchased for dual purposes, like for regular city commutes and occasional off-roading or driving in challenging conditions. So dual-purpose tyres are mostly considered ideal for all seasons and offer a nice balance of comfort, safety and performance. The 4X4 SUV tyres are made to resist the toughness of extreme off-roading while also providing decent driving on the tarmac.

Tread pattern

It doesn’t take rocket science to know that tyres are designed for a variety of applications and serve a specific purpose for a vehicle. The tread design is the decisive factor in all these tyres.

With the cut-off points and load limits mentioned on the sidewall markings, one can easily recognise the type of tyre it has been crafted for. The unidirectional tyre tread features a wide v-shaped pattern and contains thick grooves between the tread blocks. The fundamental role of these grooves is to draw away or efficiently channel the water and resist hydroplaning, especially when the SUV is at high speeds.

The tread in the-off roading SUV tyres have deep grooves and tread blocks to address extreme street conditions. Highway terrain tyres are typically meant to handle the tarmac or highways and are not suitable for long-term offroading. These all-purpose tyres mostly come factory-fitted with SUVs. These tyres generally give a silent ride quality while providing adequate durability in their lifetime.

Likewise, mud-terrain tyres are explicitly made for rough terrains and sustain rugged driving conditions, offering superior grip over unpaved and rocky trails. Mud-terrain tyres are the roughest form of off-roading tyres. The tread pattern of these tyres is typically aggressive and cannot be used on the tarmac for a long time.

Hence, a buyer needs to be smart enough to pick a tyre that is in line with the driving purpose. A tread pattern that offers better water channelling and adequate road grip is generally preferred by a large chunk of buyers.

Performance

SUV tyres are typically meant to bear the extra weight of the vehicle as compared to the tyres of a hatchback or sedan. And apart from the potential of holding the extra weight, the tyres for SUVs are manufactured to give outstanding performance in terms of acceleration, cornering, braking and high-speed stability. Overall, these tyres are safer in contrast to a normal passenger vehicle tyre.

Hence, the performance of a tyre remains one of the determining factors as to whether it is worth your investment or not.

Tyre size

Special attention must be paid to the tyre size. It is always preferable to buy new tyres by adhering to the manufacturer’s recommended size without going overboard. In many SUVs, you will find slightly smaller-sized tyres in the base or middle variants and a larger one on the top-end models. So, assuming you are going for a bigger tyre for a base SUV model, the safest option would be to select the tyre size of the top-end models.

For example, the tyre size for the base- and mid-variants of Mahindra Scorpio is 245/65 R17, while the top models have 255/60 R18 tyres. Here, 245 is the tyre width in mm and 65 is the percentage of the tread contributing to the sidewall; R stands for radial construction and 16 inches is the diameter of the wheel. If you want a larger tyre with more width, the ideal size could be 255/60 R16. Despite the expansion of the width, the reduced sidewall profile will check the overall diameter.

The difference should be under three percent of each other. Going too extreme in expansion may affect the odometer readings. So it is always preferable to go with the manufacturer’s recommended upsizing.

Load Index and speed rating

While choosing the right SUV tyre, one must know how to read a tyre or learn those alphanumerical codes written on a tyre. In the above pointer, we have already covered half of them; let’s move on further to decipher a tyre code. For instance, let’s assume you are choosing a tyre that reads 215/60 R17 92H; the 215/60 R17 stand for tyre and wheel dimensions, while the 92 denotes the load index, which means the overall weight a tyre can withstand.

In the load index chart, which you can easily find on the internet, 92 means the tyre can bear a load of up to 630 kilogrammes.

Likewise, the ‘H’ symbol signifies the speed rating. In the speed rating chart, ‘H’ means the tyre can reach a maximum speed of 209 kmph. The higher the number and alphabet in the load index and speed rating chart, the more the speed and loadbearing capability of a tyre. SUV tyres typically have a load index of over 90 and a speed rating of ‘S’ and above.

Brand reliability and warranty

When you go for purchasing an SUV tyre, the reputation of the manufacturer must be kept in mind. A good SUV tyre must come from a reliable brand, assuring the utmost safety of the passenger and providing a comfortable ride quality. Choosing a reputable brand will also ensure a longlasting tyre.

Moreover, look for a brand that provides an extended warranty on their product so that you are on the safe side in case you get a defective piece that does not last long. For more information, you must check the online reviews of the tyre of your choice and the particular brand or compare multiple tyre models for more satisfaction.

