An investment of US$15m is to be made by Pirelli over the next two years under its 2021-2022|2025 Industrial Plan to create an advanced technology and digitalization hub for tire production at its factory in Silao, Mexico.
Located in the state of Guanajuato, the technological hub will cover an area of 6,680m2 and will adopt Industry 4.0 working principles to strengthen the company’s innovation ecosystem. Cutting-edge technologies will be used for the production of tires for future mobility. The facility will be the tire maker’s first Research and Development Center in Mexico.
The Silao R&D site will increase Pirelli’s technological and industrial competitiveness throughout North America, and enhance the company’s ability to serve customers and other brands, particularly on the USA.
The new Pirelli Technological Hub will include areas for modeling to enable the application of virtual mathematical models to predict vehicle dynamics, and a testing area for the development of new internal tire testing methodologies. Additionally, the site will adopt digital practices to improve tire manufacturing, and a cyber area will employ technologies that enable tires to send information such as pressures and temperatures to vehicles. A specialties area will see the application of robotic technology such as PNCS (a tire rolling noise elimination technology) to foster future mobility developments.
Pirelli’s top executives were present for the start of the construction and included Giorgio Bruno, deputy CEO; Andrea Casaluci, general manager operations; Piero Misani, senior vice president research and development, cyber; Claudio Zanardo, CEO Pirelli North America; and Paolo Benea, general director of Pirelli Mexico.
