TYRE MANUFACTURING

PROCESSES AT

PRESENTED BY
THOMAS MATHEW(1021110436)
 INTRODUCTION
Tyres are the only point of contact of the vehicle with the
road. The intentions of the driver are finally executed by the
tyres only, hence the quality and design of the tyres is
important.

Function of tyres :
Steering
Carrying a load
Cushioning, rolling
Transmitting drive and
Long lasting life.
 COMPANY PROFILE

Apollo Tyres Ltd, with its corporate headquarters in Gurgaon,

India, is in the business of manufacture and sale of tyres since its
inception in 1972.
Over the years, the company has grown manifold, establishing
its footprint across the globe.

The company has manufacturing presence in Asia, Europe and

Africa, with 8 modern tyre facilities and exports to over 100
countries. Powered by its key brands Apollo and Vredestein,
the company offers a comprehensive product portfolio spread
across passenger car, light truck, truck-bus, off
highway and bicycle tyres, retreading material and retreaded
tyres.
 COMPONENTS OF A TYRE

Inner liner
Body ply
Side walls
Beads
Apex
Belt package
Tread
Cushion gum
 COMPONENTS OF A TYRE

Inner Liner
It is an extruded halobutyl rubber sheet compounded with
additives that result in low air permeability. The inner liner assures
that the tire will hold high-pressure air inside, without the air gradually
diffusing through the rubber structure.

Body Ply
The body ply is a calendared sheet (two or more sheets are rolled
together such that mechanically they are bonded) consisting of
consecutive layers of rubber and reinforcing fabric.
 COMPONENTS OF A TYRE
Sidewalls
Sidewalls are non-reinforced extruded profiles with additives to
give the sides of the tire good abrasion resistance and environmental
resistance. Additives used in sidewall compounds include antioxidants
and antiozonants to protect the tyre from decomposition.

Beads
Beads are bands of high tensile-strength steel wire encased in a
rubber compound. Bead wire is coated with special alloys of bronze or
brass. Coatings protect the steel from corrosion. Copper in the alloy and
sulphur in the rubber cross-link to produce copper sulphide, which
improves bonding of the bead to the rubber. Beads are inflexible and
inelastic, and provide the mechanical strength to fit the tyre to the
wheel.
 COMPONENTS OF A TYRE
Apex
The apex is a triangular extruded profile that mates against the bead.
The apex provides a cushion between the rigid bead and the flexible inner
liner and body ply assembly. It is alternatively called as "filler" in literature
and industry.

Belt Package
Belts are calendared sheets consisting of a layer of rubber, a layer of
closely spaced steel cords, and a second layer of rubber. The steel cords are
oriented radially in radial tire construction, and at opposing angles in bias
tire construction. Belts give the tyre strength and dent resistance while
allowing it to remain flexible. Passenger tires are usually made with two or
three belts.
 COMPONENTS OF A TYRE
Tread
The tread is a thick extruded profile that surrounds the tire
carcass and this is the layer which comes directly in contact with the
road. Tread compounds include additives to impart wear resistance
and traction in addition to environmental resistance.
Tread compound development is an exercise in compromise, as hard
compounds have long wear characteristics but poor traction whereas
soft compounds have good traction but poor wear characteristics.

Cushion Gum
Many higher-performing tyres include an extruded component
between the belt package and the tread to isolate the tread from
mechanical wear from the steel belts.
TYRE MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
 COMPOUNDING AND BANBURY MIXING
A Banbury mixer combines rubber stock, carbon black and other
chemical ingredients to create a homogeneous rubber material. Time, heat
and raw materials are factors utilized to engineer material composition. The
ingredients are generally provided to the plant in pre-weighed packages or are
prepared and weighed by the Banbury operator from bulk quantities.

Measured ingredients are placed onto a conveyor system, and the Banbury is
charged to initiate the mixing process. Hundreds of components are combined
to form rubber utilized for tyre manufacturing. The components include
compounds which act as accelerators, anti-oxidants, anti-ozonants,
extenders, vulcanizers, pigments, plasticizers, reinforcing agents and resins.
Most constituents are unregulated and may not have had extensive
toxicological evaluations.
 MILLING
Shaping of rubber begins in the milling
process. At the completion of the Banbury
mixing cycle, rubber is placed onto a drop
mill. The milling process shapes the rubber
into flat, long strips by forcing it through
two set rolls rotating in different directions
at different speeds.

Mill operators are generally concerned with

safety hazards associated with the open
operation of the turning rolls. Older mills
usually had trip wires or bars which could be
pulled by the operator if he or she is got
caught in the mills.
 CALENDERING

The calender operation continues to shape rubber. The calender

machine consists of one or more (often four) rolls, through which the
rubber sheets are forced.
The calender machine has the following functions:
To prepare compounded rubber as a uniform sheet of definite thickness
and width
To place a thin coat of rubber on a fabric (coating or skimming)
To force rubber into the interstices of fabric by friction (frictioning)

The rubber sheets coming off the calender are wound on drums, called
shells, with fabric spacers, called liners, to prevent sticking.
 EXTRUSION

The extruder is often referred to as a tuber because it creates

tube-like rubber components.

The extruder functions by forcing rubber through dies of

appropriate shape. The extruder consists of a screw, barrel or
cylinder, head and die.
A core or spider is used to form the hollow inside of tubing. The
extruder makes the large, flat section of tyre treads.
 COMPONENT ASSEMBLY AND BUILDING
The tyre assembly machine consists of a rotating drum, on which
the components are assembled, and feeding devices to supply the tyre
builder with the components to assemble ( The components of a tyre
include beads, plies, side walls and treads. After the components are
assembled, the tyre is often referred to as a green tyre.

Tyre builders and other workers in this area of the process are
exposed to a number of repetitive motion operations. Builders utilize
solvents, such as hexane, which allow the tread and plies of rubber to
adhere. Exposure to the solvents is an area of concern. After being
assembled, the green tyre is sprayed with a solvent- or water-based
material to keep it away from adhering to the curing mould. These
solvents potentially expose the spray operator, material handler and
curing press operator.
 CURING AND VULCANIZING
Curing press operators place green
tyres into the curing press or onto
press loading equipment. An
impressive degree of automation was
observed at Apollo tyres
Kalamassery.
The press utilizes steam to heat or
cure the green tyre. Rubber curing or
vulcanization transforms the tacky
and pliable material to a non-tacky,
less pliable, long-lasting state.
 FINISHING AND INSPECTION
Following curing, finishing operations and inspection remain to
be performed before the tyre is stored or shipped. The finishing
operation trims flash or excess rubber from the tyre.
Additionally, excess layers of rubber may need to be ground
from the side walls or raised lettering on the tyre.

One of the major health hazards that workers are exposed to

while handling a cured tyre is repetitive motion. The tyre
finishing or grinding operations typically expose workers to
cured rubber dust or particulate. This contributes to respiratory
illness in workers in the finishing area. In addition, a potential
exists for solvent exposure from the protective paint which is
often used to protect the side-wall or tyre lettering. After
finishing, the tyre is ready to be stored in a warehouse or
shipped from the plant.