Weather and climatic conditions

In some regions, uncertain weather conditions play a crucial role in choosing the right SUV tyre for enhancing certain characteristics and vehicle execution. Normally, two climatic conditions should be considered before choosing the SUV tyre: Summer and Winter. And then there are all-season tyres suited for both seasons.

While all-season tyres are the most common, people living in cold regions must consider a tyre that provides a better grip on icy and snowy surfaces but brakes slower on clean roads. Similarly, summer tyres will have an edge in terms of high-speed performance, with excellent grip on dry and wet surfaces but less traction in snowy weather.

Conclusion

The primary purpose of an SUV tyre is to withstand the extra load and give an enhanced performance at high speeds and off-roads while simultaneously sticking to street comfort. Eventually, it’s the budget that would be the deciding factor for many. Each tyre has its pros and cons; some are made to offer superior grip, some are more durable, while others offer quiet and smooth ride quality. No single tyre is perfect. Ask yourself what kind of driving you prefer and then select your tyres wisely. n

RACE TRACK

By Saad Anwar

WHY ARE RACING TYRES SMOOTH? VARIOUS ASPECTS OF RACING TYRES EXPLAINED

Have you ever wondered why Formula 1 drivers or MotoGP riders sprint so proficiently on the race tracks? You might think it’s the engine, but the real secret lies in those rounded rubbers placed at each end. Many people overlook the importance of tyres and focus more on the engine and other components, but this is not the case in racing, as tyre design is taken seriously to get the best out of the competition. Racing tyres are specially built to give a blistering performance on the tracks and can put any other standard commuter tyre to shame.

Because racetracks are flat and typically made of rough materials such as sand, cement, bitumen and gravel, the built quality of these tyres differs to ensure additional braking prowess and that the tyre sticks to the surface during highspeed manoeuvres.

So, in this article, we will explore more about why racing tyres are smooth and what are the different factors that make them unique among a range of car and bike tyres.

Smooth racing tyres mean more grip

Racing tyres don’t have treads, and this raises a natural question as to how they can grip the tracks. This is because the tyres are smooth, and this means additional rubber will be in contact with the surface as the contact area is wider. Moreover, with the roughness the racetrack provides, the race car derives more power and the driver can exert more torque, letting the vehicle accelerate even faster.

Hence, high-speed acceleration, frequent sharp turns and braking are crucial to racing, and this is only possible with the appropriate grip, which only comes from a smooth tyre. Moreover, safety and performance go hand in hand in racing, as these special tyres prevent skidding and regulate steering control.

Smooth tyres are grooveless

The standard on- and off-road tyres can drive safely during the rainy season. That is because they have grooves, which are responsible for disseminating water quickly to reduce hydroplaning. Without the

grooves on the tyre, the water would reduce the contact patch size and there are high chances of losing the grip.

Slicks or tyres without grooves, on the other hand, don’t need to disperse water from the racetracks, as racing doesn’t typically occur during rain. And even if it happens, the vehicles are swapped with rain tyres having grooves for dispersing the water quickly during the race. And when the surface becomes dry, the tyres are again swapped with performanceoriented slicks with soft rubber compounds.

In fact, many performance racing tyres last only a few laps. And since racing tyres depend a lot on grip, their wider contact patch can effortlessly perform lateral actions, including accelerating, turning and timely braking. The absence of grooves enhances the rubber area on the flat tracks, thereby improving the grip on even surfaces. Since racing tyres are incredibly soft, they degrade faster when they heat up, and that brings us to our next point.

Racing tyres wear faster

The type of rubber compound used in racing tyres creates a world of difference on tracks. These tyres are built in such a way that until and unless they reach a certain temperature, they won’t give the optimum performance. And this generation of heat further makes the rubber compound soft enough to offer improved traction to the driver.

The reason for this is simple. Summer tyres or all-season tyres built for flat surfaces feature a hard rubber compound that is compatible with warmer temperatures and can handle heat build-up. For example, in cold temperatures, summer tyres will

give a below-average performance until they are warmed up a bit. Similarly, winter tyres feature soft rubber compounds to deal with cold temperatures and do not get completely warmed up during the cold weather. And driving on tyres made for winter in the hot summer can result in high tread wear and even tyre deformity.

