When we discuss about a motorcycle's performance, we generally speak about its engine power, torque, top speed, how fast it can accelerate, vehicle sound etc. Nevertheless, all these are meaningless if a driver cannot control the machine and/or is not comfortable while riding. There comes the importance of tyres. Tyres are the most crucial parts of a vehicle suspension system.  Tyres are the only component in a motorcycle that constantly stays in contact with the road. The part of tread which is in contact with road surface is called ‘contact patch’ & Is about half the size of a post card.  The overall suspension system (including tyres) ensures the right contact between the tires and the road surface at every stage of driving, thereby ensuring stability and good handling of the vehicle.

As tyres are the only contact with the road, they are responsible for multiple functions, such as –

Transfer the engine power to the road- meeting the demands of acceleration and braking

  Provides right hold (grip) on different surfaces like dry, wet, snow, loose soils etc.

  Helps the rider to steer the vehicle by responding to the handle movements

  Carry the weight of the vehicle & rider

 Ensuring the comfort of the rider by absorbing and dampening shock

Apart from the above aspects, tyres play a vital role in vehicle aesthetics, safety, fuel efficiency etc. These and several other challenges make Motorcycle tyre design a very interesting and responsible subject.

Apart from being a crucial part of a vehicle suspension system, tyres are the only contact between vehicle & road. Motorcycle vehicle dynamics and control characteristics are highly influenced by the tyre design. It is therefore highly imperative for a vehicle chase/suspension designer & tyre designer to work together in tandem. This will ensure that the part designs will complement each other and deliver the characteristic target performance of a motorcycle. A robust interaction mechanism between the R&Ds of OEM [Original Equipment Manufactures] and tyre manufactures is a growing necessity to cater to the ever‐increasing demands of performance entrusted upon the tyre of today. In case of tyres getting designed exclusively for aftermarket, a tyre designer work closely with the vehicle dynamics team to ensure that the retrofit design delivers desired target performance of the vehicle

Some of the major steps involved in motorcycle tyre design are

 Product planning & Tyre “Size” finalization: During this stage a vehicle designer & tyre designer jointly review the vehicle performance requirements and decides the parameters specific to tyre performance. This includes:

Defying the application /terrine: Depending on application, 2 wheelers maybe broadly classified as Sport, Cruiser, Choppers, Touring, scooter, Step through, Sport touring, Enduro etc. Different OEM’s follow different terminologies, but a for a tyre designer to understand the final use by the user is of utmost importance. Demands from a tyre varies with each vehicle category, for example, for a cruiser the tyre is designed to be robust so as to hold up the weight of such heavy bikes and deliver long tyre life, whereas for a Sport touring /super sport bike, tyres are  designed to deliver quick and precise handling with superior grip. These tires are lighter and made by using softer compounds for Superior grip.

Selection of Bias /Bias belted / Radial:   At this juncture, I am not going to delve deeper into a detailed comparison of these constructions – however, it is important to acknowledge that both these construction types have their respective advantages and disadvantages. Each of these constructions has few specific applications where one performs better than the other. The selection of construction type mainly depends on vehicle category (application), vehicle Speed, load on the tyre, stability requirements, handling requirements, etc. for example Bias tyres are used in medium speed but heavy weight vehicles owing to their sturdy sidewalls, whereas Radial tyres are the ideal choice for high speed , vehicles because of their superior dimensional stability.

Selection of Tube type Vs Tubeless:  Functionally both types of tyres have a proven track record for almost all applications. Hence this choice mainly depends on vehicle Rim design, which is decided by the overall aesthetic demand & application of the motorcycle.For high speed application, tubeless is always preferred

Finalizing the Tyre size / Tyre Geometry:  In general, we may call it as tyre “size” – which includes tyre width, tyre diameter, rim diameter etc. Tyre geometry affects the vehicle dynamics like caster, trail, vehicle Center of gravity [CoG], etc. It also influences the area of contact between vehicle and road surface under different riding conditions & load-carrying capacity of the tyres. Furthermore, tyre size significantly influences vehicle aesthetic as well.  Tyre “size” and vehicle rim size are always interconnected. Decision on one influence the decision on the other.  Usually motorcycles have different front and rear tyre sizes depending on vehicle geometry & load distribution. Tyre “sizes” are decided considering all these parameters & the designers ensures that it follows the standards’ guidelines applicable in target countries.

