As tire manufacturers strive to increase the efficiency and sustainability of their production processes, automation will be key to bringing facilities into the modern age<\/u><\/p>\n
As Industry 4.0 continues to gain purchase in multiple sectors around the world, tire manufacturers and suppliers are exploring ways to improve production capacity and sustainability by implementing an array of connected technologies. By utilizing smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and analytics software, tire makers are overhauling their manufacturing techniques, product-handling processes and distribution operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cTire manufacturers are more focused on automation in the whole process chain,\u201d says Gerlof Korte, vice president of research and development at VMI Group. \u201cIf you look at a tire plant, you have the mixing room, component preparation, tire building, curing and a final uniformity check. We are seeing a focus on the reduction of the number of activities in component preparation and manufacturers are trying to merge more component preparation into tire building.\u201d<\/p>\n
By Korte\u2019s estimations, labor makes up around 50% of the total manufacturing cost of a tire. He says that if a tire manufacturer runs a small facility that produces 20,000 tires a day, it needs approximately 750 employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt will cost you around \u20ac25 [US$25] per tire in labor, as an indication, which is high. Everybody is looking for a higher degree of automation, and what we are doing with our machines is trying to limit the amount of labor as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Implementing automation <\/strong><\/p>\nIncreasing automation at GRI\u2019s facility means less product variation due to operator ability<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The latest Global Rubber Industries (GRI) facility in Badalgama, Sri Lanka, manufactures a wide range of tires that required the company to install an array of versatile, automated equipment at the production site.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a very large product mix here, so all of the [automated] machinery we use must be suitable for all the types of tires we make,\u201d says Ananda Caldera, executive director at GRI. \u201cThis is different from a normal car tire factory and we have been very conscious in selecting machinery for these automated processes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a Comerio calender from Italy that is fully automated with computer systems,\u201d Caldera continues. \u201cOnce you [input] the formulation, the calender will operate; it is simply a matter of loading the material. This is required to ensure quality and sustainability.\u201d<\/p>\n
These modern machines benefit from advanced robotics, software and highly accurate sensors capable of collecting and analyzing data for improved and autonomous decision making. This results in increased efficiency and better product quality with a reduced requirement for human interaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe do not depend on people and practically everything is controlled by computers,\u201d says Caldera. \u201cWe only have to put our data [into the machine] and do the setting up at the beginning of the operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
He adds that GRI also uses a fully automated Marangoni tire building machine (TBM) at its newest manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the tire tread profiles are put into the computer and then the computer does all the tire building,\u201d says Caldera. \u201cThe operator only has to select the type of the tire by pressing a button. It is fully automated and doesn\u2019t depend on the operator\u2019s skill.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talking about GRI\u2019s plant in Badalgama, Caldera adds, \u201cThis particular tire plant is less than five years old, so we were able to get the latest technology. We are trying to digitalize all of the data for each and every material. For example, when we make a tread in the extruder, [we measure] the width, length and weight of the tread. Some are automatically recorded and some are not, so we are now trying to develop that to capture all of this data.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spot the difference<\/strong><\/p>\n
Although the initial investments in automated machinery are costly, many systems use machine learning algorithms that can save manufacturers money. These solutions can detect production errors early in the process, enabling changes or repairs to be made before more expensive mistakes occur further downstream.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk about usability, responsive design and especially diagnostic and condition monitoring,\u201d says Andreas Ott, product owner of the Innovation Center Automation & Digitalization at Zeppelin Systems. \u201cIn our product NamiQ Analytics, we [focus] on condition monitoring. For example, when it comes to the project implementation, we define, together with the customer, what the most important measurement points are. We will animate this within NamiQ Analytics based on [certain] boundaries; when these boundaries are passed, we will inform the operator.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ott continues, \u201cWe can send an alert via email or message and then the operator will have to do something manually. Here we go in the direction of predictive maintenance, so we can inform the operator of a possibly critical situation, and now it is up to them to react.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jae Hee Kim, vice president of the machinery and digital engineering department at Hankook Tire, outlines his company\u2019s approach: \u201cThe Hankook Condition Monitoring System Plus (CMS+), a facility abnormality prediction system, is an automated system that is implemented in our monitoring process. The CMS+ uses a three-step AI algorithm that collects and analyzes data to predict abnormal conditions of the facility in advance. It is equipped with a real-time alarm system based on wireless communication technology so that the system immediately alerts the manager in case of anomalies.