This is the reason why smart drivers have a collection of different tyres for different climate conditions. In short, the wear rate for the tyres designed with a hard rubber compound will be slower, while the softer ones will offer enhanced grip at the cost of durability. The same is applied to racing; the participating teams need to find a fine balance of grip and wear rate by looking at certain situations, including weather, circuit design, number of laps, pit stops etc. and formulate a strategy according to it.

For example, a tyre designed using a softer rubber compound will offer a faster lap run in the beginning but will slow down in the final laps. On the other hand, a tyre made of a hard rubber compound will provide slower initial laps but faster speeds later. The slicks are manufactured to acclimatise to different temperatures, vehicle setups and asphalts.

Smooth tyres facilitate traction

Your racing tyres are not just for sprinting at a faster speed; one of their essential functions is to help you get more traction. Winning the race is the top priority for any racer, and a lot of factors contribute to achieving that feat. One of the vital factors that contribute to the winning formula is the characteristic of the tyre.

A good racing tyre should aim closer to the absolute level of grip, traction, handling and stability. The design of the tyre and the overall health of the track can make an impact on racing. That is why tyres are designed keeping in mind various factors such as smoothness and compatibility with the vehicle.

Manufacturing aspect of racing tyres

Modern racing tyres are designed with certain performance qualities in mind. In fact, some racing car brands design their vehicles based on tyres. How? They collect data from the tyre brands, and after extracting the data for that specific tyre and materials, they design the overall design and dynamics of the car.

Likewise, tyre manufacturers typically design a racing tyre keeping in mind the engine, suspension and other aspects of a vehicle and try their best to meet the demands of that vehicle. Plenty of things go

ON THE BEAT

By Antony Powath

Travelling across continents is not only a passion but also an opportunity for Antony Powath to meet people from diverse backgrounds. It lets him understand more about the global tyre and rubber industry.

THESE BLACK, BALD TYRES

There is a lot of engineering and R&D that goes into a tyre. That is why there is a difference in the prices of tyres.

There is also a perception that retreaded tyres are not safe. It may be true in some cases – especially if you are buying a retreaded tyre from a retreader who does not follow the proper practices. However, most retreaders make safe tyres. Often, you will come across a big strip of tyre tread on the road and believe that it is a retreaded tyre, but it could also be cheap tyres that are sold in the market. The other issue that retreaders and new tyre manufacturers face is the price war. Many times, in order to win a bid from its competitors, they will sell their retreaded tyres or some new tyres at rates that just don’t make sense. So the quality will suffer. I met a friend of mine in the tyre industry and he showed me two tyres, one of lesser built quality and the other a good tyre with good grip, mileage etc. He simply said that you get what you pay for.

If a fleet owner is looking to buy cheap tyres and expects them to travel for many kilometres without breaking up, it does not make sense. There is a reason why items are sold cheap. In the end, it depends how one looks after their tyres. I would say a tyre is like your mobile device. You can pay more and get the best mobile, but if you want it to last a long time, you got to make sure that you take care of it. Similarly, you must take care of your tyres by not overloading the vehicle, by driving at a consistent speed and avoiding sudden braking and acceleration that could lead to wear and tear of the tyres.

You often hear that tyres are an expensive proposition, especially if you are a fleet owner. They travel far distances, driving by various road conditions, temperatures, weather, different types of driving styles, crazy two-wheeler and passenger cars that don’t always drive in the proper manner and other variables which are not always favourable to driving and the life of the tyre.

Though all tyres are round, black and more or less similar in look, the major difference from a visual angle is the tread pattern on the tyre.

Many people don’t know that many airlines use retreaded tyres. If an aeroplane carrying such a load and going at higher speeds than a vehicle can land safely on retreaded tyres, then people should have another consideration for retreaded tyres. Just a thought to ponder upon.

In the end, drive safe and buckle up. n

Representative photo

TREADMARKS

By Rajiv Budhraja

TESTING INDIA’S RESILIENCE TO LIMITS

Rajiv Budhraja is Director General of the New Delhi-based tyre industry association, Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA).

The views expressed here are personal.

Conferences and seminars not only offer good platforms to interact, ideate and deliberate on issues but also serve a larger purpose of meeting in person, exchanging notes or reaching consensus on vexatious issues. In the last couple of years, physical conferences were a rarity in view of the limitations posed by the Covid pandemic. However, financial year 2022-23 has begun on a bullish note with the fear of the pandemic receding in view of mass immunisation, economic activity gathering momentum and the world opening up.

Having remained deprived of the pleasure of meeting and greeting in person for over two years, it came as a sheer blessing that two of India’s most iconic events for the rubber and tyre sector took place in physical format just one month apart and with encouraging participation reminiscent of pre-pandemic times.

