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Calenderless Tire Manufacturing

A Calendering Machine Alternative

This image shows a Steelastic rubber extrusion system that provides the basis for calenderless tire manufacturing.

For years, calenders and offline processing equipment have been the most popular method in the tire industry for manufacturing reinforced tire components such as steel belt/breaker, body ply and cap strip. In traditional manufacturing applications there was good reason for this choice: manufacturers can produce a large quantity of tires quickly.  

However, today’s tire manufacturers face new challenges. As tire varieties increase, tire manufacturers need more flexibility to meet their customers’ demand. They need efficient solutions that enable them to respond quickly to their customers’ needs. This is where the calenderless tire manufacturing revolution comes into play.

What is Calenderless Tire Manufacturing?

Calenderless tire manufacturing is a new approach to tire manufacturing, utilizing high quality rubber extruder systems to create key tire components such as belt and breaker, body ply, cap strip and more.

At Steelastic, we are proud to be at the forefront of this calenderless tire manufacturing revolution. In fact, we’ve been delivering state-of-the-art calenderless tire component preparation technology for more than 50 years.

Discover the Calenderless Advantage

Unlike the traditional calenderbased tire manufacturing equipment, this innovative process offers several significant advantages that can revolutionize tire manufacturing.

Increased Flexibility

One of the primary benefits of calenderless tire manufacturing is the hugely increased flexibility it provides. When manufacturers use calenderless tire technology, they have shorter production runs, making it easier to adapt to changing market demands. This also allows tire manufacturers to produce different tire variations without the need for extensive re-tooling or calibration adjustments. This level of flexibility allows tire companies to quickly introduce new SKUs and meet specific customer requirements without sacrificing production speed or quality.

Increased Quality

Calenderless tire manufacturing is truly revolutionizing the tire industry, not only for its enhanced flexibility, but also for its exceptional quality. The calenderless approach utilizes a rubber extrusion system, which provides superior precision and accuracy in tire component placement, ultimately resulting in superior performance on the roads. 

Additionally, calenderless tire manufacturing minimizes the risk of human error and increases overall accuracy in tire production. By implementing automated systems and advanced technologies, manufacturers can achieve higher precision and consistency in every tire component, leading to improved product quality and reduced waste. 

Decreased Cost

Calenderless tire manufacturing offers cost savings for tire manufacturers in multiple ways. Apart from reduced capital expense, calenderless tire manufacturing also contributes to operational cost savings. Shorter production cycles and faster changeovers result in higher efficiency, allowing tire manufacturers to meet market demands without the need for excessive inventory stocking. Additionally, the reduction in wastage due to improved accuracy and consistency further optimizes cost-effectiveness. 

Read this blog to explore a total cost comparison between calendering and calenderless tire manufacturing equipment.

Try Before You Buy

Schedule a Calenderless Test Run

Are you ready to experience the benefits of calenderless tire manufacturing firsthand? Schedule a test run at our state-of-the-art facility in Cuyahoga Falls. Our team of experts will guide you through the process and demonstrate the advantages that calenderless tire manufacturing can bring to your business. Contact us today to take the first step toward revolutionizing your tire manufacturing process.

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TCO: The Cost of Calender vs. Calenderless Tire Manufacturing

Total Cost of Ownership: Calendering vs Calenderless

A capital investment in tire manufacturing equipment is no small purchase. Whether you’re just starting a tire production business or upgrading your equipment, it’s always worth comparing a traditional calender vs. calenderless tire production process. In this blog, we’ll explore the TCO, or total cost of ownership, of calender equipment vs calenderless equipment. 

How Do You Determine Total Cost of Ownership?

To calculate the true total cost of ownership for calender and calenderless equipment, it’s essential to know the life span of the machine. Both calender and calenderless equipment generally lasts 30 years. This assumes that both machines are receiving. This assumes that both machines are receiving adequate preventative maintenance 

Capital Expenses

Without question, capital expenses are some of the biggest investments you’ll make for your tire manufacturing business. Whether it’s an equipment or building expense, we’ll help you know what is required for both a traditional calender and a calenderless tire manufacturing process.  

