Preliminary Conference Program


Day 1: Tuesday, March 4

Sustainability & the circular economy in the tire industry - Plenary

Sustainable tire footprint – strategies and how to realize them

Prof Burkhard Wies
VP R&D tires innovation & applied research
Continental Tires
Germany
Jorge Almeida
Vice president of sustainability
Continental Tires
Germany

Tire Digital Product Passport (DPP) / Cirpass2 pilot update

Claire Fioretti
Director of standards and regulations for connected mobility
Michelin
France
Within Cirpass-2, Michelin leads a team of seven stakeholders in three countries to experience the tire Digital Product Passport. Michelin and its partners are convinced that the digitalization of tires is a key lever to improve the circular economy. The tire DPP is an opportunity to design and promote more sustainable tires, give easy access to tire information to better retread and recycle tires, and find new valorization channels to recover material from end-of-life tires. The key benefits and outcome expected from DPP for the tire industry and ecosystems will be presented.

What the audience will learn

  • What benefits can we expect from the digitization of the tire circular economy
  • How the tire industry standards for tire electronic identification (embedded RFID and GDSO data sharing services) can support the future EU DPP for tires
  • What are the objectives of the tire DPP pilot that Michelin is leading in the European funded project CIRPASS2

Sustainability and the circular economy in the tire industry - continued

What lies ahead for tire recycling in Europe – challenges and opportunities

Gabriel Gomez
Technical advisor
EuRIC
Belgium
As demand for tires grows with heavier cars, Europe’s tire recyclers are focusing on advancing circularity. From ensuring environmentally responsible end-of-life tire treatment in Europe to enhancing recyclability and striving for a science-based approach in managing hazardous substances in recyclates, they seek a regulatory framework that supports innovation and circularity in tire recycling.

What the audience will learn

  • Key obstacles facing Europe’s tyre recycling
  • Need for science-based safety standards in recyclates
  • Preparing for regulatory shifts
  • Ensuring environmentally responsible treatment of ELTs

Around the world with tire circularity

Martin von Wolfersdorff
Principal advisor
Wolfersdorff Consulting Berlin
Germany
After a slow year in tire recycling in 2023, 2024 boasts several western tire recycling ventures that received investments and started building industrial facilities with pyrolysis technology. What are the success factors and what are the challenges for scaling up the production of recovered carbon black and tire pyrolysis oil? What are the different business paradigms in the Eastern world and in the Western world? What is the role of the tire industry? What is the expert forecast for these materials for the next years?

What the audience will learn

  • Overview of global recovered carbon black and the tire pyrolysis industry
  • Success factors and challenges for scale-up
  • Different business paradigms in the eastern and western world
  • The role of the tire industry
  • Expert forecast for the next years

Chain of custody challenges for renewable and recycled materials

Brigitte Chauvin
R&D manager
Michelin
France
Christophe Durand
VP sustainable material solutions and partnerships
Michelin
France
Various industries wish to use a mass balance chain of custody to frame claims relating to recycled or renewable content in their products. This approach is based on private certification companies (e.g. ISCC+, REDCert, UL Solutions, etc) and refers to different methodological practices allowing more or less disconnection with the true composition of the product. How can we prevent confusion arising from claims being associated to widely different realities? How direct and relevant should the link between the real recycled or renewable content of a product and the claim made for it be to avoid greenwashing?

What the audience will learn

  • The different chain of custody models, especially the mass balance model
  • Mass balance allocation methodologies for attributing claimed contents to products
  • How to limit confusion arising from claims associated to different realities of the true physical composition

The Tire Industry Project: driving sustainability in the tire value-chain

Paolo Mazzatorta
Senior manager research
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
Switzerland
This presentation will discuss the current scientific challenges that our society is facing regarding tire emissions and how the Tire Industry Project (TIP) is funding research projects around the world to advance their scientific understanding. Additionally, some recent findings will presented, focusing on a fundamental question: from the roadside, where do Tire Road Wear Particles go in the environment? Established in 2005, TIP is a voluntary initiative led by CEOs aimed at anticipating, understanding, and addressing global environmental, social, and governance issues that are relevant to the tire industry and its value chain.

Integrating sustainability into NR supply chain operations

Bani Bains
Communications manager
Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber
Singapore
As our industry prepares for EUDR compliance, industry-wide sustainability standards are being deliberated upon at the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), which represents 60% of the world’s natural rubber demand. This presentation will focus on the learnings from the pilots done for GPSNR's newly approved Assurance Model, which gives the industry a standardized stage-by-stage process through which companies can commit to, implement and verify strong sustainability standards and practices in their operations. It will also cover how the assurance model can support players at different points in their sustainability journey and potentially support legislation compliance.

What the audience will learn

  • How GPSNR's assurance model can help the industry commit to, implement and verify their sustainability initiatives
  • Key learnings from pilots for the GPSNR Assurance Model done by tire makers and processors
  • How the Assurance Model can help companies navigate sustainability legislation
  • Other parallel efforts that will make sustainability assurance successful

Where have all the tires gone?

Stephan Rau
Technical director
wdk – Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie eV
Germany
The circular economy for used tires is a good example of recycling that works. Keeping it that way depends on reliable market statistics. The German Rubber Manufacturers Association (wdk) has been recording the volume of used tires in Germany for almost a quarter of a century and draws important conclusions from this. However, waste tire disposal companies and recyclers have been recording dwindling volumes on the German market for some time. It is suspected that these quantities are being exported to non-EU countries to be incinerated or recycled using environmentally unsound methods.

