Bekaert will showcase its revolutionary coating for tire reinforcement, which is also shortlisted for Tire Technology of the Year in the 2015 Tire Technology International Awards. TAWI (ternary alloy wire) is a patent-pending ternary Cu-Zn-Co coating yielding a breakthrough in the performance and sustainability of tires. TAWI makes it possible to create cobalt-free rubber compounds that exhibit improved heat ageing, slower cracking and less hysteresis.
TAWI places cobalt where it is needed, at the interface between steel cord and rubber. It eliminates the need for cobalt in the bulk rubber. Together with greatly higher adhesion in hot and humid conditions, TAWI spearheads the creation of longer-lasting and more eco-friendly passenger and truck tires.
Meanwhile, Bekaert has acquired several Pirelli steel cord plants in Figline, Italy, Slatina, Romania, and Sumaré, Brazil. As a part of this transaction, a long-term supply agreement will come into effect for the delivery of Bekaert tire cord products to Pirelli.
As announced earlier in 2014, the agreement between Bekaert and Pirelli also includes Pirelli’s steel cord activities in Izmit, Turkey and in Yanzhou, China. The closing of the acquisition of these two plants will occur when regulatory approvals are obtained in the respective countries.
Visit Bekaert at booth C690 at Tire Technology Expo between 10-12 February at Köln Messe, Cologne, Germany.