Equipment Expenses: Calender vs. Calenderless

The calender and calenderless tire manufacturing process is very different, requiring a different set of equipment. (You can read more about the differences in this blog.) The chart below compares the capital equipment required for both processes.  

Calender Solution
Calenderless Solution
Textile Fabric Letoff (60" Wide)YesNot Required
Textile Body Ply Creels (qty 2 minimum)Not Required264 Spools
Steel Belt Creels (qty 2 minimum)1449 Spools240 Spools
Cap Strip Textile Creels (qty 2 minimum)Not Required
152 Spools
Pre Calender AccumulatorYesNot Required
Extruder, TCU & Die HeadNot RequiredRequired for Steel Belt, Body Ply, & Cap Strip
4 Roll Calender Line for Both Textile and Steel CordsYesNot Required
Cooling DrumsYesYes
Windup (60" Wide)YesNot Required
Steel Belt Cutter w/ Belt Edge Application, Double WindupsYesYes
Slitter with 2 x Double Windups for AboveOption AvailableOption Available
Ply Cutter w/ Cold Strip Application, 2 x WindupYesYes
Cap Strip System w/ Cooling Drums, Accumulator, up to 20 WindupsYesYes
Wide SlitterYesNot Required
Mini SlitterYesNot Required
Rubberized Calender Material Pallets/CassettesYesNot Required
Steel Belt CassettesYesYes
Textile Ply CassettesYesYes
Slitter Pre-Cut CartsYesNot Required
Cap Strip RacksYesYes

See for yourself … which requires less equipment? The answer: calenderless.  

Building Expenses

If you’re building a factory for your tire manufacturing process, you’ll want to consider warehousing and foundation needs, as well as the cost of integrating utilities such as electricity, cooling water, steam and compressed air. Because a calenderless system does not use steam, it’s one less utility system to integrate into the building requirements.  

When all is said and done, it is cheaper for small tire manufacturers to invest in a building that houses a calenderless system.  

Operational Expenses

Now, let’s explore the on-going operational expenses required of calender and calenderless tire manufacturing. In this section, we’ll look at the energy requirements, human resources and training and maintenance and repairs.  

Utilities & Energy Required

While the cost of installing utilities was documented above, it’s important to factor in the annual cost of the electricity, cooling water, steam and compressed air. Which process uses less energy? It depends. The calenderless tire manufacturing process uses less electricity and steam than the traditional calender process. However, businesses that choose the traditional calender process often consume less cooling water and very little compressed air.   

Considering the aggregate cost of energy and utilities expanded over the millions of tires produced, the calenderless tire manufacturing process costs less.  

Human Resources & Training

Tire manufacturers know the frustration of losing good employees and the challenge of training new ones. The traditional calender process requires multiple workers, but the calenderless process requires only one – allowing manufacturers to utilize workers more efficiently in other parts of the plant.  

Additionally, the training time for the calender tire manufacturing process requires 24 months, while the training process for the calenderless process is only six months.  

When it comes to human resource expenses, including the number of workers and their training, the answer is clear: calenderless tire manufacturing is most cost-efficient.  

Maintenance & Repairs

ROI

Here’s the bottom line: After considering all of these factors, calenderless tire manufacturers will meet their ROI goals faster than tire manufacturers using the traditional calender method. When using the calenderless method, tire manufacturers who produce two million tires per year will recover their ROI in just seven years, as opposed to eight years for a traditional calender process. Contact Steelastic to provide a ROI comparison using their Calenderless Tire Plant Model calculator that uses industry standard values or your specific production and cost data. 

Request a Quote

Are you ready to revolutionize your tire production process? Request a quote for Steelastic’s calenderless tire equipment. Boost efficiency, reduce downtime and unlock design possibilities. See it in action at our manufacturing facilities. Let’s shape the future of tire manufacturing together. Contact us now. 

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Calenderless vs. Calender Comparison Guide

Calenderless equipment helps produce superior quality tire components for lower cost and with a smaller footprint than calender methods.

In tire manufacturing, the tire calendering process is just “the way it’s always been done.” But it’s not the only way. A calenderless tire plant will have some clear differences in several different aspects, including cost and other factors. 