What the audience will learn

  • Tire recycling
  • Arisings on the German market
  • Unaccounted quantities
  • Political support
  • Sustainability

Tire circular economy update

Christophe Duc
RFID senior group product manager
Michelin
France
The presentation will cover the following: Why do we need more/better recycled material? How do we do it? Digitization is key for traceability and RFID/DPP are at the heart of the matter. The presentation will address collectors' hardware/software and provider user testimonials on new machines/digitization. The topic is global. There can be no circular economy in tires without RFID.

What the audience will learn

  • Why digitization is key for traceability, with an explanation of sustainable material division
  • RFID/DPP at the heart of the matter to make it happen
  • How collectors are evolving hardware/software, with concrete real-life examples
  • User testimonials shed light on new machine usage/digitization
  • The trend is global and moving fast. There will be no circular economy in tires without RFID

The impact of chemical regulations and sustainability initiatives on raw material suppliers

Melanie Wiedemeier-Jarad
Manager regulatory affairs & sustainability
Lanxess Deutschland GmbH
Germany
The implementation of REACH and other regional chemical legislation is posing significant challenges for raw material producers on a global scale. The introduction of the new chemical classification at the EU level and the increasing requirements for sustainable environmental and health properties are driving many businesses to adopt a new approach.

Innovations and best practices for advanced manufacturing and inspection - Day 1

Intelligent modularity at a time of transition

Mike Norman
Chief commercial officer
VMI Group
Netherlands
At Tire Technology Expo 2025 VMI will explore how its systematic approach to machine intelligence and modularity combine to offer tire companies new strategies for facing the challenges of transition to a new business model. VMI will show how machine intelligence is driving greater responsiveness and agility in tire building, while the reinvention of single-cell manufacturing, through UNIXX technology, is opening new possibilities for the modular extension of existing systems. This gives manufacturers better possibilities for managing new materials, shorter product runs, cutting emissions and scrap, while preparing for a very different future production approach.

What the audience will learn

  • The implications of the historic transition now taking place from one business model to another in the tire industry
  • The role emerging technology can play in helping companies develop new strategies and methods for making change work for them
  • A roadmap that enables evolutionary change, with risks managed down and each step leading to another
  • The industry can capture benefits today, including lower emissions, reduced scrap, greater flexibility and quality.
  • Setting a course for a future in which manufacturing is smarter, more agile, less costly and more environmentally responsible.

Digital thread for a smarter tire design and sustainable manufacturing

Peter Mair
Prinicipal consultant
Rockwell Automation Digital Services
France
The digital thread is the foundation of a connected enterprise that unites and integrates information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) over the entire tire lifecycle (including the future digital tire passport). Peter Mair, principal consultant, will show, based on an integrated open IT/OT Enterprise Architecture example, how tire makers can effectively manage sustainability, compliance, product design and manufacturing complexity in a continuously evolving market environment. With the right orchestration of enterprise and expert SW, technology bricks such as digital twin, AR/VR and AI, organizations can better drive their business goals.

What the audience will learn

  • Maximize the benefits from the digital thread that spans the entire value chain over the whole tire lifecycle
  • Deep insights with multiple viewpoints from product design to manufacturing enriched with digital twin, AR/VR and AI capabilities
  • Fast-scaling deployment and future business flexibility thanks to a unified open IT/OT architecture
  • Capture CO2 scope and sustainability initiatives for continuous improvements such as resource reduction, increased OEE and quality
  • Create synergies around the future digital tire passport

Developments and innovations in materials, chemicals and related processes - Day 1

Influence of dynamic-mechanical load on thermal oxidative aging of elastomers

Prof Ulrich Giese
Managing director
Deutsches Institut für Kautschuktechnologie eV (German Institute of Rubber Technology)
Germany
Depending on the elastomer composition, thermal-oxidative aging processes lead ‎to radical polymer degradation in competition with the formation of a secondary ‎network. During dynamic deformation, accelerated cracking and softening of a ‎component with the release of new surfaces for accelerated O2 input is to be ‎expected. Dynamic aging experiments with and without oxygen were performed ‎using time-to-failure analyses. The relationship between crack formation and DLO-‎effect (diffusion-limited oxidation) is investigated and characterized by highly sophisticated analytical methods. ‎

What the audience will learn

  • Princples of elastomer ageing
  • Temperature-dependent balance between oxygene consumption and oxygene diffusion (DLO-effect), related to crack formation
  • Contribution of different parameters to the complex aging mechanisms
  • Analytical characterization of aging effects
  • Experimental approach for aging experiments under dynamic load without oxygene

'Re-thinking' sulfur curing, part 1

Prof Anke Blume
Head of elastomer technology and engineering
University of Twente
Netherlands
Since Charles Goodyear discovered the sulfur curing of NR in 1839, many studies have been carried out to understand its mechanism. Nowadays, the broadly accepted mechanism includes an activated accelerator Zn-complex which enables sulfur coupling to the polymer in the allylic position to the double bond. Modern passenger car tire treads no longer contain natural rubber but a blend of SSBR and BR, filled with a silica /silane system. Is it possible to transfer all NR-gained knowledge to such a modern passenger car tire tread formulation or is re-thinking sulfur curing required?