First, the Global Tyre & Rubber Conference (GTRC) at Chennai in June this year, and then the India Rubber Meet (IRM) at Kochi (Kerala) in July, and one couldn’t have asked for more. The last two months have been a veritable feast of information and insightful analysis, with some of the leading minds covering the entire rubber chain deliberating on a range of issues.

Both the events evoke immense emotional attachment, having been the venue of several path breaking deliberations, bringing much value to the table for all the stakeholders. Despite the challenges and the lurking fear of the pandemic, I must say, the organisers of both the events showed immense grit and determination, and eventually both the events were immensely successful and witnessed some of the largest participation from India and abroad.

Well, there are several takeaways from the deliberations that took place. However, one aspect that really shone through all the discussions was the opportunity for India amidst the dark clouds hovering over the global economy if only we could play our cards well.

Certainly, the world economy is passing through challenging times. The inflation rate in the world’s largest economy, the US, has surged to 9.1 percent, the highest in 41 years in view of the supply chain disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, after-effects of

the pandemic and the recent lockdowns in China.

The Indian economy, however, seems to have largely recovered from the pandemic disruptions aided by the government’s supportive fiscal and monetary policies and a widespread vaccination programme.

High-frequency indicators also point to the same. Be it the GST (Goods and Services Tax) collection, which stood at almost INR 1.5 trillion in July (fifth straight month of collections in excess of INR 1.4 trillion), or the Purchase Managers Index (PMI) of 56.4 for manufacturing (an eight-month high), the Indian economy has been remarkably resilient in the face of challenges. It is little wonder that India is being feted as the fastest-growing large economy for years to come.

India has responded to the pandemic admirably so far. However, India’s resilience is being tested. While the Indian economy has largely recovered from the pandemic disruptions aided by the government’s supportive fiscal and monetary policies and a widespread vaccination programme, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, supply chain disruptions and a falling rupee are a cause for concern. In a globalised world, India cannot remain insulated from the global upheavals.

At the same time, the ongoing challenging phase offers opportunities to

Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association

THE ROAD

NISSAN X-TRAIL COMES WITH FALKEN TYRE FITMENT

Falken

has become an OE supplier for Nissan’s latest X-Trail model.

The company said that the Falken ZIEX ZE310A ECORUN is an on-road SUV tyre designed to meet the latest X-Trail’s demand for outstanding drive performance and refined ride comfort.

These tyres also achieve exceptional fuel efficiency thanks to their tread pattern that ensures consistent contact pressure for lower rolling resistance and a lightweight design for greater all-around environmental friendliness.

Nissan’s latest X-Trail was launched in July 2022. n

DUNLOP TYRES FITTED ON JIMNY SIERRA

MERCEDES-AMG COMES WITH CONTI TYRE FITMENT

Sumitomo Rubber Industries has started supplying its high-performance Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 tyres to Suzuki for use as factory-standard tyres on its latest JIMNY SIERRA.

The Jimny Sierra is a full-scale SUV with the same classic rudder frame structure as the rest of the Jimny series. This simple yet sturdy structure ensures solid reliability to conquer the toughest roads while providing drivers with thrilling off-road performance.

The Dunlop Grandtrek AT20 tyres provide powerful traction to support the unmatched off-road capabilities of the Jimny Sierra. On top of that, thanks to an optimised tread pattern, these tyres significantly reduce noise while maintaining outstanding core performance regarding fuel efficiency and wet grip. As a result, Grandtrek AT20 contributes to a more enjoyable allaround ride experience when driving around town while deftly handling any and all off-road conditions. n

M

ercedes-AMG is continuing to fit premium Continental tyres as original equipment. Factory-approved for the C43, the high-performance 18-inch SportContact 7 is designed for speeds of up to 300 km/h and comes with the XL marking for enhanced load capacity.

The tyres carry the sidewall marking MO1, which appears on all the tyres developed especially for AMG. Continental developed this UUHP (Ultra Ultra High Performance) tyre especially for vehicles with sporty attributes and super sports cars.

The SportContact 7 offers optimum road grip thanks to its special rubber compound. Compared with its predecessor, the SportContact 6, mileage on the racetrack is increased by 10 percent, wet braking distances are reduced by 8 percent, dry braking distances are reduced by 6 percent and the service life is extended by 17 percent.

