The Cordiant holding company has started 3D printing full-scale prototypes of new tires. The equipment was installed in the Intyre research and technical center unit at the Yaroslavl Tire Plant.
A 1:1 scale model allows engineers to see the future tread pattern before mass production begins. Specialists can evaluate the arrangement of elements, check the geometry, and correct the design without manufacturing a full-fledged experimental tire.
The printer works with PETG, PLA, and flexible TPU plastic. The latter can reproduce deformable parts of the tread and shows how they behave under load. A print area of 350×350×350 millimeters allows for the creation of models with a large working surface width.
Cordiant expects that the technology will shorten the development cycle of new models and simplify the creation of specialized tires. Now, some errors can be detected on a printed prototype, without bringing the project to a more expensive production stage.
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