What the audience will learn

  • Re-thinking sulfur curing for SSBR-based compounds
  • That long-known knowledge should not be taken for granted when something in the system has changed
  • That the use of ZnO and stearic acid is not required for an effective curing of SSBR
  • That sulfer can undergo a radical crosslinking mechanism
  • That sometimes less is more

'Re-thinking' sulfur curing, part 2

Dr Fabian Grunert
Assistant professor
University of Twente
Netherlands
The first part of the paper 'Re-thinking sulfur curing' shows that sulfur curing in a high-vinyl SSBR compound follows a different mechanism than in NR. A direct radical coupling – preferably to vinyl – takes place. In the second part, the impact of the presence of carbon black, silica/silane and DPG on the mechanism of sulfur curing in SSBR is further investigated. Based on these findings, future tire tread compounds don’t require the addition of activators and DPG. This enables the production of cheaper greener tires which release much less harmful substances in the environment.

What the audience will learn

  • The impact of CB on the direct coupling mechanism in an SSBR coumpound
  • The impact of silica/silane on the direct coupling mechanism in an SSBR coumpound
  • The use of ZnO and stearic acid is not required for an effective curing of SSBR-based compounds
  • The use DPG is not required for an effective curing of SSBR-based compounds
  • The future possibility to produce greener tires which release much less harmful substances in the environment

Data-driven material development

Dr Ron Shaffer
Senior manager, materials and sustainability
Bridgestone Americas
USA
The tire industry has accumulated vast amounts of data and expertise on rubber compounds, their compositions/properties and how these relate to tire performance. Many industries are employing data-driven approaches such as machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) for the development and application of new materials. The benefits of using ML/AI include accelerating the pace of development by reducing the volume of experimental testing needed and using the tools to suggest compound formulas that achieve design targets. This presentation will discuss some of the unique opportunities and challenges for data-driven material development in the tire and rubber industry.

What the audience will learn

  • Typical types of problems in material development that are being tackled by ML/AI
  • Relationships between rubber compound formulations and performance are complex
  • Technical challenges require expertise at the intersection of material science and data science

Application of modified cellulose as a multifunctional additive in tire tread

Soumya Ghosh Chowdhury
Scientist
HASETRI
India
A sustainable future requires increasing demand for biomass-derived materials. Thus, cellulose, the most abundant biodegradable material, is modified (FAC) and used in tire tread formulation. The potential of FAC is appraised against that of process oil (presence of toxic PCA materials) as well as silane coupling agents to assess its potency as a multifunctional additive (MFA). The replacement of 66% of SCA and 100% of oil with FAC has shown comparable physico-mechanical, dynamic-mechanical flow behavior with reference to the reference one. A plausible mechanism is also offered to substantiate this. Thus, this FAC can be applied to develop a cost-effective sustainable tread formulation.

What the audience will learn

  • Tire tread composition with a higher percentage of sustainable material
  • The application of biomass-derived material in tire compounds
  • Cost-effective formulation development without affecting performance parameters
  • A plausible new mechanism to reduce the agglomeration of silica
  • The advent of a multifunctional additive in rubber compounding

Improving lignin dispersion to release its reinforcing potential

Jukka Koskinen
Doctoral researcher
Tampere University
Finland
Lignin has the potential to act as a reinforcing filler in rubbers and replace carbon black and silica as a sustainable alternative. Typically, the poor dispersion of lignin has hindered the reinforcing properties, however, the results from the latest studies show that the dispersion can be improved with optimal mixing parameters and by choosing the correct silanes. A novel method is used to measure and quantitatively analyze the lignin dispersion.

What the audience will learn

  • Novel method to measure dispersion
  • Optimal mixing parameters for lignin
  • Effect of different silanes on lignin dispersion
  • Lignin as a sustainable filler
  • Dispersion analysis

Development of new materials for extreme-low-rolling-resistance tire

Haejin Lim
Research engineer
Hyundai Motor Company
Republic of Korea
At the tire’s point of view for carbon emissions, the effect of the use stage is very significant. When a tire's rolling resistance is reduced, carbon emissions may be reduced by improving energy efficiency in this stage. In this study, an extreme level of low rolling resistance was developed by applying new materials in the tire. The impact of tread compounds and reinforcement components (belt, carcass) was studied through vehicle evaluation. However, the LRR tire had performance trade-offs such as R&H, so further efforts were made to improve it. In conclusion, the carbon reduction effect of the LRR tire was confirmed.

What the audience will learn

  • Research on the impact of new materials and tire design through vehicle evaluation with Kumho Tire Co.
  • While RRc was greatly improved by applying LRR compounds and lightweight designs to the tire, a trade-off in performance occurred
  • The application of new reinforcement components increased the rigidity of the tire and improved flat-spots
  • The tire's high-grip tread and reinforced design have improved both low rolling resistance and R&H performance
  • Reduced carbon emissions of tires were demonstrated in the use stage

EV tire compounding challenges and approaches

Dr Jyoti Prakash Rath
Head of compounding global R&D
Apollo Tyres
India
Electrification in the passenger vehicle (PV) is in increasing trend. The CV segment is expected to follow in the footsteps of PV. The conventional requirement of rolling resistance, traction and mileage for an IC engine vehicle is no longer good enough to meet the performance requirements of an EV. Though not exclusively mentioned, low noise and high cut and tear resistance became essential requirements of EV tires due to the combined effect of low hysteretic tread compound and tires designed for high traction. In this current work, the compounding challenges and approaches to tackle the expanded and conflicting performance requirements will be discussed to achieve the optimized set of tire compound properties.