Tyre tread profile design:

Contrary to the passenger car tyre designs which have almost flat tread surface, motorcycle tires have a U-shaped profile and a contact patch that changes size and shape during cornering. There is a major difference in the way lateral force is built up in passenger car and two wheelers.  In case of passenger car, mechanism of lateral force builds up is due to slip angle whereas in two-wheeler it is mainly because of the camber or the leaning of the vehicle.  Hence you see a flat tread area for passenger car tyre and U-shaped profile for Motorcycle tyre

This U-shaped profile is an important design factor having a direct influence on vehicle performances such as drivability (handling) durability, ride comfort, noise and wear resistance etc.

These tread contours are designed as the arc of one radius, or a combination of arcs with two or more radii. These profiles ensure the required contact patch availability at different lean angles & are controlled by the lean characteristic of the vehicles. It is very critical to balance the performance of front tyre & rear tyre of s motorcycle for precise handling of the vehicle. The contour designs play an important role in front /Rear tyre balance.

Tyre tread pattern design:

Patterns are molded in the tread area of tyre by repeated arrangement of ‘Groves’ or ‘Blocks’ & are generally referred to as “tread pattern”.

Significance of tread pattern: 

Tread pattern plays a vital role in tyre performance such as:

Optimizing the traction on the riding surface

Eliminating aquaplaning

Optimizing the” Wear” of tread area·  

Ensuring the continuity of tyre performance at different wear Stages [ wear %] of tyre.

Rolling resistance of the tyre

Noise generation

roviding a measurable clue to the owner on time for removal /suitability for continuous usage. etc.

Tread patterns not only helps in achieving the target performance, but also impart unique look to tyres and enhance aesthetics

Tyre patterns are broadly classified into 4 Major headings

• Rib patterns
• Directional
• Block [ Knobby]
• Slick tyres [Pattern less]

Selection of which group of patterns is mainly controlled by the terrain of application, e.g. Directional patterns are preferred in paved roads and knobby pattern ae mainly used on off-road applications. Pattern less tyres are normally used in racing track applications to provide maximum traction.  Vehicles are designed to work in a combination of different terrains – similarly, tread patterns also have subgroups– which are optimized to operate in different combination of terrains. E.g. Semi knobby patterns for on – off allocations, High land – minimum grove patterns for Supersport highway applications etc.

Designer alter the direction of the grove, depth of the grove, number of groves, the ratio between Grove area & non grove area [ Land- sea ratio] , shape of the grove, the width of the grove etc. to optimize the performance of tread pattern. These patterns are designed to perform under different dynamic conditions. Nowadays designers seek the help of computer-aided simulations to predict the performance under different loading /riding conditions to optimize the pattern design.

Tyre as an Aesthetic component

The visual appeal of tyre is significant contributor in the overall aesthetics of a motorcycle. Hence in addition to performing all the functional requirements discussed so far, tyres ought to look good too.

The tread pattern should complement the overall styling language of a motorcycle. This attracts the attention of OEM’s vehicle styling studios towards tyre tread designs as well. In fact, most of the new tyre designs are done first at styling studio and then technically optimized by the tyre engineer to guarantee the functionality.

Material design

Tyre is a composite material made of different rubber compounds and reinforcing materials. Right compound and reinforcing material selection are crucial to achieve the target performance of tyre.

• Reinforcing materials:

Reinforcing materials provides the required strength and stiffness for tyre body [carcass]. This includes “tyre cords” used in tyre body ply & “bead wires” used in bead construction of tyres. Most used tyre cord materials are Nylon 6, Nylon 6-6, Polyester, Aramid, Rayon, Steel, etc.

These materials differ in their chemical composition, tensile strength, elongation properties, impact strength, temperature resistance, rubber adhesion, etc. Tyre engineer must choose the right tyre cords depending on the performance demands of the tyre like load carrying capacity, durability, impact resistance, drivability, speed of operations etc. Cost & availability also are few decisive parameters during selection of reinforcing materials.