The SportContact 7 features an adaptive tread design capable of adjusting to wet or dry road surfaces. This ensures precision handling and maximum safety – also at high speeds. This is made possible by the innovative tread design. When the vehicle is driving straight ahead, the tyre’s ‘footprint’ ends at the point of highest water drainage in the tread, ensuring outstanding grip during braking, acceleration and cornering on wet roads. When the vehicle corners on dry asphalt, the ‘footprint’ shifts to the outer shoulder, which is designed to transmit extremely high forces to ensure stable handling. New ‘locking elements’ in the outer shoulder further enhance stability because they enable only limited movement of the tread and so ensure superior ride stability.

In the tyre replacement business, the SportContact 7 is available in dimensions ranging from 18 to 23 inches. n

BRIDGESTONE LAUNCHES SUMMER TYRE

Bridgestone launched a new flagship summer touring tyre – the Bridgestone Turanza 6 – targeting safety, mileage and sustainability.

Developed and manufactured in Europe, the Bridgestone Turanza 6 will be available across the region from January 2023 in a comprehensive coverage – 136 sizes from 16 to 22 inches in the replacement summer line-up – for both passenger cars and on-road SUVs. This increases coverage in demand with 34 new sizes, focusing on the high-rim diameter segment.

Citing the tests carried out by independent TÜV SÜD, Bridgestone claims the new tyre outperforms its competitors in the segment with best-in-class wet performance. This includes being the best in cornering manoeuvres and outstanding straight-line performance. The Bridgestone Turanza 6 also achieves best-in-class EU label A-grade in the wet grip for the full line-up.

The Bridgestone Turanza 6 provides a 22 percent improvement in mileage and 4 percent reduction in rolling resistance compared to its predecessor, the Turanza T005, which remains a test-winning product. The newly launched tyre comes with various ground-breaking innovations in the tread pattern, compound and construction that amplify its performance capabilities. These include the cuttingedge and sustainable TECHSYN and ENLITEN – a set of technologies providing best-in-class tyre performance

NEXEN TIRE SUPPLYING OE FITMENT TO BMW 2 SERIES ACTIVE TOURER

Nexen Tire, a leading global tyre manufacturer, started supplying original equipment (OE) for BMW’s latest 2 Series Active Tourer second generation model.

The BMW 2 Series Active Tourer is BMW’s first frontwheel-drive minivan designed with a sporty concept. It is a vehicle with excellent handling, engine and transmission performance and excellent acceleration.

Nexen Tire’s N’FERA SPORT, supplied as tyres for the vehicle, is a European premium sports tyre that provides excellent drainage performance through 3+1 wide grooves and features asymmetrical patterns suitable for high-speed driving.

The N’FERA SPORT received strong purchase recommendation ratings in summer tyre tests conducted by leading European automobile magazines such as Germany’s AutoBild, ADAC and Ace Lenkrad. The tyre also won the main prize in the ‘Red Dot Design Awards’ product design category in Germany. n

with a step change towards sustainability compared with previous generations, which are featured for the first time on a Bridgestone replacement tyre. On the sustainability front, the new Bridgestone Turanza 6 was developed using Bridgestone’s ground-breaking Virtual Tyre Development technology. This enables a digital version of an in-development tyre to be created and tested, helping Bridgestone to predict how a tyre will perform in different conditions before physically building prototypes. In the development phase, this sustainable approach saves 21 percent of raw materials and CO2 emissions while cutting 60,000 kilometres and 7.7 tonnes of CO2 from outdoor testing.

The new Bridgestone Turanza 6 is also perfectly suited to hybrid and electric vehicles, helping to optimise their performance. This includes low rolling resistance to save battery life and address range anxiety concerns, excellent control to address EV-specific driving-related issues, higher wear tolerance to combat tyre wear due to the increased weight and higher torque and decreased noise for driver comfort. The Bridgestone Turanza 6 reduces 2db in passby noise compared to its predecessor. n

OFF THE LINE

JK TYRE LAUNCHES RADIAL TRUCK TYRES

APOLLO TYRES EXPANDS TBR OFFERING

Apollo Tyres has introduced five new truck-bus radial tyres, a mix of steer, drive and all-wheel fitment, for the Indian market.

Apollo EnduRace RA, a regional all-wheel or steer fitment tyre in size 295/90 R20, offers the customers added benefits on even-wear characteristics, best-in-class initial tread mileage (ITM) and superior durability in regional applications. With the Apollo EnduRace RA, the company aims to lead the steer segment.