What the audience will learn

  • Performance comparisons and requirements of an EV tyre in comparison to ICE tyre for passenger as well as commercial vehicle segment.
  • Compounding challenges to meet the conflicting performance requirements.
  • Compounding approaches to achieve the optimized set of tyre properties.

Total solutions for new-generation synthetic rubbers for EV tires

Itsun Lee
Senior chemist
TSRC Corporation
Taiwan (Province of China)
To meet the growing demand for EVs and sustainable tires, TSRC, a leader in polymer design, is advancing research on high-performance synthetic rubber materials. Our advanced G4 and G5 functionalization technologies, paired with optimized microstructural control in S-SBR and BR (both low- and high-cis contents), enhance filler dispersibility and improve the magic triangle performance by over 20% in high-silica formulations – ideal for EV tires. These comprehensive innovations boost tire performance while reducing carbon emissions, aligning with the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

What the audience will learn

  • Overall introduction to TSRC’s comprehensive solutions for EV tires
  • Superior silica-dispersing rubber materials
  • Material solutions for higher wear resistance
  • Material solutions for lower rolling resistance
  • Case studies on optimized tire performance with a combination of novel materials

Optimization of reversible sulfur cross-linked natural rubber elastomers for recycling

Dr Thomas Griggs
Postdoctoral research assistant
Queen Mary University of London
UK
Natural rubber is typically cross-linked using sulfur or peroxide which inherently limits its recyclability. Minimizing the loss in performance after recycling is essential to achieve a circular economy within tires. Through semi-efficient or conventional sulfur curing systems, disulfide bonds occur amongst the cross-links. These disulfide bonds can be exploited to promote recyclability through a dynamically reversible cross-link. In this work, a range of chemistries are examined to enhance the recyclability of natural rubber compounds. Disulfide metathesis inhibitors are explored together with their potential synergistic effects. Mechanical characterization of both virgin and recyclable compounds is carried out, demonstrating the compounds' recyclability.

What the audience will learn

  • How naturally occurring disulfide within cross-linked natural rubber can be exploited for recyclability
  • What disulfide metathesis inhibitors can be used and how effectively they can promote improved recyclability
  • How effectively recyclable natural rubber can be introduced into currently used stock
  • What methods can be used to understand how effectively materials with labile cross-links are recycled
  • How the presence of fillers impacts the effectiveness of the disulfide metathesis inhibitors

Exploring bio-based resins as sustainable plasticizers in tire tread compounds

Dr Javier Alejandro Araujo Morera
Postdoctoral researcher/manager
University of Twente/Elastomer Competence Centre
Netherlands
The automotive industry is in constant development, with a special focus on increasing the sustainability of tires while maintaining their performance. One of the most used approaches to reach this goal is the use of bio-based raw materials. This study explores replacing traditional plasticizers in tire tread compounds with bio-based resins to improve sustainability. Four bio-based resins were tested in a silica-filled SBR/BR compound, showing similar or improved mechanical properties, higher cross-link density, better dispersion and enhanced wet grip, but a slightly reduced abrasion resistance and increase in the rolling resistance compared to a TDAE-based compound.

What the audience will learn

  • The overall performance of silica-filled SBR/BR tire tread compound using bio-based resins over non-renewable plasticizers
  • How bio-based resins influence the curing behavior of the rubber compound
  • How bio-based resins influence the dispersion of silica particles in the rubber compound
  • The role of the softening point of bio-based resins on tire tread compound properties
  • The effect of bio-based resins

Outlook, challenges and issues for the global tire business

Ongoing transformation of the global tire industry

David Shaw
CEO
Tire Industry Research
UK
This paper tracks changes across the world’s tire industry, and projects to the future. For the big brands, changes include reviews of corporate strategies, digitization and moving to mobility service providers – and slowly withdrawing from car tires under 17 inches. In China, it has meant consolidation of smaller tire makers and international expansion and greater professionalism for the bigger ones. Everywhere, it means focusing on sustainability, digitization and developing new skills within the workforce. For the future, it means more flexibility; more collaboration and yet more focus on sustainability.

What the audience will learn

  • How the global tire industry is changing
  • Strategies for premium brands
  • Stragies for brands that are expanding
  • Transfer of manufacturing capacity between big berands and smaller companies
  • Summary of global investments

Wet braking of worn tires: real-world assessment of regulatory requirements

Dalia Broggi
Project manager - scientific research
European Commission
Italy
Dr Andrea Genovese
Assistant professor
Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
Italy
The new regulatory requirements on wet grip of worn tires aim to ensure that tire performance is assessed at their end of life, i.e. when worn, ensuring tires meet requirements throughout their life and are not replaced prematurely. Wet braking, a critical performance affecting road safety, dramatically deteriorates in worn tires. For practical reasons, the current regulation sets criteria on buffed tires (new tires with artificially reduced tread depth); however, naturally worn tires may perform differently due to several other factors. This joint study between JRC and UNINA investigates performance discrepancies.

What the audience will learn

  • Wet braking performance requirements
  • Regulatory developments
  • Factors affecting braking on wet surfaces
  • Buffed tires versus naturally worn tires
  • Regression model

What's happening in the tire industry?

