Supporting the Tire Industry and Beyond with Cost-Effective Single End Cord Production
For many years, the use of single end textile cords in production of body ply and cap strip components for tires had been cost-prohibitive. Now, with significantly increased production from leading textile cord manufacturers, tire companies can cost-effectively use calenderless equipment like Steelastic’s cap strip and body ply systems in their extrusion-based tire production lines. Find out how.
The problem: Previously, the cost of single end textile cord was higher than the loomed textile fabric used in calendered component manufacturing for tires. This meant that tire companies struggled to justify using manufacturing processes that use single end textile cord, like Steelastic’s body ply and cap strip machines.
The need: In the last decade, the tire industry has seen the demand for premium tires increase, along with a huge increase in tire SKUs. Both trends have seen an increased need for single-end textile cords. Premium tire manufacturing requires the standard of quality produced by the Steelastic extruded textile cap strip, and extruded textile body ply systems. And it’s not just tire manufacturers that benefit from the use of single end textile cord. This type of cord is being used increasingly in other industries as well.
The solution: Over the last decade, Steelastic has formed strategic relationships with leading single end textile cord manufacturers around the world. These strategic relationships have resulted in significantly increased production of all types of single end textile cord used in tire manufacturing, which has in turn reduced costs. Now, single end textile cord cost is comparable with the textile feedstock for calendering processes, making the justification of calenderless tire manufacturing processes much easier.
The results: Production volume of single end cord has increased fivefold in 10 years. This has brought down costs for tire manufacturers significantly. Many leading tire manufacturers are now turning to the Steelastic calenderless process for manufacturing cap strip and body ply, with the trend expected to gather pace in the years to come.
Why go calenderless? Extrusion based, calenderless systems are extremely flexible and cost effective. They process single end textile cords with no possibility of crossed cords and deliver extremely precise cord placement. Textile cords are fully encapsulated, and the resulting cap strips and body ply components are of superior quality, with uniform tension and precise tolerances.
Through our strategic relationships with single end textile cord manufacturers, Steelastic has helped to shape the future of tire manufacturing by making calenderless tire component manufacturing a viable reality.
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Want to learn more about the advantages of calenderless manufacturing? Explore our extrusion-based cap strip machine or contact Steelastic today to discuss your project.