If you’re curious about going calenderless with your tire component production and how the process compares to a traditional calendering plant, read on. 

Cost

The bottom line is often top of mind. Compare startup, overhead and production costs between calender vs calenderless plants.  

Overhead Cost of Calender Tire Production

With traditional calender tire production, an appropriately sized plant requires estimated building costs of $94.5 million; machine investment of $139 million; and annual production costs of $104 million. 

Overhead Cost of Calenderless Tire Production

For equivalent production in a calenderless plant, building costs are lower due to the smaller footprint: $92.3 million. Machine investment costs are $136 million and total annual production costs are $102.8 million. 

Calenderless systems also require lower utility costs, consuming significantly less per in electricity, cooling water, compressed air and steam. 

Lead Time

Turnaround Time for Calender Tire Production

Calender production equipment typically requires 75 weeks of lead time (about a year and a half). 

Turnaround Time for Calenderless Tire Production

Lead time for the calenderless solution is shorter by nearly six months (52 weeks compared to 75).  

Training

Operator Excellence Training Period for Calender Tire Production 

Operator training (operator excellence training period) is two years for calender systems. 

Operator Excellence Training Period for Calenderless Tire Production

For calenderless systems, operator training time is reduced from two years to six months. 

Footprint

Footprint Size for Calender Tire Production

Calendered systems are larger in comparison and require additional capital equipment, resulting in greater equipment footprint. 

Footprint Size for Calenderless Tire Production

Equipment for a calenderless process occupies a smaller footprint and doesn’t require complex off-line processing, pre-calendering equipment, work in process staging areas, and other machinery.

Installation

Installation Time for Calender Tire Production

Typical installation time for calender equipment is 16 to 24 weeks and requires special planning and pours for concrete footers to bear the equipment weight. 

Installation Time for Calenderless Tire Production

For a calenderless solution, you can expect installation time of four to six weeks. 

Flexibility

Production for Calendered Solutions

Recouping costs on a calendered system requires high-volume production on single SKUs, and switching up lines entails cumbersome changes. 

Production for Calenderless Solutions

Calenderless systems allow you to adapt your production line as needed, including producing low-volume runs for multiple SKUs and the ability to process a wide range of materials with low changeover time. 

ROI

Return on Investment for Calender Tire Production

For a two-million-tire capacity plant, a calender process reaches profitability in about year 8. For a six-million-tire capacity, profitability is reached in year five. 

Return on Investment for Calenderless Tire Production

For a two-million-tire capacity plant, the calenderless plant reaches profitability in year 7—nearly a full year ahead of the calendered one.  

For a six-million-tire capacity, the calenderless tire plant reaches plant profitability in year five—simultaneously with the calendered plant.  

Partner With the Experts

At Steelastic, we offer rubber extrusion systems that provide many benefits over traditional calender tire production systems. For millions less in investment and annual production costs, you can produce a greater variety of products, switch seamlessly between SKUs, gain precise width, gauge, and angle control, and enjoy less than 1% scrap.  

We’ve dedicated a large portion of our facility to R&D and invite you to test our equipment with your components to see for yourself how a calenderless tire plant could be a viable reality for you, no matter what type of tire you produce. 

Start a conversation with us and explore how the Steelastic calenderless solution adapts to your needs. 

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How Tire Materials Impact Performance & Safety

Quality tire materials like the inner liner, tire ply, apex, gum edging, sidewall, belt, cap ply and tread impact performance and safety.

As tire manufacturers, you know that quality assurance is just as important for the materials as it is for the tire manufacturing process. With this in mind, we have created this blog post to explore how tire materials directly impact performance and safety. 

Inner Liner

When it comes to manufacturing high-performance tires, the quality and functionality of the inner liner play a crucial role in both performance and safety. The inner liner serves several important purposes, including ensuring air tightness, retaining air pressure, reducing noise and minimizing rolling resistance. These factors directly impact the tire’s overall performance, fuel efficiency and safety on the road. 