Robert Simmons
Managing director, tires
GlobalData
UK
With consumer incomes under pressure from high inflation and interest rates, budget replacement tire sales have increased at the expense of high-cost tires. This has led to an increase in imports of low-cost tires (primarily from China and ASEAN) and placed pressure on tire production in high-cost markets. The paper will examine these trends, look at the markets for both OE and replacement tires and present an outlook for the industry.

What the audience will learn

  • Recent trends in the tire trade and the growth of low-cost exports
  • The effect of this on tire production in high-cost markets (Europe and US)
  • Outlook for vehicle sales and OE tire production
  • The growth of the vehicle parc (vehicles-on the road) and replacement tire sales
  • Investment in new capacity, where is it happening?

Outlook for reinforcing fillers

Paul Ita
President
Notch Consulting, Inc.
USA
The presentation will focus on the current demand and future prospects for carbon black and silica, including conventional material as well as sustainable alternatives (recovered carbon black and silica produced from rice husk ash).

What the audience will learn

  • Current demand for carbon black and recovered carbon black
  • Current demand for precipitated silica, including RHA-based silica
  • Factors affecting demand for reinforcing fillers
  • New investment in tire production capacity

Combination of silence and sealants – the future of PCR

Jacob Peled
Executive chairman
Pelmar Engineering Ltd
Israel
With the fast development in recent years of electric vehicles, the tire industry has had to cope with new requirements, which relate mainly to tires being more silent and resistant to punctures. Previously, only one of the above parameters was employed in various technologies. In recent years it became necessary to combine the two technologies to obtain a tire that will not only be safer and quieter but also easier to handle and able to maintain the lowest rolling resistance and abrasion rate.

What the audience will learn

  • Methods employed with the aim of automation and speed
  • Tires have become the noisiest component in new electric vehicles
  • Tires are severely polluting items that need to be developed and controlled
  • Methods of saving space, manpower, energy and time in the application of foam
  • Methods of automation and health issues in the application of sealants

Lunch

Tire-related data – ideas and initiatives

Cradle to grave use cases supported by data sharing

Riccardo Giovannotti
Secretary general
GDSO
Belgium
Beyond regulatory challenges, the forthcoming technical requirements for cradle to grave use cases can represent an opportunity for tyre manufacturers to develop new services while providing new solutions leveraging on data. However data sharing is not a given and this is where the Tyre Industry may make a difference by letting the manufacturers joining the efforts through GDSO, focusing on data standardization and a new data space deployment along the tyre's life and across different stakeholders. Through this presentation, GDSO will introduce the Tyre Lifecycle Data Service (TLDS), the new connector that pushes forward the tyre industry maturity level and readiness on data sharing, with unprecedented experiences in any other industry or any other good. Do not miss the opportunity to discover more about the TLDS and to get in contact with GDSO Secretary General.

What the audience will learn

  • Challenging framework with regard to data sharing for cradle-to-grave use cases
  • TLDS introduction, focusing on the Governance, stakeholders’ roles, users stories and data under the spotlight
  • TLDS Minimum Viable Product demonstration and expected go-live timeline

Road perception technology for ADAS and autonomous vehicle applications

Kanwar Bharat Singh
Program manager, algorithms and software engineering
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
USA
This presentation highlights the latest advancements in Goodyear's SightLine technology, enabling real-time assessment of road conditions and peak tire grip potential. Leveraging a fusion approach that combines vehicle dynamics estimation, machine learning modeling and camera-based data, the technology delivers highly accurate insights. Additionally, the session will introduce a cutting-edge direct sensing solution utilizing optical sensors, designed specifically for high-fidelity automated driving applications.

What the audience will learn

  • Challenges in road condition monitoring for ADAS and autonomous vehicles
  • Goodyear SightLine’s innovative approach to addressing these challenges
  • Practical use cases for ADAS and automated driving applications

Shaping the tire digital soul

Corrado Rocca
R&D head, cyber unit
Pirelli
Italy
After many years of incubation, tire mounted sensors system solutions have become a market reality, rapidly increasing in volumes and applications on a yearly basis. Through appropriate digital signal processing, tire sensors data enable a broad variety of use cases in different mobility segments, opening new technological and business opportunities. This market path is accelerated by the availability in vehicles of powerful electronic systems, allowing a fast integration of the technology and bringing evident benefits on safety, user experience, maintenance and sustainability. The presentation highlights opportunities and challenges, together with some application examples.

What the audience will learn

  • Market and technology update on TMS solutions
  • Some application examples of functions that can be implemented through TMS technology
  • Use cases for OE applications, targeting safety, performance and user experience
  • Possible technology evolutions

Distributed data platform for optimizing tire lifecycles and As-a-Service models

Dr Daniel Gainza
CEO
Gainza Srl
Italy
The focus of this presentation is on unlocking value in industrial tires and beyond: the power of digital transformation. As-a-Service models dominate the industrial tire sector, driving value for all stakeholders and promoting sustainability. However, their complexity has limited adoption beyond large fleets, leaving consumer markets untapped. Despite efforts in connectivity, the lack of digital, data-driven solutions and opaque product lifecycles hinder expansion. This presentation will unveil a distributed data sharing platform that enables seamless, secure access to tire lifecycle data, from manufacturing to servicing. This innovation simplifies management, reduces costs and opens new opportunities for external financing – empowering all players in the value chain to thrive.

