3D printing technology changes tire production process

Deng Yachen, president of the China Rubber Industry Association, said that intelligent production is the development direction of the tire industry. From the big rubber country to the strong country, the product must move from the current low-end to the high-end. The intelligent transformation is an important direction for the rubber industry to move toward high-end, that is, China's manufacturing upgrade to China's wisdom. It is understood that a number of advanced rubber tire companies have now taken the lead in building Industry 4.0.

It can be expected that in the next five to eight years, more and more tire smart factories will appear in the world. At the same time, as 3D printing technology and other advanced technologies are grafted or combined, and more applicable materials are developed, 3D printing technology will be the first It is applied to the production of small batches of tires and gradually gains popularity. At that time, it will have a disruptive effect on the traditional tire production process.

The Double Star Green Tire Intelligent Production Demonstration Base Project occupies an area of ​​2,500 mu and has an investment of 4.5 billion yuan. It plans to build three demonstration bases for commercial tires, passenger car tires and smart equipment; a construction entrepreneurship center, a global cloud network center, a global R&D center, and a national level Testing center, national testing center, global logistics center, six world-class industry centers.

After the project is completed, it can achieve a leap from low-end to high-end, high-differentiation, high-value-added, and low-return odds. The manufacturing level can be automated, intelligent, networked, and highly efficient, forming a process automation for tire manufacturing. The interlinked enterprise, manufacturing intelligence, and the development of the green recycling economy in the tire industry have initially assumed the characteristics of the tire industry industry 4.0.

According to the plan, in 2015, the Double Star Group will start production of intelligent machinery and equipment projects by the end of the year. At the same time, six auxiliary center projects were started one after another; the second phase of the plant construction began in the second half of the year; the traditional upgrading equipment of the old factory area began to relocate in October and it is expected that the relocation will be completed in the first quarter of 2016.

According to industry insiders, many domestic tire factories have started to adopt AGVs (automated truck robots) and robots in order to increase the level of automated production of enterprises. Progress has been made in this regard. Tire intelligent manufacturing can integrate modern equipment technology, robotics technology, automated warehouse logistics technology, information technology, internet of things technology, and big data technology into the entire life cycle of tire manufacturing, liberating labor, enabling tires with dual characteristics of process production and discrete production. The manufacturing process realizes the automation, transparency, visualization, and flexibility of the production process, as well as the effective coordination and control of key elements such as personnel, equipment, materials, and quality.