On April 24, 2024, the first TBR tire manufactured through a flexible tire building machine was successfully produced in Huai'an, Jiangsu. The main components of the tire were all produced using industry-leading flexible 3D printing manufacturing technology.
The green tire has been cured by the electric curing press independently developed by Link-Asia. The traditional steam curing process has been abandoned for this curing press. The external heating is by wire resistance, while the internal heating is by N2 heated by electromagnetic heater. Compared with traditional steam curing, electric curing technology can increase the energy utilization rate by more than 70% and provide a new solution for reducing carbon emissions in the tire industry. At the same time, it can effectively control the three elements of tire curing (time, temperature, and pressure) and both the quality and appearance of tire.
The flexible tire building machine of this project is independently developed by Link-Asia Smart Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. The tire flexible manufacturing process technology is independently developed by Future Tire Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. The success of this project is a dual breakthrough in tire equipment and tire process technology. It is a model of coordinated development between equipment and process. Flexible tire manufacturing is the next generation of tire manufacturing technology and a model of new quality productivity in the tire industry. The success of this project is the start for the tire industry to enter into the era of flexible manufacturing. Link-Asia will continue to increase the research and development investment to boost the tire industry to come into the era of flexible manufacturing.
The flexible manufacturing project was officially launched in 2021. Thanks to four years of continuous research and effort, today's results can become true. All the staff who participated in this project is highly appreciated.