What the audience will learn

  • Unlocking new markets: how digital solutions can help extend As-a-Service models to smaller operators and consumers, increasing market reach
  • Streamline lifecycle management: collaboration and transparency must be increased across the tire lifecycle with a secure, distributed data sharing solution
  • Enhance sustainability opportunities: leverage lifecycle data to provide governed access to external financing, optimized resource allocation and value retrieval

Scaling tire identification: durable, efficient RFID solutions

Jonas Dispersyn
Innovation platform leader
NV Bekaert
Belgium
In the evolving landscape of tire manufacturing, RFID technology is emerging as a crucial tool to meet regulatory demands like the digital product passport (DPP), as well as market needs for circularity and asset management. Bekaert is developing an innovative RFID solution using a metal fiber antenna seamlessly integrated into the tire. This design offers cost-efficiency, durability and extended reading distance, addressing the limitations of current solutions. Bekaert's breakthrough enables scalability for mass adoption, especially in basic tire segments, unlocking new business models while supporting tire lifecycle management, smart mobility and sustainability initiatives across the industry.

What the audience will learn

  • The future potential of RFID technology in supporting tire lifecycle management and sustainability
  • How RFID technology can be a key enabler for circular economy and digital product passports
  • The design of durable RFID antennas for optimal performance in harsh tire environments
  • Ways to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) for RFID in mass-market tire segments
  • How integrated RFID solutions improve asset management and fleet services

Big data analysis in the context of smart tire development

Dan Andrei Anton
Founder and managing director
Autoadmin Consulting / Unleashed Engineering
Romania
In the last decade, we have witnessed a clear trend of shifting from ICE vehicles to EVs, forcing the tire industry to accelerate innovation, develop better tires and consider new means of tracking a tire's performance throughout its lifetime. As new sensing technology is added to tires, engineering teams must now deal with more data to analyze, especially signals from various sensors. This presentation aims to introduce a few concepts related to how engineers can use FEA data for product performance and algorithm development at the same time.

What the audience will learn

  • Smart tire FEA model creation techniques that are fit for the purpose
  • Pre-processing versus post-processing data and how to manage it
  • Improved workflows for tire system modeling
  • Automations for sensor signals extraction from complex FEA models
  • Innovative means of storing and using results data

Exploring the future of TPMS: advancing tire safety and efficiency

Jörg Sturmhoebel
Product manager embedded products
Nira Dynamics
Sweden
Low tire pressure is a common problem that can lead to costly consequences, such as reduced fuel efficiency, uneven tire wear and even accidents. Two leading solutions, one hardware-based (dTPMS) and one software-based (iTPMS) are dominating the market. While dTPMS uses sensors in each tire, iTPMS leverages existing vehicle sensors, offering a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative. The latest iTPMS advancements provide detailed insights into tire pressure and alert drivers to the severity of pressure loss. Attendees will learn about iTPMS features like Critical Puncture Warning, Easy Reset and Percentage Display, and how these innovations can provide manufacturers with a competitive edge.

What the audience will learn

  • How has software based TPMS (iTPMS) caught up with hardware based solutions?
  • How is next-generation iTPMS improving fuel economy, reducing tire wear and increasing safety?
  • How does software enhance the driver experience, minimizing tire-related concerns?
  • What are the competitive advantages for a car manufacturer to use indirect TPMS?
  • What are the challenges when implementing a new TPMS strategy?

What are the key learnings and benefits from RFID projects?

Lauri Hyytinen
Automotive MDM
Avery Dennison Smartrac
Finland
Tire marking with embedded RFID tire tags is moving from small projects into high-volume applications. The presentation will share the key learnings from the running applications and the benefits recognized by tire manufacturers. It will go through the typical questions from tire manufacturers and industrial solution providers.

What the audience will learn

  • The key benefits tire manufacturers have recognized when they have started to implement embedded RFID transponders
  • The key topics to take into consideration while planning RFID implementation
  • What tire manufacturers have learned from their first RFID use cases
  • The biggest challenges tire manufacturers have faced with RFID applications
  • How the tire industry is moving forward with RFID implementation

Modeling, simulation, testing and analysis

Advances in regulatory tire abrasion testing with the vehicle method

Frederic Biesse
Senior fellow for tire physics and modelization
ETRTO
France
Dr Benjamin Oelze
Department manager
ETRTO
Germany
ETRTO has been working since 2018 on the design of a vehicle-based tire abrasion rate index test method for consumer tires as a contribution to the regulatory evolution under the framework of a task force at the United Nations WP.29. After improvements introduced in 2023, a second test campaign was performed. In addition, the measurement of 180 tires selected to obtain a state of the art of the UN consumer tires market gives a statistical view of abrasion performance. The development of abrasion index test methods for van and heavy-duty truck tires is also in progress. These developments and results are presented.

What the audience will learn

  • The main principle of the on-vehicle tire abrasion testing method, with its improvements
  • The results of the abrasion method based on the latest 2024 testing results
  • The principles used to select 180 customer tires from the UN market assessment, and the statistical results
  • The progress of the tire abrasion method development for van tires (light commercial vehicles tires)
  • The progress of the tire abrasion method development for heavy-duty truck tires

Rebound DMA – revisiting rebound resilience according to Schob

Prof Jorge Lacayo-Pineda
Head of expert field for materials evaluation
Continental Reifen Deutschland
Germany
Rebound resilience according to Schob is a widely used test method to measure hysteretic losses in rubber samples. Its success story is related not only to the simplicity of the experiment but also to the characteristic contact times and the type of deformation similar to that observed in tire-road contact. The highly dynamic rebound impact contains valuable information accessible by analysis of the time derivatives of the deformation as a function of time. A new type of rebound tester is proposed here that can perform a dynamic mechanical analysis of the impact within a few milliseconds.