Tyre Cord denier, cord style, EPI (Ends Per Inch), angle of cords and number of plies affect the strength of a tyre and are chosen based on engineering, and design criteria.

structural durability of a tyre is Primarily determined by the reinforcing material

• Rubber compound design

Each part of the tyre must dispense different functions and are thus designed with different rubber compounds like tread compound, sidewall compound, carcass compound, bead wire coat compound, etc.  Though all these compounds have their own importance, but tread compound selection is the most critical, as it has a direct impact on tyre traction, handling, wear performance, durability, rolling resistance, etc.

• • Trends of tread compound design:    

Even though smaller number of components are used in a motorcycle tyre, than as compared with passenger car tyres, but performance challenges involved in compounding are far more complex considering less area of tyre in contact with road. 3 major performance requirements in motorcycle tread compound are (1) Grip (2) Rolling resistance [fuel efficiency] and (3) Tyre life which is generally referred as the magic triangle in tyre rubber compounding. This is due to the contradictory response of these 3 performance characteristics to rubber compounding approach. For example, improvement in Grip normally comes with an increase in rolling resistance with conventional compounding as both are related to energy loss. It is always a challenge for tyre compounder to improve all three performance requirements together and this calls for the incorporation of advanced polymers and fillers.

Performance priorities for tread compound changes based on operating terrain, type of vehicle, etc. e.g. Street two-wheeler tread compound designs primarily focus on high grip and high-speed capabilities, whereas an on-off application tyre require higher cut and chunk resistance tread compound.

Demand for lower rolling resistance tyre is showing a steady increase Year-on-Year. Major divers for this growing demand are Electric vehicle introduction & increased focus on vehicle fuel efficiency, in few segments. Tread compounds are expected to deliver lower rolling resistance, without compromising the Grip – typical “magic triangle” puzzle for any tyre compounding engineer. Tyre industry can address this challenge by usage of new generation materials like SSBR, functionalized SSBR, high molecular

Design for manufacturing

For success of any product – Design & manufacturing sync is a must. While designing, to accommodate all functional requirements, a designer cannot ignore the significance of manufacturing process. Hence every tyre design is optimized to satisfy both functional & manufacturability needs. This if not done properly may result in suboptimal performance of the product,

Product Performance Testing

It’s important to review and verify the product performance before releasing it into the market. There are a set of Indoor & Outdoor tests for performance review. A few of them are listed below,

Indoor tests: High-speed drum test, Endurance test, Rolling resistance test, Force and moment testing, Stiffness test, Footprint etc.

Outdoor tests: Ride and Handling testing (track, off-road, public road etc.], Braking test [wet, dry], tyre wear test etc.

Blend of Engineering & Art

Being an integral part of vehicle suspension system & only contact point with road, a tyre plays significant role in motorcycle performance [safety, drivability etc.]. In addition to these performance parameters, tyres have significant influence on the overall styling of the vehicle. It complements the primary theme of the vehicle. A right blend of engineering and art is essential for a successful tyre design. One cannot substitute the other. Amongst different steps of tyre design like, dimension finalization, tread design & martial design etc. the most critical step is tread design (profile, pattern & compound)

Few areas designers are focusing today to  meet the near/middle future demands are

• Lowering the rolling resistance – without compromising grip
• Shortening the time to market.
• virtual simulation of tyre performance

 

References

1.  ‘’The pneumonic tyre’’, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Feb 2006
2. T. French, Tyre Technology, Hilger, New York, 1989.
3. Mechanics of Pneumatic Tires, S. K Clark, ed., University of Michigan, US Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC, 20590, 1891.

     4.  Handbook of vehicle-road interaction: vehicle dynamics, suspension design, and road damage / edited by David Cebon. p. cm. - (Advances in engineering), ISBN 9026515545

    5. “Tyre and Vehicle Dynamics” , Hans B. Pacejka,  Professor Emeritus Delft University of Technology, Consultant TNO Automotive Helmond

     The author is General Manager - Product Development,2&3-Wheeler tyres, CEAT Tyres

Continental's leadership in reducing tyre wear is fundamentally driven by its pioneering research into how particles are generated. A pivotal element of this strategy is the recently concluded OLRAP project, a collaboration with the Technical University of Braunschweig that broke new ground in real-world particle analysis. The research team engineered a complex experimental vehicle, outfitting it with a custom vacuum system and sensitive particle sensors. This innovative setup enabled the real-time collection and analysis of airborne particles directly at their source – the rolling tyre – under actual driving conditions. The resulting data, which for the first time correlates specific driving dynamics like aggressive acceleration and hard cornering with particle emissions, provides an unprecedented understanding of wear patterns.