Apollo EnduTrax MA, launched in size 295/90 R20, is a mixed application steer fitment tyre primarily for tipper trucks. It has a superior cut and chip-resistant compound for trouble-free performance in rough terrains. The stone ejectors prevent stone drilling and penetration for extra prevention of the carcass. The zig-zag wide centre grooves provide traction and control, while the strong wide shoulder ensures uniform wear. The carcass has been designed for high torque and load for off-road conditions, which increases tyre life and retreadability.

JK

Tyre expanded its radial truck tyre portfolio by launching two new products, Jetsteel JDH XM and Jetway JUC XM.

The new tyres have been developed to handle the rub-offs caused due to the increase in movements of goods like FMCG, e-commerce, perishable and industrial goods.

The next-gen semi-lug Jetway JUC XM will cater to the market’s increasing demand for all-wheel fitment tyres and customers’ expectations of longer tyre life. Equipped with even-wear characteristics, the Jetway JUC XM is specifically designed to provide a premium tyre life, ensuring better fuel efficiency and thus reducing the cost of ownership for truck owners.

In addition to the JUC XM tyre, the company also introduced Jetsteel JDH XM to cater to long-haul applications in the country. JDH XM, with its unique tread compound and high tread depth, is designed to deliver high tyre life. Fitted with the segment’s first ‘Jet-OCT’ technology, the tyre can provide high casing strength, resulting in higher retreadability. n

Apollo EnduRace RD nRG, part of Apollo’s nRG range, is the most fuel-efficient drive tyre for regional to long-haul applications, providing 5-8 percent better fuel savings with uncompromised durability and tyre life. This is achieved due to the robust 4-block design and particular grade raw materials offering lower rolling resistance. The strong belt, bead package and tension-optimised carcass provide durability. At the same time, the optimally designed tread pattern, with a well-distributed footprint, helps use full rubber mass efficiently, thereby realising complete tyre life potential. The Endurace RD nRG has been launched in size 295/90 R20.

Apollo EnduRace LD+ and RA have been launched for drive and steer fitment in regional applications for ICVs in size 9.00 R20. Targeted at the rapidly growing e-commerce, parcel and logistics industry, these tyres deliver advantages of best-in-class tread mileage, proven robust casing, uniform wear and better fuel efficiency. n

CEAT INTRODUCES E-BUS TYRES

CEAT launched WINENERGY X3-R tyres for electric buses used on urban roads to expand its product offering for the EV segment. The Mumbai-headquartered company claims that these tyres deliver 30 percent higher mileage and rolling resistance and a 50 percent reduction in tyre noise compared to regular tyres.

The EV tyres are available in 295/80R22.5 and 255/70R22.5 sizes.

While developing the WINENERGY X3-R tyres, CEAT’s R&D team has considered all the requirements needed for electric vehicles. The tyre has an all-steel tubeless construction with a robust casing to cater to the high torque. The tyres have low rolling resistance for better mileage. Other technologies have also been utilised: EVST for better stiffness and tyre grip, FaF to dampen noise and BRIC-T to resist tread buckling.

The tyres have a unique circuit design, a more comprehensive contact and reinforced sidewalls – these features provide better traction and reduce tyre damage, making for a safer, cost-effective and smoother ride. Another aspect of these EV tyres is that they fit all axle positions. n

HANKOOK TIRE TO INVEST USD 1.6 BLN IN TENNESSEE PLANT EXPANSION

Hankook Tire will be investing USD 1.6 billion to expand its Tennessee plant in Clarksville, Tenn. The investment includes the previously planned Phase 2 expansion that will double the production capacity of Hankook’s passenger car and light truck (PC/ LT) tyres. It also adds a Phase 3 expansion, with the company’s first US production of truck and bus radial (TBR) tyres. The addition of the Phase 3 expansion project will bring 400 more jobs to the Clarksville area, for a total of 1,200 new jobs overall.

The company will double the US PC/LT production to 11 million units and enable the production of one million TBR tyres annually. The expansion also brings the company’s total investment in the area to USD 2.2 billion. It will allow the company to provide tyre dealers and consumers with high-quality tyres and industry-leading services to meet the American market’s demands while supporting existing and future OE partners.

Hankook is expected to break ground on the new plant in early 2023, subject to definitive agreements, regulatory approvals and other conditions. Tyre production at the new phases of the plant will begin by Q4 2024 and reach full capacity by early 2026.