What the audience will learn

  • The basics of rebound resilience
  • Understanding energy dissipation during an impact
  • How to visualize the hysteretic losses within milliseconds
  • How to visualize adhesion within milliseconds
  • A new type of rebound tester

Sumitomo Rubber's advanced simulation technologies for tire aerodynamics and noise

Ryota Tamada
Manager
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd
Japan
As the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) progresses, the absence of traditional engines increases the impact of tire-induced air resistance and noise. To address this, Sumitomo has developed simulations to predict the aerodynamic and noise properties of tires. For aerodynamics, the company has created a simulation that considers the tire patterns and rolling states to reduce drag. For noise, it has developed a method that combines tire and vehicle vibrations to predict and improve noise performance. These advanced simulation techniques support the spread of electric vehicles and their model-based development (MBD).

What the audience will learn

  • Simulation technologies to predict tire aerodynamics and noise performance
  • Aerodynamic simulation considering tire patterns and rolling states
  • Aerodynamic simulation using vehicle data to calculate tire aerodynamics
  • Noise prediction methods combining tire and vehicle vibrations
  • Noise prediction methods using frequency-based substructuring (FBS)

Michelin's innovative modeling bricks for efficient virtual design of vehicles, leveraging tire datasets

Frederic Leymin
Simulation marketing and sales
Michelin
France
With its expertise in simulation, Michelin has solutions covering the virtual design V-cycle. While maturing processes, the team realized the gap of having a wide package of available virtual components, tires and beyond tires. To overcome these limitations, Michelin has developed an innovative method to provide a great number of qualitative tire datasets, combining physically measured data with physics-based functional models. This allows the creation of tire digital twins on the full usage perimeter, including extreme conditions (e.g. extreme slip angles), aligned with reality. The tire and vehicle datasets are adapted to popular simulation formats, bringing new experience to the virtual design.

What the audience will learn

  • What a vehicle development cycle looks like today, with which available virtual tools, and where it brings efficiency
  • What are the blocking points for a seamless global virtual design approach?
  • How is it possible to overcome those limitations, with both new technical and process/data access ways of working?
  • only 3 learnings
  • only 3 learnings

Reinforcement - innovations and initiatives in development, test, production and sustainability

Interfacial adhesive behavior on rubber compounds for tire applications

Dr Veronica Marchante Rodriguez
Research fellow
Cranfield University
UK
Dr Ayse Mujdeci
KTP research associate
Cranfield University
UK
Understanding the fatigue performance of rubber compounds is critical to predicting tire lifetime and potentially extending service life. The interfacial adhesive between rubber and cord is one of the key parameters affecting the fatigue behavior. This study provides a detailed experimental and numerical work on the Mode I (opening) interfacial adhesive performance using T-peel test samples. The effect of strain rate on the experimental work is analyzed. Cohesive zone modeling techniques are employed to predict the damage evaluation in the tests. Findings from this research can be useful to simulate fatigue behavior of the full scale tire.

What the audience will learn

  • The effect of strain rate on interfacial adhesive behavior
  • Cohesive modeling techniques
  • Damage evolution
  • Failure prediction in full scale tires
  • Challenges in sample preparation

Cokoon: an open-source, resorcinol-formaldehyde-free bonding system for textile reinforcements

Dr Cornelia Schmaunz-Hirsch
Senior reinforcement developer
Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH
Germany
Dr Mustafa Yasin Sen
Expert researcher
Kordsa Teknik Tekstil AS
Türkiye
Continental and Kordsa, a global reinforcing materials supplier primarily to the tire industry, have jointly developed a resorcinol-formaldehyde-free dip technology for bonding textile reinforcements to rubber-based compounds. Given the key applications in the tire industry, the transition to this new adhesive technology presents a significant challenge. To address this, both companies have adopted a free licensing model for the bonding system, promoting an open-source approach. Continental continuously analyzes and reviews the raw materials used in the production of its tires. With Cokoon, the company has succeeded in replacing resorcinol and formaldehyde in the production of tire fabrics.

What the audience will learn

  • Why a multisource approach is beneficial for an alternative dip technology in the tire industry
  • How a company can access Cokoon's open source solution
  • The current status and future plans for Continental and Kordsa's Cokoon dip technology
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  • .

Recycled steel reinforcement at Michelin

Dr Sebastien Hollinger
Senior fellow, metallic composites
Michelin North America Inc.
USA
Michelin is reducing its ambition to use renewable and recycled materials, reduce CO2 emissions and recycle its product to all the raw materials used in tires. For its steel cord and bead wire, Michelin is converting its raw material supply to steel made on an electric arc furnace with a high percentage of scrap feedstock. To overcome the technical and supply challenges related to this feedstock and increase the recycling of end-of-life tires, Michelin is developing a closed-loop approach for the steel for tire reinforcement. Michelin will present some promising results and perspectives about this approach.