This deep, data-driven insight is what directly fuels Continental's product development. By knowing precisely how and when wear occurs, engineers can make targeted optimisations to tread patterns and rubber compounds. The objective is to systematically design tyres that shed less material, thereby directly reducing their environmental footprint from abrasion. This development process rigorously maintains the critical safety and performance standards that drivers demand.

The tangible success of this research-to-development pipeline is confirmed by independent analysis, which shows Continental tyres abrade 11 percent less material than the competitor average. Furthermore, this proactive research and development strategically prepares the company for upcoming regulations like the Euro 7 standard, which will impose limits on tyre wear emissions. Beyond its own laboratories, Continental extends this commitment through cross-industry efforts, co-chairing the Tire Industry Project and contributing to public initiatives aimed at capturing tyre particles from road runoff. Through this integrated approach, Continental is leveraging fundamental scientific discovery to create more sustainable mobility solutions.

In a significant step for connected mobility in India, JK Tyre & Industries has launched the nation's first Embedded Smart Tyres designed for passenger vehicles. This innovation, developed entirely in-house and produced at their Banmore plant in Madhya Pradesh, moves tyre technology beyond a passive component to an active, intelligent part of the vehicle. This launch reinforces the company's commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative and establishes a new benchmark for intelligent driving.

The core of this advancement lies in sophisticated sensors that are built directly into the tyre itself during the manufacturing process. Unlike external systems, these embedded sensors provide continuous, real-time monitoring of vital operational data. They track crucial metrics such as internal air pressure, temperature and can even detect potential air leaks. This constant stream of information translates into actionable insights for the driver, which substantially boosts vehicle safety, optimises performance and increases overall driving efficiency.

This new product builds upon JK Tyre's established history with its 'SMART Tyre' technology, an earlier industry-first that integrated Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems with cloud analytics. The latest embedded version represents a natural evolution, further solidifying the company's role as a pioneer in the mobility sector. Beyond the primary safety benefits, these smart tyres are also engineered to deliver practical advantages for consumers, including a longer tread life and improved fuel economy, which also contributes to a lower environmental impact. Initially, these next-generation tyres will be offered in the aftermarket in sizes from 14 to 17 inches, making this advanced technology accessible to a broad range of car owners.

Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., said, “The launch of our Embedded Smart Tyres marks a defining milestone in JK Tyre’s innovation journey. Backed by our strong R&D and manufacturing capabilities, this achievement reflects our commitment to advancing technology-driven mobility. By integrating intelligence at the very core of performance, we are transforming the way India drives, making mobility smarter, safer and more sustainable. This development is a testament to JK Tyre’s unwavering focus on technological excellence and our vision to lead the future of connected mobility.”

JK Tyre & Industries Ltd on Monday inaugurated India’s first precision tyre buffing and grinding machine for wet grip testing of worn tyres at the National Automotive Test Tracks (NATRAX) facility in Pithampur, Madhya Pradesh, marking a significant step towards advancing road safety and self-reliance in tyre performance evaluation.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director of JK Tyre, and Dr. Manish Jaiswal, Director of NATRAX, along with senior officials from both organisations.

The newly installed equipment complies with ECE R117 regulations, which evaluate a tyre’s wet braking performance when worn to the legal tread depth limit of 1.6 mm. The system allows precise preparation of worn tyre samples across C1 (passenger car), C2 (light commercial) and C3 (heavy truck/bus) categories, enabling comprehensive Wet Grip on Worn Tyre (WGWT) testing at NATRAX.

“With the inauguration of the Precision Tyre Buffing and Grinding Machine (Wet Grip on Worn Tyre) at NATRAX, JK Tyre has taken yet another step forward in advancing tyre testing and safety innovation in India,” said Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries. “It reflects our unwavering commitment to innovation, technology leadership, and enhancing vehicular safety through modern engineering and contribution to build world-class testing infrastructure.”