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about material handling and how it may have changed over the past decade or so, Ott explains that although Zeppelin still has highly accurate solutions \u2013 in terms of quantity and tolerances \u2013 other things have changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was not a big change in our dosing or conveying [ability], it\u2019s more about a change in visibility and how we can show the customers different set points and parameters,\u201d he says. \u201cFirst of all, they can understand which points within the system can be optimized, and afterward how we [conduct] commissioning and how we can optimize our conveying systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, we have diagnostic modules and one of them is called \u2018Out of specification\u2019. Here, we can see if something was outside the tolerance, to analyze the impact and see what we can improve to resolve the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Safety in numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n
By introducing smart processes within the production line, safety is improved \u2013 not only for employees working within their respective facilities, but also for consumers using the products in real-world applications.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe incorporated AI to automate the tire-testing process,\u201d explains Kim. \u201cThe automatic inspection system examines the inside of the tire in detail, and accurately detects whether air bubbles \u2013 a critical defect \u2013 exist inside tires or not. This is applied to our Interferometer Tire Tester process, and it independently and systematically detects and reports irregularities in products by comparing samples of the scanned product cross-sections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim says that Hankook plans to expand this technology to the entire product inspection process.<\/p>\n
Increasing sustainability<\/strong><\/p>\n
The vast majority of tire manufacturers and suppliers are still very focused on greener operations. Caldera explains how the use of highly accurate, automated machines has enabled greater levels of sustainability within GRI\u2019s facilities: \u201cThe main thing is accuracy. Accuracy means [the machines] automatically consume only the exact formula and material costs, so there is no waste from over consumption. Tires are made from three main components: fabric, tread and the bead where the steel is. To make these three components, there are certain processes, and if these processes consume more than what is specified \u2013 if the machinery is not set up to control the usage \u2013 then the tire weight will go up. The customer only pays for the tire, and we lose.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the major advantages of this system is that it controls the tire specifications and makes a very good tire consistently, [making it] a sustainable process. It also reduces or avoids over or under consumption and makes tires to the correct specification, without wasting materials.\u201d<\/p>\n
At VMI, Korte adds, \u201cTuning your spec and making more accurate tires means you have less scrap. Our customers are pushing hard to improve the accuracy, based on data out of the machine and based on the automatic tuning of your processes. Artificial intelligence is the way it will go in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explains that his company is currently working on new projects related to automatic material changes within smart machines: \u201cWe are in the process of automating the material supply in the machine as well as reducing waste and scrap during the building of the tire, in addition to changing over from spec one to spec two.\u201d<\/p>\n
The complexity and ability of automated machinery within production facilities are still growing. If the implementation of Industry 4.0 is anything to go by, manufacturing sites will continue to increase their production capacities year on year, with a significantly reduced amount of hands-on labor.<\/p>\n
However, automation does not just offer advantages at the manufacturing stage. Benefits brought about by clever working practices trickle down to the consumer, ensuring that products delivered to consumers and fitted to vehicles are fit for purpose, aided by advanced levels of uniformity and safety checks.<\/p>\n
Workforce flexibility<\/strong><\/p>\n
Automated practices mean improved working conditions<\/u><\/p>\n
By introducing a multitude of advanced automated processes, tire manufacturers can enhance many operations within their facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince introducing greater levels of autonomy in tire production, we have been able to witness increased productivity as well as a great reduction in time loss,\u201d explains Jae Hee Kim at Hankook Tire. \u201cFurthermore, we have been able to secure improved quality in our products as well as uniformity in output quality.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, by removing or reducing human interaction in many of the manufacturing steps, additional staff hours can be redistributed and used to a company\u2019s advantage in other areas, ahead of bringing products to market.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the mixing process to the finished product shipment process, workers\u2019 labor intensity is gradually reduced and the quality of the environment or work is steadily improved so that more creative work can be done,\u201d says Kim. \u201cMachinery automation and production digitalization are continuously developed and applied in the direction that consumers can feel. Through factory automation, we are able to provide better, safer and improved working conditions.\u201d<\/u><\/p>\nGreater automation means less material waste due to more accurate and repeatable processes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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