HF Group’s upcoming range of digital solutions will monitor several parameters in the curing process, like cycle times, movements of the machines etc. One of the exhibitors at the Tire Technology Expo, 2022 that was held in Hannover, Germany was HF Group. Dr Bernd Pape, Digital Solutions, HF Group, threw light on the company’s plans to develop a new product line that will enable its customers to digitally monitor tyre curing machines more effectively, the significance of sharing data and having trusted partnerships.

The global tyre industry is steering more towards digitisation to ensure precision and save production time. And in this effort, HF Group seems to be the frontrunner, banking on data warehousing to produce effective monitoring solutions for tyre curing.

“HF is known as a company constantly extending traditional machine solutions. However, we are very well aware of digitisation, and the solutions will change our previous way of doing business at a global level,” said Dr Bernd Pape, Digital Solutions, HF Group, while we interacted with him at the latest edition of the Tire Technology Expo held this year in Hannover, Germany.

“I joined HF last year in June to build up a new product segment. However, due to the pandemic, I had limited chances to visit customers or talk to potential partners for development, and this conference has been an optimum opportunity to perceive an overview of our industry,” Dr Pape mentioned while he talked about the expo.

Digital solutions
HF’s upcoming range of digital solutions will monitor several parameters in the curing process, like cycle times, movements of machines etc. It will then churn out the alarm messages of the machines and correlate them to identify discrepancies. The new-age solutions will monitor machine data at different stages and have communication modules that will share the data from the machine control software to the internet using IoT gateways.

Extra sensors will be placed on the machines to measure certain component parameters like pressure, temperature, energy consumption etc. Leveraging the combination of cycle time monitoring, alarm messages and specific measurements of the sensor technology, the data will be analysed to bring out in-depth information about the machines’ performance.

Answering whether the sensors are capable of identifying the problems, Dr Pape informed, “In order for them to work efficiently to identify problems, we need quite some data. And when we have that data, we can do two things – analyse that data and see if insights can be derived automatically, or work with experts to derive insights and then transfer the knowledge into the digital solutions. He further added, “The entire research and development process demands a lot of communication and learning together with pilot customers, too.”

It’s important to share data
Initially, HF plans to implement the solution in their own curing press and further develop solutions for other machines. “We may need cooperation from customers to better understand other machines or even the OEM of that specific machine. If you look into digital transformation, it’s all about partnership. And if you don’t share data, you will not be able to flourish. And so far, my gut has been that our industry still has room to improve. We can still learn from each other by sharing data. With every new machine, we will have a growing database and knowledge on how to improve production,” Dr Pape asserted.

Digital benefit
HF strives to keep the cycle time of a machine at a constant low level. The curing process for one tyre may take 14 minutes. With the solutions, it can be reduced by 10 to 20 seconds. This would add up for the customer to produce roughly between 500 and 1,500 tyres per press per year, informed Dr Pape. Moreover, the solutions will enhance machine availability by detecting warnings for errors or repair time.

Trusted partnerships
The new solutions will require huge amounts of data to effectively do its task, but protection of proprietary data is a major concern. Speaking in this context, Dr Pape cited, “Digital transformation is about partnership, and you need to share data. So, partnership is all about trust. You need an initial amount of trust to provide data. There is no way around that.”

“On the other hand, once you give me the data, it is on me to keep it carefully and not to share it,” he further averred and went on, “Because if I do not comply, then the alliance will be harmed. So, there is a great opportunity because we are a long-standing partner for the whole industry. Therefore, we have trusted partnerships and projects with a lot of customers.”

Explaining the timeline from implementation to resumption of services, the executive said, “Once we are up and running with this solution, we just need a couple of days to implement it. But for new machine types that have not been analysed before, a couple of weeks are needed. Once knowledge of the specific machine type, how to adjust the software and how to analyse and interpret the data is known, we can configure same machine types within days.”

Current monitoring landscape
According to the executive, currently technicians might face severe problems while monitoring the machines as the industry has witnessed a generation shift. Experienced technicians retire and new ones have to learn the entire process. With the automation of unloading and loading systems, which are getting more and more automated, there might be no operators available who can point out if the machines have any problems.