To achieve optimal results, it is essential to choose a reliable material for the inner liner. Halogenated butyl rubber is a common choice, selected for its exceptional properties. This high-quality, synthetic rubber offers superior air tightness, allowing the tire to maintain proper air pressure over extended periods. By reducing air leakage, tires with halogenated butyl rubber inner liners provide enhanced safety, stability and reliability to drivers, even in challenging driving conditions. 

At Steelastic, we offer rubber extruders so you can manufacture the inner liner with precision and reliability. This technology not only enhances efficiency and cost-effectiveness but also helps manufacturers meet the growing demand for high-performance tires in the market. 

Tire Ply

The tire ply, also called body ply, serves a critical role in enhancing both performance and safety. Its primary role is to provide radial stiffness in order to maintain optimal tire pressure. Better tire pressure leads to improved handling, stability and overall tire performance on the road, but especially off the road for OTR vehicles 

Traditionally, the tire ply is created by coating polyester or rayon with rubber through a calendering process. While effective, this approach can be time-consuming and may present challenges in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. At Steelastic, we offer an innovative solution: calenderless tire production equipment. Our cutting-edge technology eliminates the need for a traditional calendering process, streamlining the manufacturing process while maintaining the high-quality standards necessary for producing high-performance tires. 

Adopting Steelastic’s calenderless tire production has several advantages. This technology enables a more efficient and cost-effective production process, enabling manufacturers to meet increasing market demands for high-performance tires while reducing manufacturing costs. Additionally, the calenderless approach ensures consistent quality, minimizing variations in performance and improving overall product reliability. The result is a superior tire with enhanced radial stiffness, greater pressure retention and improved safety, all made possible through Steelastic’s expertise and innovative tire manufacturing solutions. 

Bead Apex

The bead-apex of a tire is another important element to ensure performance and safety. High tensile-strength steel wire in the bead-apex is used to seal the rim, stabilize the sidewall and ultimately, improve vehicle handling. By effectively sealing the tire to the rim, the bead-apex helps to maintain proper tire pressure, preventing air leakage and ensuring optimal handling and stability. Beyond rim sealing, these components also contribute to sidewall stability – a critical factor in vehicle handling.  

Having the right equipment is crucial for achieving precise and reliable bead and apex manufacturing. At Steelastic, our Apex System is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of high-performance tire manufacturing, and it can even be customized to fit into your tire production line. With our knowledge and advanced technology, we can assist you in efficiently producing a series of top-notch apexed beads in as little as 8 seconds. This means you can keep your tire production line running smoothly, without any interruptions. When you need a thorough bead apex Inspection, try our 360° Bead Apex Inspection System that ensures precise uniformity and defect-free apex beads. 

Gum Edging

The gum edging helps minimize friction and heat within the layers of the inner tire material. By reducing these factors, it helps improve the overall durability and longevity of the tire. Gum edging is commonly made of extruded rubber, which offers excellent heat resistance properties. 

For tire manufacturers in search of equipment to manufacture high-performance tires, Steelastic offers a specialized solution – the Gum Edging machine. This machine can be purchased separately or seamlessly integrated into an existing rubber extrusion line.  

Tire Sidewall

The tire sidewall improves safety by providing abrasion and UV resistance, protecting the tire from wear and sun damage. It also contributes to curbside impact protection, ensuring that the tire remains durable and resilient when encountering obstacles on the road. The sidewall material is commonly made of extruded rubber for its flexibility, strength and impact resistance.  

For tire manufacturers looking to manufacture high-performance tires, the Steelastic Rubber Extrusion System is the ideal production equipment for passenger tires, truck and bus tires, aircraft tires and more.  

Belt

The belt component of a tire provides lateral, circumferential and radial stiffness to the tire to make it easy to handle and responsive. It also contributes to the overall durability of the tire, making it suitable for high-speed driving. The belt is commonly made of steel cords, usually arranged in two or three layers.  

Traditionally, the tire calendering process has been used for producing tire belts. But at Steelastic, we’re driven by innovation. We’re proud to have created a calenderless tire component production system. As the preferred choice for tire manufacturers, we help them achieve superior performance and safety for high-quality tires.  

Cap-Ply

When it comes to durability and performance, the cap-ply tire component is crucial. Commonly made of materials like nylon and aramid, the cap-ply provides strength and resilience to the tire, allowing it to withstand high speeds and prolonged use.  