The installation strengthens JK Tyre’s existing testing ecosystem, supporting both homologation and new product development. The company has been associated with NATRAX since 2017, utilising its advanced facilities for vehicle-level testing such as handling, braking, wet grip and noise evaluation.

JK Tyre has also invested in dedicated infrastructure at the NATRAX campus, including two workshops, a skilled technical team, and advanced testing equipment such as a skid trailer, steering robot and noise measurement systems, supported by a fleet of test vehicles.

The global tyre industry is in the midst of its greatest upheaval since the pneumatic tyre – driven by rapid digital transformation. Siemens, the German global technology company, is leading this revolution, quietly redefining how tyres are designed, manufactured and maintained worldwide.

In a sprawling industrial complex outside Nuremberg, Peter Haan, Head of Global VM Tire, Siemens, brings the enthusiasm of someone who has witnessed an industry’s complete metamorphosis to the oversight of Siemens’ global tyre operations. Recently, Haan outlined the company’s comprehensive strategy for modernising tyre production – addressing the price-sensitive manufacturers of Asia as well as the sustainability-focused plants of Europe.

“Digital transformation didn’t start yesterday, and it didn’t even start during the pandemic,” Haan explains, dispelling common misconceptions about the industry’s technological evolution. “We’ve been working on this for more than 10 years now. We had digital twins a decade ago, which might surprise people who think this is cutting-edge technology.”

The Industrial Metaverse Revolution

The foundation of Siemens’ approach lies in what Haan calls ‘digitalisation for design’ – the creation of what the company now terms the industrial metaverse. This comprehensive digital simulation integrates machines, programmes and entire production processes. It represents years of focused development and has achieved what Haan considers ‘very good status with our integrated approach’.

Haan’s descriptions of recent projects clarify these implications. “We are just building a new plant in Singapore and expanding an existing plant in Germany” he reports. Due to confidentiality agreements, he cannot display the complete digital representation on his computer. Instead of seeing only lines and geometric shapes that require imagination to translate into real machines, one can now observe photorealistic models: virtual people moving, machinery operating and materials progressing through the production process.

This industrial metaverse requires immense computing power, necessitating a close partnership between Siemens and Nvidia. While most consumers know Nvidia for its gaming graphics cards, the company also produces high-end simulation capabilities that enable Siemens and Siemens customers to run simulations in real time with an absolute realistic look and feel.

A second key pillar is digitalisation for operations, achieved through advanced planning and scheduling systems. Tyre manufacturing today exists in a dynamic environment, where customer demands can change daily, a stark contrast to the older, more predictable monthly or quarterly cycles.

“Today, a customer might want to capture one market segment. Tomorrow, they might pivot to electric vehicle tyres. Next week, they could have entirely different ideas based on market conditions,” Haan explains. “Traditional planning systems simply cannot handle this level of flexibility.”

The solution involves Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) systems that provide immediate responsiveness to market changes. Siemens has successfully implemented this approach across multiple regions, including a completely new greenfield facility in Chennai, which was designed from the ground up using digital operations principles.

Modernising Legacy Infrastructure

The process of implementing digitalisation becomes more challenging when accounting for the hundreds of tyre manufacturing plants worldwide, many of which are equipped with machinery that has decades of operational history. Nevertheless, Siemens has crafted a methodical approach to address these ageing systems.

“This is actually easier to answer than most people expect, though the implementation requires careful planning,” Haan notes. The process begins with laser scanning systems that create high-precision three-dimensional digital representations of entire facilities, mapping every machine location, material flow and worker movement pattern.

This laser-generated data becomes the foundation for plant simulation software that models current operations. “The next crucial step is comparing our simulation results with actual reality to ensure accuracy,” Haan explains. “Initially, no improvement is achieved – we’re simply creating a digital mirror of existing operations.”

Once accurate digital representations exist, optimisation can begin in the virtual environment first. Companies can simulate workflow changes, test automated guided vehicle implementations and identify bottlenecks without disrupting actual production.

To add intelligence to existing machinery, Siemens utilises edge computing devices. “Our SIMATIC IPC127E, for instance, can connect to all existing automation systems, even equipment that’s 30 years old,” Haan says. “We can interface with legacy automations systems from Siemens and any supplier, thus adding intelligence to old machines”

The retrofit approach varies based on existing capabilities. Some situations require minimal hardware changes, while others demand comprehensive replacements of the automation system. “If you have a state-of-the-art automation system, you might need no new hardware at all – just download additional functionality,” Haan explains.