Hankook’s Tennessee plant is located off International Boulevard in the southern portion of the Corporate Business Park. Operating weight production sites in five countries around the world, including the United States, Hungary, Indonesia, China and Korea, Hankook Tire currently has an annual global production capacity of about 100 million units. Through the expansion of the Tennessee plant, the company is expected to increase its production capacity to about 106.5 million units in total. n

YOHT LAUNCHES TYRE FOR SURFACE MINING

Yokohama Off-Highway Tires introduced the Galaxy LDSR 510, a new, all-steel dozer and loader radial for surface mining.

The Galaxy LDSR 510 radial comes in 17.5R25, 20.5R25 and 23.5R25 sizes.

The new tyre combines extra-deep tread blocks with cut-resistant compound to perform outstandingly on rock and gravel surfaces.

The new, non-directional tread pattern provides outstanding traction in both forward and reverse, enhancing efficiency in digging, loading and carrying operations, said Dhananjay Bisht, Product Manager – Earthmoving, Construction and Industrial Tires for Yokohama Off-Highway Tires America, Inc. n

MY VISION

By Sharad Matade & Arushi Kak

NEW BEGINNING

To augment customer experience and to tap new business opportunities, TROESTER has launched a new office in Chennai, India’s automotive hub. In an interview with Tyre Trends, Saravana Kumar, the Managing Director of TROESTER India, states that the Indian company (TRI) will focus primarily on after-sales services and upcoming new projects.

As the progression of TROESTER is significantly evolving around the globe as a prominent manufacturer of extrusion lines, aggregates and calendar lines in the tyre industry and premium supplier for the extrusion lines in the cable industry, it has started its operations in India. The new India office will be vital in rendering services to its customers in India and the neighbouring market.

“India is a significant Asian market for tyre and cable, making it more important than ever for TROESTER to expand and cater for its growing demands. With a footprint of over 200 rubber and plastic extruders and more than 60 multi-aggregates for tyre and cable in India, the population of the TROESTER equipment is further increasing and foreseeing more opportunities in offering parts and after-sales services inclusive of upgradation,

modernisation, refurbishment etc.,” says Saravana Kumar, Managing Director of TROESTER India.

TROESTER India is now building a new team of seasoned experts from the rubber and various industries and continuing to extend field training at several sites in Europe and at headquarters in Germany to gain TROESTER product experience firsthand. The new organisation will strive to address the delivery-time concerns, react to market demands more swiftly and enhance the complete client experience in the aftersales services. “TROESTER India shall continue to work organically with the existing partners and extend its primary attention to impose customerbenefitting strategies. As TROESTER India has the geographical advantage of being in the same line of time zone and territory, it helps in rapid response to customer queries. Although

English is a worldwide language, knowing the native tongue brings us a step closer to fully understanding the needs and preferences of our customers,” says Kumar.

Kumar continues, “We focus on providing sustainable solutions by incorporating technologies in all conceivable means.

TROESTER Germany continuously works on product enhancements and scientific innovations.

Our TDS (TROESTER DIGITAL SOLUTIONS) is a result of our recent AI developments and helps our customers on advanced data analysis and solutions. TEKFAB, our cooperation partner in manufacturing the downstream, can also be included with advanced solutions like ‘Automatic Winding up station’ from TROESTER.”

Most of the required spare parts are imported by TROESTER’s customers

Saravana Kumar, the Managing Director of TROESTER India

from the headquarters in Hannover. The delivery time and the cost have significantly increased due to various logistics factors during and post Covid.

“TROESTER India is now anticipating opportunities to warehouse fast-moving essential parts in India and manufacture small parts locally. Therefore, we are looking for competent subsuppliers who could meet our quality standards,” says Kumar.

With its 130 years of existence in business and the recent acquisition of HF Extrusion, TROESTER has a wide product portfolio and customer base that helps the company to forecast and map the parts and aftersales service requirements in India and take proactive actions. “TROESTER India is also looking forward to the service deliverable possibilities to our key customers in Asia and Europe. Of course, India is our prime focus. I believe that market patterns are shifting, and India being in a favourable geographical

HF TTG Extrusion Zeichnung N1

location may also get opportunities in other regional markets,“ adds Kumar.

The after-sales division will put more of an emphasis on upgrading solutions to old equipment to satisfy the most recent customer needs. New sales, in contrast, focus on selling brand-new equipment

with the newest, most advanced technology and AI. He is confident, nevertheless, that the company would eventually place a balanced priority on new sales and aftersales business.