“If we get the data from the machine and analyse it, we can redirect technicians to the area that causes the problem, so that they are faster in remedying it. The data will also help us to predict problems in the near future,” Dr Pape pointed out.

Stepping into the Indian market
HF has expanded its footprint across the globe and wants to market its products worldwide. The company’s pilot customers are in the Americas, followed by Europe. It also plans to tap into the Asian market.

Speaking on its plans to enter India, Dr Pape cited, “The country has great companies and some of them might be interested in the solutions. For building up a new product segment in India, we have to know what kind of customers are interested. We will then start operations on a remote basis and develop further.”

Collaborations for the long term
HF Group has also collaborated with Possehl Analytics as its solutions partner, which will also allow it to build a network for digital solutions in the industry. On the reference side, HF refers them as their solutions partner, while Possehl Analytics refers HF as a good operations partner.

Change is the only constant
While the tyre industry itself isn’t one that changes every day, we know that digitisation will have a pivotal role in its growth, including the tyre curing process, making sure the final product is of high quality. At the same time, sharing data and making long-lasting partnerships will only make the process and final outcome more competent.

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NASA has launched a three-phase competition offering USD 155,000 in prizes to develop next-generation wheels for lunar rovers, as the US space agency prepares for sustained exploration missions to the Moon’s surface.

The “Rock and Roll with NASA Challenge” seeks lightweight, durable wheel designs capable of traversing the Moon’s harsh terrain of razor-sharp regolith whilst maintaining performance in extreme temperature variations and carrying substantial cargo loads at higher speeds.

The competition addresses critical mobility challenges facing future lunar missions, where traditional rover wheels have struggled with the Moon’s abrasive surface materials and temperature extremes that can plummet to minus 173 degrees Celsius during lunar nights.

“The next era of lunar exploration demands a new kind of wheel – one that can sprint across razor-sharp regolith, shrug off extremely cold nights, and keep a rover rolling day after lunar day,” NASA stated in announcing the challenge.

The programme unfolds across three distinct phases. Phase 1, which opened on 28 August and runs until 4 November 2025, will reward the best conceptual designs and analyses. Phase 2, scheduled for January through April 2026, will fund prototype development. The final phase in May-June 2026 will test leading designs through live obstacle courses simulating lunar conditions.

For the concluding phase, NASA will deploy MicroChariot, a 45-kilogram test rover, to evaluate top-performing wheel designs at the Johnson Space Centre Rockyard facility in Houston, Texas. The testing ground will simulate the challenging lunar terrain that future missions must navigate.

The competition remains open to diverse participants, from university student teams and independent inventors to established aerospace companies, reflecting NASA’s broader strategy of engaging private sector innovation for space exploration technologies.

NASA mobility engineers will provide ongoing feedback throughout the competition phases, offering participants insights from the agency’s extensive experience in planetary rover operations, including successful missions to Mars.

The challenge comes as NASA intensifies preparations for the Artemis programme, which aims to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon and serve as a stepping stone for eventual Mars exploration missions.

Current lunar rover designs have faced limitations in speed, cargo capacity, and durability when operating across the Moon’s challenging surface conditions, creating demand for breakthrough mobility solutions that can support extended surface operations.

The competition timeline positions Phase 2 prototype funding to commence in January 2026, allowing successful Phase 1 participants several months to refine their concepts before advancing to hardware development.

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VMI will display its automated Strainer Plate Cleaning Station, a significant innovation designed to address a longstanding challenge within the rubber manufacturing industry, at the upcoming Global Polymer Summit in Cleveland. This comes at a critical time of rapid economic expansion in the United States, largely fuelled by construction and industrial renewal, which is driving increased demand for high-quality, efficiently produced rubber components.

These components are essential across a vast spectrum of applications, from microscopic seals and industrial machinery to pipelines and specialised products for extreme environments. To keep pace, US manufacturers are actively seeking advanced equipment that combines superior quality, shorter lead times and robust stateside support. For over two decades, VMI has met these exact needs from its Ohio operations, offering German-engineered solutions supported by responsive local service.