Digital Twins And Real-Time Optimisation

The concept of digital twins running parallel to actual production represents one of Siemens’ most sophisticated technological achievements. These systems utilise edge computing to operate what Haan calls ‘live twins’ that mirror physical machine behaviour in real-time.

Tyre curing provides a compelling example of this technology’s potential. “The temperature inside the bladder during the curing process is challenging to measure directly, especially with traditional rubber bladders,” Haan explains. “But with our digital twin technology, we have virtual sensors so sophisticated that you can specify any point in the bladder, and our system can compute and calculate the exact temperature at that location.”

This capability bridges the gap between simulation and the real world, providing measurement data that is unobtainable through physical sensors. The digital twin processes information such as product geometry, material compression due to steam or water and flow directions influenced by the physical layout. With this, precise optimisation of curing parameters becomes achievable.

“The simulation can then influence real curing behaviour, making the process more accurate and potentially reducing curing time,” Haan notes. For electric curing systems, this precision enables targeted heating adjustments, such as applying additional heat to tyre edges while maintaining optimal internal temperatures.

Regional Market Dynamics

The global tyre industry’s digital transformation unfolds differently across regions, requiring distinct strategies tailored to local market conditions and regulatory environments. These differences significantly impact how Siemens approaches each market.

In China and the broader Asia-Pacific region, price sensitivity dominates decision-making processes. “Customers are extremely price-sensitive, focusing primarily on capital expenditure (CAPEX). Operational expenditure (OPEX) considerations often aren’t in scope initially,” Haan explains. “We have to continually focus about lifecycle costs versus initial purchase prices.”

This dynamic creates challenges for Siemens’ solutions. When comparing automated guided vehicles, for example, Chinese manufacturers often prefer locally-produced systems based on proprietary electronics that appear cheaper initially. Siemens takes a different approach, building AGVs exclusively with industrial automation components – standard PLCs, drives, motors and HMIs.

“Initially, our solution costs more compared to a proprietary electronics-based AGV – we simply cannot compete on initial price with local suppliers,” Haan acknowledges. “However, when you consider lifecycle costs, our approach becomes significantly less expensive.”

The advantage becomes apparent during maintenance scenarios. When a motor fails in a Siemens system, customers can replace it with standard components they likely maintain in inventory for other machinery. Proprietary systems require specific spare parts from original manufacturers, assuming availability and reasonable delivery times.

European Cybersecurity And Workforce Challenges

Europe presents entirely different challenges, beginning with the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) that will fundamentally reshape the automation landscape starting in 2026. This legislation mandates that all industrial automation products meet specific cybersecurity requirements, with significant implications for existing equipment.

“The European Commission has decided that industrial production and critical infrastructure must be secured against cyber-attacks,” Haan explains. “Given that Europe is effectively at war and cyber attacks are a daily occurrence, this is not just theoretical.”

Siemens is proactively addressing this transition by working with customers to review their equipment bills of materials and provide updated specifications for compliant replacements. This affects both new installations and retrofits, as any significant upgrade must meet new security requirements.

Europe also faces demographic challenges that influence automation requirements. “We have an ageing society with fewer people than countries like India or China, and we’re experiencing a shortage of experienced workers and technical experts,” Haan explains. “This means our products must be simple to use, and machines of our customers must be operated simply.”

European manufacturers also demand continuous operation capabilities. “24/7/365 operation – production cannot be interrupted by unexpected downtime. Predictive maintenance isn’t just nice to have; it’s urgently necessary,” Haan emphasises. “When we work with major German tyre manufacturers, predictive maintenance is included from the beginning. If anyone offered a mixing line without predictive maintenance, they wouldn’t even be considered.”

Artificial Intelligence In Manufacturing

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in tyre manufacturing has moved from experimental to essential, particularly in areas traditionally requiring human intervention. Visual inspection represents the most obvious opportunity for AI implementation.

“Even in highly automated plants – and I’ve visited completely automated facilities that are quite impressive – you still typically see 20 people doing visual inspection of finished tyres,” Haan observes. “But here’s the fundamental problem: after inspecting 100 tyres, human consistency inevitably declines. We’re not machines – our attention wavers, we get tired, we make mistakes.”