“As the replacement segment lends significant assistance to the market as well, I concur that it’s

encouraging for us, but we need to wait and watch what happens in the upcoming fiscal year,” says Kumar. Since radialisation of truck tyres in India may alter considerably in the future, TROESTER will also be interested in how much attention commercial tyre manufactures are putting into the process.

The TROESTER India MD also claims that the company’s order books for this year appear more encouraging and corroborative of the tyre market’s resilience, particularly post-Covid.

TROESTER India will first concentrate primarily on the tyre business before expanding support to other market sectors.

“Given the size of the Indian tyre market and our present machine population, as well as any new orders, we would be held with the demand for parts and after-sales services.

Installation of the new multi-headlines for some of our key customers is planned for this year and the following. As a result, we would develop strategic plans for our cable and other segments in the upcoming years,” continues Kumar.

“TROESTER considers the topic of EV tyres to be intriguing because these tyres need to have excellent grip and need a more durable compound with a higher viscosity, which ultimately has a stronger influence on our extruder screws and heads. TROESTER is constantly at the forefront of technological advancements for sustainability, where our R&D team is presently working on developing solutions for EV tyres,” says Kumar.

“TROESTER as a development partner for tyre manufacturers is continuously in contact and collaborates with its major customers to understand and improvise the extrusion solutions for EV tyres,” the TROESTER executive explains. n

Extrusion Quintuplex

of Indian Industry has been organising Autoserve - India's Largest & Focused Exhibition on Automotive Care, Maintenance, Service, Parts & Garage Equipment with an objective to bring more awareness on the latest trends & technologies and to offer a platform for sourcing & networking for the Indian Automotive Aftermarket segments.

The 10th edition of Autoserve 2022 is scheduled from 11 – 13 November 2022 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India. The Exhibition and Conference will focus on the latest trends, innovations, start-ups, skill development, R&D, equipment & technologies in the Automotive Aftermarket Sector and would provide a platform to various stakeholders to learn the best practices and deliberate on the opportunities to build a strong growth trajectory for the Automotive Aftermarket Industry

part of Autoserve,

Why Are Racing Tyres Smooth? Various Aspects Of Racing Tyres Explained

behind making Formula 1, MotoGP and other such racing tyres. With a mix of synthetic and natural rubber and other artificial fibres, the tyres are then subjected to stringent quality checks, including a destructive test to see their performance in real-world conditions. Each compound plays a distinctive role in the overall performance.

In a nutshell

Racing tyres are designed to achieve optimum performance, and this is the reason they have smooth surface area. The large contact area increases the friction

between the tyres and the surface, generating more heat and dispersing that heat across the tyre. The more smooth the tyre is, the more heat it accumulates and offers maximum adhesion to the track. This heat makes them significantly faster than any other kind of tyre. The smoothness helps boosts the performance of a car or bike to spectacular levels.

However, the performance of these tyres comes at a cost, as the wear rate is incredibly higher than other tyres. The design, build or structure might evolve with time, but racing tyres will always be smooth. n

Testing India’s Resilience To Limits

several sectors of the economy, especially the rubber and tyre sector. While India is celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark the completion of 75 glorious years of India’s independence, India’s rubber sector is traversing on the path of self-reliance. The coming together of tyre industry and the Rubber Board for large scale natural rubber (NR) plantations in the Northeast of India holds the potential of being a game changer. The tyre industry has already proven its prowess by recording 50 percent growth in tyre exports in the last one year. The quality of Indian tyres is being recognised globally, being at par with the best in class.

In his keynote address at GTRC, the ATMA Chairman pointed to several tailwinds which will impart momentum to the different sectors of the economy, especially the tyre industry. Macro trends are converging to make

a brighter future for the tyre industry. Geopolitics, regionalisation, improving infrastructure and enhanced usage of technologies are poised to increase cost efficiencies and competitiveness, making India an interesting manufacturing hub for tyres, he said.

At the same time, inflationary challenges have gripped the industry. As a large user of raw materials (many of which are imported), the tyre industry too is bearing the brunt of inflation. There are other challenges too. Changing geopolitical realities, adoption of green technologies, redefining of supply chains etc. need to be addressed and turned into opportunities for growth.

The promise of India’s growth story is intact. However, its resilience will be tested to the limits. Path-breaking reforms, policy interventions and strong will to win will certainly see India through.n

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