What the audience will learn

  • The current situation: use of recycled steel in steel tire cords (market key data, roadblocks, etc)
  • The current situation: recyling or use of steel coming from end-of-life tires
  • Michelin's ambitions and targets for recycled material and the recyling of tires with a focus on steel
  • Michelin's recent technical results about closed-loop trials for steel in tires
  • Michelin's perspectives and needs about future tire steel closed-loop testing and implementation

Future-ready strength for next-gen tires

Heiko Isselee
Head of program management
NV Bekaert
Belgium
In an increasingly competitive tire industry, R&D faces the ever-greater challenge to develop more fuel-efficient and sustainable tires that support the future of mobility. This demands purpose-driven innovation that anticipates future needs, with tire reinforcement being a key component. Bekaert’s Mega Tensile (MT) technology is the result of innovation for both performance and sustainability, driven by the company's purpose to establish the new possible. The higher-strength technology significantly reduces tire rolling resistance through thinner steel cords, and as a result, less steel and rubber are required in tire manufacturing. This responds to environmental goals of dematerialization, improved fuel efficiency and carbon footprint, as well as better EV range. Bekaert offers a perspective on next-gen tire reinforcement to develop the (next) best tire yet.

What the audience will learn

  • How Mega Tensile technology reduces tire rolling resistance to improve fuel efficiency
  • The sustainability and total cost of ownership benefits of thinner steel cords and plies
  • Exploring the trade-offs between material efficiency and tire performance
  • Future opportunities for integrating MT with other tire innovations

Accelerating sustainable solutions for tires: sustainable reinforcement solutions of NY66 and PET

Seda Araci
R&D technology manager, tire cord fabric
Kordsa
Türkiye
Begüm Aytuğar
Marketing manager
Kordsa
Türkiye
This presentation will focus on advancements in sustainable reinforcement solutions for the tire industry. It will highlight how Kordsa has developed various generations of polyester (PET) products, including ultra-high tensile polyester yarns, using recycled PET (rPET) fibers. It will also compare the mechanical properties of rPET and virgin PET, showcasing the performance and maturity of these materials for tire cord applications. Through these comparisons, it will demonstrate Kordsa’s ability to meet both performance and sustainability goals. By presenting the development stages and performance of sustainable reinforcement materials, Kordsa aims to provide valuable knowledge for industry professionals seeking to enhance tire reinforcement applications with innovative and eco-conscious solutions.

What the audience will learn

  • Maturity levels of sustainable PET and NY66 reinforcement materials
  • Insights on available recycled technology performances in tire cord applications (recycled PET, recycled ultra-high-tenacity polyester, sustainable Ny materials)

Twaron carcass technology: driving tire efficiency forward

Dr Marc-Jan De Haas
Technology and application manager automotive
Teijin Aramid BV
Netherlands
The presentation will showcase the high-performance properties of Twaron in tire carcass reinforcement. It will provide insights into the tire cord design aspects for achieving optimal fatigue performance. It will be demonstrated that the choice of twist factor significantly impacts strength, modulus and fatigue behavior. This efficient load carrying capacity opens new opportunities for Twaron in SUV and EV tire design. Additionally, the high-performance fiber Twaron enables weight reduction compared to conventional carcass concepts, offering benefits in terms of CO2 footprint reduction during both the raw material phase and use phase of the tire.

What the audience will learn

  • Twaron para-aramid yarn
  • Benefits of Twaron in the tire carcass
  • The role of proper tire cord design in reaching desired performance
  • New opportunities in SUV and EV tire carcass applications
  • Insights into Teijin Aramid’s customer benefit model

New-generation single-axis high cycle fatigue testing on simultaneously high load-stroke-speed

Philippe van Bogaert
CEO
Bogimac Material Fatigue Testing Equipment
Belgium
Single-axis reciprocating fatigue testing of flexible materials is mostly driven by medium electronics or heavy hydraulics. Combining this with load-stroke-speed is easy, but limited by actuator power. A natural-frequency low-power system obtains nearly lossless cyclic energy conversion for the highest efficiency. But easy configuration, startup run at low speed, or adaptive speed control are problematic. Bogimac presents an innovative LHC concept combining high overall performance, long sample length, adaptive control and eco-friendly operation. A paradigm change in clamp design achieves grip at low inertia. The Bogimac LHC-24k8 runs to a combined 30Hz 24800N 20mm-stroke on wire rod, wire, OTR cord, reinforced belt and rope.

What the audience will learn

  • Fatigue testing of tire and rubber reinforcement materials
  • Application field of pull-pull fatigue testing
  • Effect of energy savings on TCO
  • Sample clamping design rules

Innovative rubberized fabric and steel cord calender line collection area

Marco Putignano
Process officer/R&D
Comerio Ercole
Italy
Improvements in textile and steel cord calender line efficiency push Comerio Ercole to constant innovation. Rubberized product quality is increased by reducing the distance between calender and winder, thereby reducing the exposure to the air and minimizing waste during production changes. The innovation developed by Comerio Ercole refers to a brand-new patented cross-cutting unit linked to a new automatic wind-up equipped with AGV/RGV handling systems. The operations are completely automatic to prevent waste of time due to human errors, increasing productivity, quality and safety.

What the audience will learn

  • Recent developments for a brand-new cross-cutting unit and wind-up (collection area)
  • Complete automatic cycle thanks to AGV/RGV systems
  • Main characteristics of the units, replacing the standard equipment
  • Productivity, quality and safety increase thanks to this innovation
  • Process cost saving and scrap reduction