Siemens is collaborating with companies to develop AI-powered inspection systems that integrate high-quality optical equipment with sophisticated pattern recognition algorithms. “The AI must determine whether there’s a fault, what type of fault it is – is it a bubble, is it incorrect wire placement, is it a surface imperfection?” Haan explains.

When discussing accuracy expectations with plant managers, Haan maintains realistic perspectives. “When asked whether the machine recognises 100 percent of failures, I’m honest – no, not 100 percent. But I can say that it recognises defects more accurately and consistently than human beings.”

AI applications extend beyond inspection into production processes themselves. In curing operations, Siemens utilises AI through digital twin technology that operates in parallel with physical equipment. “We measure all incoming variables – electric power consumption, steam pressure, external temperature, internal conditions – and feed this information to our digital life twin running on edge computing devices,” Haan explains.

Using computational fluid dynamics simulations, the system accurately understands how heat behaves throughout the curing process. Real-time comparison between simulation predictions and actual conditions enables continuous optimisation. “For electric curing systems, we can even create different temperature zones – applying more heat to tyre edges while maintaining optimal internal temperatures.,” says Haan.

Sustainability Beyond Green Materials

Sustainability in tyre manufacturing encompasses far more than renewable raw materials, extending through entire product lifecycles from manufacturing to end-of-life processing. Siemens has developed comprehensive approaches to address these challenges.

The company’s ‘SiGREEN’ system calculates complete product-related carbon footprints using standardised communication protocols that include all supplier contributions. “Most companies, when asked about the carbon footprint of a specific tyre, can’t provide accurate data,” Haan notes. “Approximately three-quarters of a tyre’s carbon footprint doesn’t come from the manufacturing plant. It comes from purchased materials and the energy used to produce them.”

This complexity requires sophisticated tracking capabilities. “These complex calculations change dynamically as supply chains shift towards geographically closer sourcing locations,” Haan explains. “Our system links to the bill of materials for each product, tracking exactly what compounds are used in tyre treads versus sidewalls and maintaining complete supply chain traceability.”

This transparency is becoming crucial for business relationships. “Previously, negotiations between tyre manufacturers and automotive companies focused primarily on price. Now we have a new critical component: carbon footprint,” Haan says. Automotive manufacturers face government-mandated carbon limits with significant penalties for non-compliance, making tyre carbon footprints a competitive differentiator.

Tyre recycling represents another sustainability frontier where Siemens provides technological solutions. The company collaborates with several organisations that are advancing pyrolysis technology for tyre breakdown, including joint ventures involving major tyre manufacturers that utilise our completely web-based process control system SIMATIC PCS neo.

“Pyrolysis plants are sophisticated chemical operations requiring precise parameter control,” Haan explains. “You cannot simply shut down a pyrolysis plant during lunch breaks like some other manufacturing processes. These systems require continuous operation with carefully managed temperature, pressure and material feed rates.”

Siemens also supports ultra-high-pressure water jet technology for tyre breakdown, which uses high-pressure water streams to separate tyre components for direct reuse. “This technology requires precise PLC control to manage water pressure, flow rates and separation processes,” Haan notes.

Innovative Equipment Design

Siemens has identified fundamental inefficiencies in traditional tyre manufacturing equipment and developed innovative solutions to address them. Curing presses exemplify this approach effectively.

Standard curing presses typically feature large HMI screens for operator interaction, but actual utilisation analysis reveals these expensive displays are used less than five percent of operating time. “These screens are costly to build and maintain, especially in curing environments with high temperatures and corrosive gases that damage electronic displays. Yet they sit unused most of the time,” Haan explains.

Siemens’ solution eliminates local HMI screens entirely, replacing them with mobile devices, such as tablets, connected to centralised SCADA systems running WinCC software. Haan says, “All screens for all curing presses across a plant are hosted on centralised servers. When an operator needs to interact with a specific curing press, they log into that machine through their mobile device,” says Haan.