At Steelastic, we’re proud to support tire manufacturers with the Cap Strip Systems you need to manufacture cap-ply with precision and efficiency. With the help of our Cap Strip System, tire manufacturers can enhance productivity and efficiency with a lower cost investment than alternative cap-ply systems.  

Tread

Tire tread is arguably the most important material that ensures safety on the road. At Steelastic, we simplify the tread-making process with our Rubber Extrusion System, specially designed for exact and effective tread production. Steelastic’s Extruder ensures optimal manufacturing output, resulting in high-quality treads that meet the demands for improved tire performance, efficiency and safety. 

Contact the Tire Experts

If you’re looking to improve your tire production, in terms of quality, efficiency or overall profitability, it’s time to contact your friends at Steelastic. Reach out today!  

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Providing Top Advancements in the OTR Industry 

Steelastic equipment offers rubber track capabilities for agricultural, mining, construction and other OTR applications.

As 2024 shifts into gear, the off-the-road (OTR) tire industry is adjusting rapidly to keep up with trends in construction, mining, agriculture and more. Post-pandemic supply chain concerns are being smoothed out, construction projects are poised to take off under new infrastructure funding and global developments in mining and aggregate production are all leading to renewed demand for OTR tires.  

At Steelastic, our extensive experience in the OTR industry enables us to provide the tire manufacturing solutions you need to stay nimble and deliver the kind of value-driven tires and services your customers are looking for. Recently, our rubber extrusion equipment has provided OTR manufacturers with greater flexibility than ever before as they pivot to provide new offerings in addition to their standard lines.  

Key Advancement: Rubber Track Capabilities

One of our top advancements has been for the Track segment of the OTR industry. The flexibility of the extrusion process we offer is a big benefit to these producers: tire production can switch from a 14” PCR tire to a 10’ OTR tire and back again according to demand.  On the same 50” system OTR track customers can make a large variety of custom products.

Ideal for high-SKU, low-volume production, our equipment preserves changeability and superior quality while producing less waste and minimal downtime, keeping costs low.   

Tire to Track and Back Again

With the OTR market expected to reach $11.7 billion by 2027 (5.5% CAGR from 2022 to 2027) the Track segment is seeing an uptick in demand as well.

Whether it’s a John Deere tractor or a tunnel boring machine, rubber tracks provide adaptability for terrain as well as for different loads. They’re increasingly popular, as end-users prefer the low ground compaction they offer as well as reduced load transfer and greater float over fields or farms.

But agility is key when you need to handle the different elements of rubber track as well as large (8- to 10-foot) OTR tires. Traditional calendered systems take up a huge footprint and require cumbersome off-line processing as well.

With Steelastic’s revolutionary calenderless equipment, you can be flexible in what you produce. Our process is perfect for OTR tire manufacturers that need a production system that can adapt to their needs. With our rubber extrusion-based process, you can reduce waste and save money while ensuring the highest level of conformity and quality, no matter what type of tire or component you’re producing.

Partner with the OTR Experts

The OTR industry is poised for growth, so don’t miss out on capitalizing on the opportunity. Partner with Steelastic, the OTR equipment manufacturing expert, for industry-leading capabilities, innovative solutions and extensive OTR experience that will keep you in line with the latest advancements in the industry.   

Schedule a conversation to see how we can help you adapt, extend, or replace your line to offer the in-demand products the OTR industry needs and enjoy a new path to profitability.  

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Frustrated by Failed Gum Edging?

A steel belt tire that uses Steelastic’s gum edging system to prevent friction.

In recent years, tire manufacturers have been required to include a gum edge on their tires. This gum edge helps protect the steel belt within the tire and improves the bond between the layers that make up its components. When the gum edge fails, you’re left with two things: friction and frustration. In this blog, we’ll explore the problems that steel belt tire friction can cause and what you can do about them.

Problems with Failed Gum Edging

At Steelastic, we understand the critical nature of tire components and their impact on safety. When your gum edging fails, you’re sure to deal with the following problems.