The new Strainer Plate Cleaning Station exemplifies VMI's pioneering ‘Hands-off, Eyes-off’ automation philosophy, previously applied to its industry-standard tyre building machines. This system utilises advanced robotics to completely transform what has traditionally been one of the most labour-intensive, unpleasant and hazardous jobs in a rubber factory. The automated Strainer Plate Cleaning Station will be demonstrated in operation at VMI’s booth, number 1430, during the Global Polymer Summit from 8th to 11th September.

The benefits of this automation are substantial. Companies can reallocate skilled workers to more value-added production roles, thereby boosting overall productivity and driving down unit costs. This enhanced efficiency allows businesses to become more competitive and responsive to dynamic market demands. The system integrates seamlessly with VMI’s extrusion and gear pump systems, which are backed by proprietary management software that enables the flexible production of both standard and highly specialised components on a single platform.

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The Qingdao Municipal Government Information Office recently hosted a media briefing on ‘Shandong's Top Brands on the Industrial Chain – Intelligent Equipment Industrial Chain’ at the MESNAC Jiaozhou Equipment Industrial Park. Senior leaders from MESNAC and three other prominent firms were in attendance to present their advancements and field questions from journalists.

A central focus was on MESNAC's proprietary ROC R&D platform, a unique modular system engineered specifically for the rubber equipment sector. This platform is fundamentally structured around client requirements, integrating comprehensive product design, technological development and rigorous testing protocols. This architecture facilitates a configurable development process, allowing for both large-scale customisation and remarkably agile product delivery. The company's operational philosophy was explained as a dedicated team model, where a single unit focuses its expertise on one product for its entire lifecycle. This meticulous approach has generated significant industry innovations in recent years, including fully automatic material weighing systems, unmanned tire building machinery and intelligent tyre curing press workshops capable of operating as fully unmanned ‘lights-out’ facilities.

The event included a practical demonstration of this technology in action. Attendees witnessed the NPS Semi-steel One-stage Building Machine, which achieves a single-tyre production cycle of just 35 seconds through complete automation. This system boasts world-class efficiency, requiring only one person to supervise multiple machines simultaneously. It embodies a new generation of intelligent manufacturing by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies such as precision machine vision, industrial robotics, sophisticated industrial IoT software and autonomous learning capabilities.

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NEXEN TIRE has inaugurated a cutting-edge High Dynamic Driving Simulator at its Magok-based NEXEN UniverCity R&D centre in Seoul. A first-of-its-kind installation within the South Korean tyre industry, this advanced system represents a pivotal step in modernising tyre development by leveraging virtual reality and artificial intelligence.

The simulator functions by creating a highly realistic virtual driving environment. Engineers can input specific vehicle data and parameters to conduct precise testing of performance metrics such as acceleration, braking and handling across a diverse range of simulated road conditions, all within a controlled laboratory setting.

This technological advancement is expected to significantly streamline NEXEN TIRE’s research and development operations. It will reduce the need for physical prototypes and extensive real-world vehicle tests, which in turn accelerates development cycles and lowers associated costs. A major strategic benefit is the enhanced ability to meet the exacting performance standards required by global automakers for original equipment tyres, especially for new and high-performance vehicle models.

The shift towards virtual testing also supports the company's sustainability objectives by diminishing the fossil fuel consumption typically involved in traditional road testing, thereby supporting its broader environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. This move aligns with a larger industry trend where automakers are rapidly adopting virtual processes to improve efficiency.

Looking forward, NEXEN TIRE plans to build upon this simulator to establish a comprehensive Full Virtual Development Process. This long-term strategy aims to integrate advanced simulation with finite element method analysis and AI, ultimately working towards a future where physical testing is largely replaced by virtual validation.

John Bosco (Hyeon Suk) Kim, CEO, NEXEN TIRE, said, “Ahead of the industry trend towards virtual development of vehicles and tyres, the establishment of our High Dynamic Driving Simulator is a strategic investment to lead the future mobility sector. By combining VR and AI technologies, we will enhance both the efficiency and precision of our R&D while contributing to ESG management, thereby strengthening our global competitiveness.”

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