This approach provides identical functionality while dramatically reducing costs and improving reliability. “If a plant has 10 operators, providing 10 tablets costs far less than installing individual screens at each curing press. The mobile devices also have much higher utilisation rates and can be used anywhere in the facility,” adds Haan. Electrical curing technology represents another significant innovation thanks to Siemens’ modular ‘e-Starter’ systems, which control heating circuits in electric curing presses. The modular design accommodates various press configurations while providing automatic protection against electrical faults commonly found in high-temperature environments.

“In steel moulds at high temperatures, insulation can fail, creating dangerous grounding or short circuit conditions. Our system recognises these automatically and sends immediate alerts to operators,” Haan explains. The flexibility allows manufacturers to configure systems precisely for their needs, whether they require eight heating segments or 20 or more.

Advanced Fleet Management

Material handling and logistics automation have evolved significantly. Siemens’ offerings include SIMOVE AGV technology along with comprehensive fleet management solutions, featuring free navigation capabilities that offer greater operational flexibility compared to traditional guided vehicle systems.

The company’s unique approach to AGV fleet management centres on the SIMOVE platform and fleet manager software. “We use only industrial automation components in our AGVs – standard PLCs, drives, motors and HMIs that customers already understand and maintain,” Haan explains.

The fleet management system supports VDA 5050, a standardised communication protocol enabling AGVs from different manufacturers to communicate with each other and central management systems. “Think of it like Profinet for industrial automation – a common communication standard,” Haan says.

Siemens can integrate proprietary protocols from various suppliers, with the fleet manager currently supporting over 20 different AGV communication protocols. This capability gives customers the flexibility to operate mixed AGV fleets while maintaining centralised control.

“The system can control both real-world operations and simulations. If you have a digital simulation of your plant, our fleet manager can demonstrate how AGVs will operate before physical implementation,” Haan notes.

Predictive Maintenance Evolution

Siemens’ Senseye predictive maintenance system distinguishes itself through two key advantages over competitor offerings. First, the system utilises data from standard automation components that generate extensive operational information automatically.

“All drives, all PLCs generate extensive operational data automatically. You can get current consumption, torque output, operating temperatures and many other parameters directly from standard components,” Haan explains. “Just by analysing this standard information, we can predict when machines are at risk.”

Pattern recognition enables early identification of developing problems. Unexpected changes in current consumption patterns might indicate bearing wear or other mechanical issues weeks before actual failure occurs.

The second advantage involves Senseye’s internet-based architecture, which, with customer permission, compares similar machines across Siemens’ global installed base by connecting to standard databases. “This means customers benefit not just from learning about their own machines but from patterns identified across all connected machines worldwide,” Haan says.

This global learning capability creates powerful network effects. When Siemens identifies a failure pattern in one facility, that knowledge immediately becomes available to prevent similar failures in other locations using comparable equipment.

Industry Consolidation And Future Outlook

The global tyre industry is experiencing dramatic structural changes, particularly evident in China, where consolidation has accelerated significantly. “Five years ago, there were approximately 500 tyre manufacturers in China. Now we’re down to fewer than 300,” Haan reports.

This consolidation reflects both market forces and deliberate government policies that promote industry efficiency and environmental performance. “China’s manufacturing policy demands higher technology adoption, better environmental performance and reduced energy consumption,” says Haan. Export challenges compound these pressures, making it difficult for smaller manufacturers to achieve the scale necessary for survival. Government support actively encourages consolidation towards larger, more technologically advanced companies capable of global competition.

Siemens is positioning itself for these changes through what Haan calls ‘glocalisation’ – the company’s new plant that is planned in Singapore reflects this approach. “We’ll see increasingly region-specific trends that require local adaptation while maintaining global technological standards,” adds Haan. The future belongs to companies embracing comprehensive digital transformation rather than piecemeal automation upgrades. “Companies must understand lifecycle costs rather than focusing solely on initial purchase prices. They need to integrate sustainability metrics into operations from the beginning, not as an afterthought,” Haan emphasises.

Most importantly, successful manufacturers will be those capable of rapid adaptation to changing market demands through flexible, digitally-enabled production systems. “The technology exists today to achieve this flexibility – the question is which companies will have the vision and commitment to implement it comprehensively,” says Haan. As Haan concludes: “The tyre industry’s digital transformation is no longer a future possibility – it’s happening now. Companies that delay this transition risk being left behind in an increasingly competitive and regulated global marketplace.”