Friction & Heat

Radial tires are known for their steel belts and stability. But sometimes, the layers within the radial tires can cause friction. When the layers of a radial tire create friction, it causes heat … something nearly every tire manufacturer detests.

Friction is often assumed to result in tread separation, one of the most serious types of tire failures. However, it is important to clarify that tread separation occurs when the two steel belts within a tire separate from each other. This type of separation is not a result of friction.

Delamination

When the adhesive bond between the layers of a tire becomes weak or fails, it can cause delamination. This is one of the possible results when gum edging fails and friction occurs. Delamination can have serious consequences, such as a sudden loss of tire pressure, increased risk of rolling and loss of control. This not only affects the overall performance and lifespan of the tire but also poses a significant safety hazard to drivers and passengers.

Stretched Gum Edging

High temperatures can cause tire gum edging to stretch, leading to damage in the tire’s layers, including the steel belts, body plies and rubber liner. This damage can compromise the tire’s structural integrity and performance, which is why it is crucial to address this issue proactively. Keep reading to find out how.

Steelastic’s Solution

At Steelastic, we focus on creating tire manufacturing solutions that will set you up for success. Our Extruded Steel Belt System will help give you the edge you need to take the lead in manufacturing high-quality tires.

Eliminate Belt Stretch

Our innovative, speed-matching servo control technology ensures alignment between the speed of the gum edging placement and the movement of the belt. This reduces the risk of belt stretch and angle deviations during the gum edging application process. With the servo control’s synchronized speed, you can ensure the consistent production of high-quality tires.

Increase Accuracy

In manufacturing, accuracy is the key to achieving high-quality results. That’s why we’ve developed our gum edging system with adjustable, automatic guides to guarantee the gum edging strip is placed precisely where it needs to be in the tire manufacturing process. This precision placement of the gum edging helps drive consistent quality.

Enhance Efficiency

At Steelastic, we design our tire manufacturing equipment to help set you up for success. This is reflected in our industry-leading wrap station that efficiently wraps the layers of the tire and reinforces and secures the structure. This further ensures a high-quality and durable tire.

Easy Setup

We understand that time is everything. That’s why we make it easy to integrate or replace your gum edging system with Steelastic’s equipment so you can get your tire production line up and running in no time.

Learn More About Steelastic’s Gum Edging System

Do you have questions about our Gum Edging System or our entire Extruded Steel Belt System? The Steelastic team is dedicated to supporting you with the answers and information you need. We’re here to provide you with the tire technology to move you forward. Contact us today.

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Industry Trend: Advancements in Gum Edging Processes

Tire with gum edging that allows for maximum tire performance and stability.

As industry leaders in tire manufacturing technology, Steelastic’s tire experts are often the first to identify industry trends and provide solutions that improve quality and efficiency. One example is the gum edging process.  

Gum edging is nothing new, but it hasn’t always been a required component. As more tire manufacturers receive specifications for gum edging, they’re realizing that their existing systems may not be meeting the needs of today’s steel-belted tires.  

Small Component, Big Ramifications

Gum edging is the rubber strip that adheres to the edge of a tire’s steel belt. The rubber strip, or gum edge, protects the steel from friction that creates heat, causing undue wear and tear on the tire. Increasingly, tire manufacturing specifications require the addition of this gum strip to minimize the risk of friction in steel-belted tires.  

Due to the industry requirements of increasingly thinner steel belts, existing legacy equipment struggles to apply gum edge without stretching the product out of conformance, apply the gum to the required placement specifications, and complete this process without decreasing the production output speed to accomplish this process.

“It’s a small component that has big ramifications for the industry,” said Bob Irwin, Steelastic’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing.  

Adding a Quality Gum Edging System

Steelastic’s gum edging system, developed in 2019, has proven to be the perfect solution for today’s tire manufacturers, who are coping with increased gum edging requirements but lack the equipment to meet these specifications efficiently. 

Tire plants can incorporate Steelastic’s gum edging system into their current rubber extrusion system, or they can replace their existing auxiliary equipment on large cutter lines with faster and more efficient equipment with integral gum edging. This allows flexibility for the tire production plant, increasing tire quality and production efficiency as the plant grows.

