TYRE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

1. COMPOUND MIXING:
A compound is made by mixing the required additives into rubber. This
mixing is accomplished in two or more steps using a banbury mixer. The mixing is done
in the chamber of the banbury mixer under high shear and pressure using the rotors of the
machine so that the ingredients are uniformly dispersed inside the rubber matrix.
Different rubber compounds (differing in the recipe) are used in the different components
of the tyre.
The rubber compound is thus used for the preparation of different
components in subsequent stages of manufactures.
The major components of a bias truck tyre are:
1. Tread - made from rubber compound.
2. Sidewall - made from rubber compound.
3. Tread cushion - made from rubber compound.
4. Plies - made from dipped tyre cord and compound.
5. Chafer - made from dipped square woven.
6. Flipper - made from dipped tyre cord and compound.
7. Filler - made from rubber compound.
8. Bead - made from bead wire and rubber compound.
9. Squeegees - made from rubber compound.
10. Breakers - made from dipped tyre cord and rubber compound.

Naturally, the compounds prepared in the banbury go to the respective

equipment and process for further processing.

2. DIPPING:
Raw fabric (Nylon) as received is having very poor adhesion to the rubber
compound and has poor dimensional stability. During the dipping process an adhesive
coating (E.g.: Resorcinol, Formaldehyde, VP latex dip, Caustic soda) is applied to the
surface of the fabric to improve adhesion.
The fabric is also stretched and hot-set to increase the dimensional stability.
Dipping is accomplished in a dip unit and the dipped fabric is then used for the
preparation of different components as mentioned above.

3. EXTRUSION:
Here, components of the tyre like tread and sidewall are prepared from
rubber compounds using a Dual Extruder. Extrusion is the process by which the rubber
compound is given definite continuous shape.
A thin sheet of rubber compound prepared using a small 2 roll calendar is
applied to the bottom side of the tread. This component is called Tread cushion. The
continuous profile is then cooled, and cut to required length which is used in the
assembling of tyre at tyre building.
4. CALENDERING:
Fabric calendaring is the process of coating both sides of the dipped fabric
using rubber compound. This is accomplished using a roll “Z” type calendar. The
coated fabric is cooled and wound in liners (in continuous length) to avoid sticking. This
goes to the next stage of ply cutting.

5. PLY CUTTING (BIAS CUTTING):

For assembling a tyre several plies are used for eg. A 16PR Nylon truck
tyre uses 8 plies and two breakers. Each ply is cut from the coated fabric rolls prepared
by calendaring. This process of ply cutting is accomplished in a Bias cutter. Each ply is
cut at definite width and angle and wound in liners. The cut plies then go to 3 roll
calender for squeegee application.
Components like chafer and flipper are also made at the Bias cutter.
These are further slit using a slitter into smaller widths and wound into rolls. Chafer rolls
from slitter go to the tyre building and flippers are also made at the bias cutter. These are
further slit using a slitter into smaller widths and wound into rolls. Chafer rolls from
slitter go to the tyre building and flipper rolls go to the bead flipping.

6. SQUEEGEE CALENDERING / SQUEEGEE APPLICATION:

Squeegee calendering is the process of making thin sheet of rubber
compound usually by using a 3 roll or 4 roll calender. Squeegees are used at the inner
most layer of the tyre (drum squeegee) and also in between the different plies (ply
squeegees), drum squeegees is prepared in the 4 roll “Z” calender.
It is wound in liners and the squeegee rolls are sent to tyre building for
assembling. The ply squeegee preparation and its application on to the cut plies are
accomplished simultaneously at the 3 roll calender. After squeegee application the plies
are sent to tyre building for assembling.

7. BEAD PREPARATION:
Bead preparation consists of 3 stages.
a) Bead winding
b) Bead fillering
c) Bead flipping

8. BEAD WINDING:
Here, several wires (strands) are passed through the head of a Bead
Extruder and coated with rubber compound. The coated tape so formed is wound into
bundles of definite turns and strands and of definite diameter. The process is
accomplished using a machine called as Bead winding machine.

9. BEAD FILLERING:
Here, a triangular shaped continuous rubber profile (called bead filler) is
extruder using a cold feed extruder and applied on to the bead using a fillering machine.

10. BEAD FLIPPING:

 The flipper fabric prepared at the Bias cutter and slitter is applied around
the fillered bead bundles. This is accomplished using a Bead flipping machine.

11. TYRE BUILDING (or) TYRE ASSEMBLING:

Tyre building is the process of assembling various components into the
semi finished product called a “Green tyre”. This is accomplished by a tyre building
machine. The components like Drum squeegee (plies with squeegee applied on to it) are
assembled using a tyre building drum.
The flipped beads are applied from the ends and locked in using the ply
ends; Breaker and chafer are applied next. Finally, the tread and sidewalls are applied.
The assembly (Green tyre) is taken cut after collapsing the drum.