By incorporating Steelastic’s gum edging system, tire manufacturers (especially tire technology leaders) can deliver a higher-quality product in less time. It’s all part of Steelastic’s calenderless revolution, providing flexible equipment that adjusts to your needs while keeping costs low—and output high. 

Reach Out to the Tire Experts

If you’re looking to improve the quality of your tires, explore Steelastic’s gum edging system. To visit our facilities and see the gum edging system in action, contact us today. 

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Driving Innovation at Tire Technology Expo 2024

Steelastic’s logo, representing a tradition of tire innovation at Tire Tech Expo in Hanover, Germany.

Tire Technology Expo is one of the most anticipated events in the tire industry, gathering professionals, experts and innovators from around the world. At Steelastic, we are thrilled to present the latest in innovative tire manufacturing solutions. In this blog, we will explore what you can expect from the 2024 Tire Tech Expo and why you should visit our booth to learn more about our revolutionary tire manufacturing solutions. 

Tire Tech Expo Details:  

What: Tire Technology Expo 2024  

Where: Hannover, Germany  

When: March 19-21, 2024  

Visit us at booth # 8014! 

If you’re looking for cutting-edge innovation and engineering solutions for your tire production company, then be sure to attend Tire Tech Expo 2024 in Hanover, Germany. From March 19 to 21, 2024, attendees can visit our booth (#8014) to discover how our equipment can increase the efficiency of your tire production and make a noticeable difference in your company’s ROI.  

1. Innovative Tire Manufacturing Equipment

At Steelastic, our business is at the forefront of tire manufacturing innovation. We offer equipment that surpasses the quality and efficiency of traditional methods. One notable example is our calenderless tire plant model, which revolutionizes the manufacturing process. Traditionally, calender tire manufacturing machines were used to create rubber layers for tires. But today, our calenderless tire technology eliminates the need for these machines and streamlines production, reduces waste and increases efficiency. 

Additionally, we provide advanced gum edging equipment, which helps optimize tire performance by ensuring a uniform distribution of rubber and improved overall tire quality.

2. Customized Engineered Tire Manufacturing Solutions

We understand that every tire manufacturer has unique requirements and challenges. At Steelastic, we offer customized engineered solutions that cater to your specific needs. Whether it’s a modification to existing equipment or adapting it to your existing production line, our team of experts works closely with clients to create tailored solutions. 

Our commitment to customization extends to all aspects of tire production, from the initial design to final testing and inspection. When you partner with us, you gain access to a wealth of knowledge and experience, resulting in optimized tire production processes and improved tire quality. 

3. Your Tire Manufacturing Partner for the Long Haul

We value strong, long-term partnerships with our customers. Apart from providing cutting-edge equipment and customized solutions, we’re proud to offer preventative maintenance programs to ensure uninterrupted productivity and reduced downtime. By proactively addressing maintenance needs, we help you maximize the lifespan of your equipment, reduce operational costs and increase overall efficiency. 

Through scheduled inspections, routine maintenance and expert guidance, we’ll help tire manufacturers avoid costly breakdowns and production delays. This commitment to long-term support sets us apart and fosters trust and reliability with our customers.  

Coming to Tire Tech? Reach out!

Attending Tire Tech Expo 2024 in Hanover, Germany, offers a unique opportunity to witness revolutionary tire innovations firsthand. By visiting our booth #8014 at the expo, tire manufacturers can explore how our technologies can address your production needs both now and into the future. Don’t miss the chance to discover the future of tire manufacturing with us at the Tire Tech Expo in Hanover!  

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Apexing in Tire Production: The Critical Step for Achieving Optimal Tire Outcomes

Apexing in Tire Production: The Critical Step for Achieving Optimal Tire Outcomes

In tire manufacturing, each component plays an important part in the overall performance and quality of the finished product. Apexing, however, plays one of the most important parts. Without proper apexing, the tire is at risk for a number of serious problems, from visual defects to structural problems including rim slip, instability and ultimately tire failure.  

Steelastic has extensive experience in developing superior apexing solutions to improve tire quality and ensure a safe driving experience. 

What Is Apexing for Tires?

Tires are complex products, involving multiple layers that are designed and engineered to withstand the vehicle load while transmitting torque and maintaining road contact. In addition to the well-known tread and sidewalls of the tire, the bead and apex provide true support and stability. 

The bead of a tire is the main part that holds your tire to the rim. It bears all of the force on the rim of the tire, which is why it’s reinforced with steel. The apex is the part of the bead that holds it to the tire. The apex is typically fabricated from a rubber compound that encases the steel cord of the bead and attaches it to the tire. 

Apexing machinery systems can deliver the most efficient method of apexing tire beads. The best systems, such as Steelastic’s automatic apexing machines, balance flexibility, consistency, quality and production uptimes. 

Why Apexing Is Critical

The apex is the most critical piece in tire construction. As the component that distributes stress and provides dynamic stiffness, it prevents the tire from blowing out and maintains the relationship between the bead and the sidewall. 

The apex is important, but so is the apexing process. Building the bead-apex combination involves extruding a customized profile, which is then stitched to the bead and then is built into the tire.  

Solving Apexing Problems

If at any point there are defects during the tire apexing process, those defects can cause problems in the finished tire, which can create dangerous situations in real-world applications in which the tire is involved. Bead apex quality assurance is critical to apexing outcomes as it can identify defects or production errors before the component is transferred to the tire production facility. 

Steelastic’s 360-degree bead inspection capabilities provide a 99% pass-through rate for quality assurance. 

How To Improve Your Tire Apexing

There are a couple of ways to improve your tire apexing. The first is application; the second is inspection. 

During bead application, vertical stitching means there’s no limit to apex height, as there is with horizontal application. Vertical application allows for taller apexes, which also enables the use of angles and helical shaping for increased stability against gravity. 

Another way to improve tire apexing is to make use of additional stitching. When you stitch the bead on both sides, as opposed to only one side (as horizontal applications do), you can significantly increase downward pressure, resulting in better apex bead adhesion. This will create a superior product. 

Studies have shown that increased automation during the apexing process, such as during cutting and application, results in improved performance and drastically reduced downtime. 

In addition to application, apex bead inspection is a critical part of the process, as this allows defects to be identified and rectified immediately. A 360-degree bead apex inspection will be the most effective method for detecting splice deviations, multilateral apex defects, loose wires, poor stacking and adhesion quality. 

Revolutionize Your Manufacturing

Steelastic offers automatic bead apexing machines that ensure superior adhesion and flexibility within a small footprint, featuring industry-leading, dual-sided laser vision bead inspection. Interested in learning how we can customize a solution that meets your needs? Start a conversation. 

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Discovering the Difference Between Traditional Calendering and Calenderless Tire Manufacturing

Calenderless tire manufacturing

Traditionally, tire components were manufactured through a calendaring process. In this process, a sheet of individual cords or fabric is stretched out at length and coated with rubber. The rubber, which rests on the cords or fabric, moves through wide rollers and is pressed into one infused sheet of rubberized reinforced material. For years tire manufacturers have used this production method. Until calenderless tire manufacturing came along.

Calenderless tire manufacturing, on the other hand, relies on extruded rubber and the fundamentals of lean manufacturing.  Rubber is pushed by a screw through a temperature controlled barrel and then joined with individual cords to create a laminated reinforced material.

Steelastic has led the design and production of tire equipment around the world. They specialize in the calenderless tire manufacturing process, which includes extruded tire components such as belt systems, body ply and cap strip and more.

There are many advantages of calenderless tire manufacturing, but it can be summed up in one word: efficiency.

The calenderless system is more automated. This ensures a higher consistency of quality and also means that less manual labor is required.

As production demands change, a calenderless system makes it easy to manufacture shorter runs while still remaining profitable. Whether you’re testing a new tire or changing production often due to high SKU demand, with a calenderless system, you won’t waste time or materials on excess tire components. You can be sure you hit production levels with precision that maximizes your profit.

Ready for the next step? We’ll help you move forward.

Whether you are hearing about calenderless process for the first time or you’re ready to implement it in your own plant, we can help drive your business forward. Contact us to learn how your plant might benefit from Steelastic’s Calenderless manufacturing process.

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