12. TYRE CURING:

The green tyre is inspected and then applied with a lubricant on the inside
and an anti-blemish paint on the outside sidewall area. The green tyre is also awled to
facilitate easy removal of any trapped air during the final shaping and moulding
operation.
The green tyre is shaped and given the final contour using the appropriate
tyre curing moulds (fitted to tyre curing presses) by the application of pressure and
temperature. The rubber compound gets vulcanized during curing and becomes tough
and elastic and provides all the desired properties required in the tyre.
The curing timer varies depending upon the size of the tyre varying from
18” for a passenger car tyre to one hour for truck tyres.

13. POST CURE INFLATION:

Nylon tyres after press curing are kept under high pressure inflation to
help shape retention and to reduce growth in service. This process of cooling the tyre
under high inflation pressure is called Post Cure Inflation (PCI).

14s. INSPECTION:
The tyres after PCI are subjected to vent trimming. The tyres are then
inspected 100% for visual defects. The tyres are also statistically sampled and tested for
conformance to specifications and then ware housed.
TECHINICAL DETAILS

BANBURY:
The Banbury is a machine which is used to mixing the compounds in
Homogenous manner. The compounds such as carbon, synthetic rubber, natural rubber,
oil, sulphur (only for final batch) and chemicals.

Major parts in Banbury:

1) Carbon charger 14) Gear box
2) Weighing conveyor 15) Linear actuator
3) Charging conveyor 16) Latch assembly
4) Charging door 17) Hydraulic power pack
5) Chamber 18) Batch off mill
6) Rotor 19) Take away conveyor
7) Dust stop seal 20) Dip tank conveyor
8) Discharge door 21) Cool rack assembly
9) Ram 22) Wig wag conveyor
10) Oil charger 23) PLC
11) Dust collector 24) Solenoid valves
12) High tension IM 25) Limit switches & proximities
13) Auto stock loader 26) Photo cell

CARBON CHARGER:
The second floor of Banbury is carbon charging area. Two hoppers are
provided for feeding the carbon in equal shares, approximately 25kgs per hopper. Two
induction motors are used for vibrant that hoppers (when the PLC gives its output signal).

There are 3 types of charging:

1) Energy based
2) Temperature based
3) Time based.

WEIGHING CONVEYOR:
Before feeding the compounds to hopper, it has to be weighed by
weighing machine (Metter Toledo). In weighing conveyor, there are four load cells are
placed at bottom its corner.
These load cells (transducer) weighed that compounds, and converted it
into some voltage. Its output voltage is 2 milli volts. The voltage is supplied to weighing
machine’s processor. It converts into digital clock pulse. Then we can see the weight of
compound in weighing machine (Metter Toledo). The load cell limited weight is 500kg.
The weighing conveyor is operated by Induction motor.

CHARGING CONVEYOR:
The weighed compound in weighing conveyor is transferred to charging
conveyor. This charging conveyor is used to feed the materials to banbury’s hopper
(when the charging door opens).
 The charging door is operated by pneumatic cylinder. It is also controlled
by PLC, when the auto sweep occurs. At the charging time pushbutton is used to open the
door.

OIL CHARGING:
The reservoir stores the process oil (hydrol 68), it is pumped by induction
motor and feed to Banbury mixing.
It is a energy based system done by PLC in auto manner. When the rotor
attains the certain energy at that time oil will be feeding to charged materials. Oil
charging is only for master batch.

BANBURY MOTOR:
High tension induction motor is used for Banbury mixing. This induction
motor is started by DOL starter by using soft starter method (It limits the starting current
by means of inductor). The vacuum contactor is provided for operating the induction
motor.
The inductances in line with each Banbury with a time gap of 20 seconds
at the time of starting. At the time of starting, the motor is connected to soft bus, when
the motor attains its rated speed, then the supply is switched to grid bus. It is controlled
by siemens PLC.
The DOL starter is having motor protection relay. Here, the speed of the
motor is varied by pole changing method (star to -two star).

MOTOR RATING:
Make = Crompton greaves
HP = 1500/1000
Amps = 236/197
Voltage = 3.3KV
Rpm = 1485/992
No.of poles = 4/6
Type of cooling = FCW

ROTOR:

There are two numbers of 2 wing rotor is placed inside the chamber.
 4 poles in field = 60 Rpm
 6 poles in field = 40 Rpm
 Chamber volume = 237litres
 Gear box ratio = 24:1

RAM:
The RAM is actuated (up & down) by pneumatic with the help of electric
solenoid, which is controlled by PLC. I/P converter is used for dual pressure of RAM.
 4.5kg/cm2 for down movement.
 6kg/cm2 for upward movement.