Lifecycle of Tires

Subject Code-MA 406

Authors
Roll No.
Student Name
681/MP/12
Modi

Sourav

662/MP/12
Yadav

Rahul

649/MP/12
Yadav

Krishan

674/MP/12
Saraswat

Shivam

Submitted to:-

Sanjay Gupta
Assistant Professor
Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology
Contents
Introduction
..3
Tire
Type
6
Tire
Composition
.7
Raw Materials
Used.1
0
Design
Concepts
..14

Tire Manufacturing
Process.20
Indian Tire
Market
..25
Financial Analysis of MRF
Tires..27
Recycling of Worn
Tires31

INTRODUCTION
Tires are the only point of contact of the vehicle with the road.
The intentions of the driver are finally executed by the tires only,
hence the quality and design of the tires is important. The rubber
tube inflated with air supports the whole weight of the car, but
the rubber tube cannot directly come in contact with the road as
it cannot resist wear and it lacks strength. Tire encases the rubber
tube. Tires must perform a certain number of functions for the
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smooth functioning of the vehicle namely- steering, carrying a

load, cushioning, rolling, transmitting drive and long lasting life.
Steering: Tires should steer the vehicle with precision
irrespective of surface of the road, weather conditions. The
stability of a vehicle's path depends upon ability of tire to hold its
course by maintaining proper traction with the road. It should
stand up to transversal forces without drifting from its path.
Carrying load: Tires should carry lot of weight usually more 50
times its own weight not only when it is in motion but also at rest.
Car usually weighs around 1.6 tones and the area of contact of a
single tire with road is size of a post card. Hence each tire
experiences a compressive stresses of the order of few MPa.
Cushioning: Tires absorb the shock due to obstacles or
irregularities present on the surface of the road, providing a
comfort travel to the passenger as well as ensuring long life of the
vehicle. The main characteristic of tire is its ability to yield when
stress is applied and return to its original shape when stress is
removed, with the tire lasts, or in other words, keeps its optimum
performance level for millions of wheel revolutions. The tires
wear depends on its conditions of use (load, speed, condition of
the road surface, state of the vehicle, style of driving, etc.) but
above all the quality of its contact with the ground. Pressure
therefore plays a major role. e stress cycle occurring at very high
frequencies.
Transmitting Drive: Tires transmit drive namely the engine's
usable power, braking effort with the help of the friction. Superior
quality and efficient design of the tire helps in making complete
use of engine's power and braking facility.
Long Lasting Life: Tires should be able to give optimum
performance for millions of revolutions. Life of a tire depends on a
variety of factors like quality of contact with the road, load, speed,
driving style etc. Most of the functions of tyre can be achieved
4

with proper maintenance of air pressure. Hence ability to hold air

without allowing it to diffuse is important.
In the tire industry, there are few manufacturers that have
distinguished themselves sufficiently to create brand recognition,
which could influence the consumer purchasing decision. A large
percentage of tire purchase decisions are made by the retail
salesman, not by the customer, which is unique in this industry.
Given the general level of disinterest by consumers, product
launches of new tires are often timed to coincide with more broadreaching consumer events like automobile shows or motorsports
exhibitions.
After more than a hundred years of experience, consumer
replacement tire purchasing remains a grudge purchase that
takes place every two or three years (depending on vehicle and
usage), and is thereafter promptly forgotten; despite the best
efforts of billions of dollars of marketing by the world's tire
manufacturers. The problem from a marketing standpoint is that
tires are, to an untrained and disinterested eye, virtually
indistinguishable from each other. In addition, creating a call to
action is truly difficult, given the typical two to three year
purchase cycle. Only upon close inspection can one determine the
brand and model of a tire, apart from enthusiasts who might also
recognize the tread pattern. Even then, there are few
manufacturers that have distinguished themselves sufficiently to
create brand recognition, which could be used to shape the
consumer purchasing decision. This is the first challenge of new
product launches in the replacement tire market. Few consumers
are ready for a purchase at any given launch time, and even
fewer of them will care about that purchase.
The second challenge is making new out of something that rarely
is new in the consumer's eyes. From the invention of the first
pneumatic rubber tire in 1887 by John Boyd Dunlop, there have
been only a few innovations that captured the interest of the
5

widespread buying public. The development of synthetic rubber

compounds by Bayer in the 1920s was certainly a critical advance
in tire technology, but probably was as useful a sales-driver then
as they are today. To be sure, there have been exceptions. Nokia
claims the development of the first winter tire in 1934, which
gave rise to an entire Winter Tire segment of development, sales,
and advertising. 1946 was a particularly fertile year for tire
development: Michelin invented the radial ply tire (the
construction type that has all but monopolized modern tire
building), and BF Goodrich invented the tubeless tire. BF Goodrich
is also credited with introducing the first tire marketed as "allseason" in the late 1970s. There have also been fads along the
way - whitewalls, white raised letters, colored wear indicators,
and even flavored smoke for tires intended for burnouts and
drifting. For the most part, these innovations impacted only the
very smallest subsets of the buying public. New tires are as black
and as round (ideally) as their predecessors, and the implicit
performance improvements are largely left to retailers to convey
to buyers. Thus, new product launches are events that generally
impact distributors and retailers more directly than consumers.
Although there are exceptions (Goodyear being the most notable
in North America), few tire manufacturers make direct-toconsumer distribution a substantial element of their strategy.
However, as in many other industries, distribution is channeled to
large-scale distributors who in turn distribute to wholesalers, who
in turn distribute to retail groups, who in turn distribute to
merchants and ultimately consumers. Given the level of consumer
apathy towards tire purchasing, tire manufacturers focus much of
their marketing efforts engaging members further up the supply
chain. And with good reason: "80% of tire purchase decisions are
made by the salesman, not the customer" is somewhat unique in
the tire business, and has been frequently corroborated. The goal
for a new product introduction is therefore to create a package 6

the product and supporting marketing and distribution - that will

ultimately appeal to retailers on all the right levels

Tire Type
What type of tires are customers looking for?
The answer to this question will depend on vehicle and driving
conditions.
For comfort and handling...
Touring tires help provide excellent dependability on wet and dry
pavement. They offer a balance of smooth and quiet ride with
performance handling.
For driving a sports car or looking for handling and
performance...High-performance tires are designed for use at
higher speeds in dry and wet weather. They have a softer rubber
compound for improved grip, especially on high-speed cornering.*
For driving a pick-up truck or an SUV...Light truck tires help
provide durability and traction in adverse off-road conditions. On
the flip side, SUV tires are ideal for on-road, comfort-tuned SUV
applications.
For a commercial vehicle...Commercial light truck tires are
designed to handle driving through dirt, mud and everyday wear
and tear from commercial applications.
Winter tires are designed to perform in cold, icy, wet and snowy
weather. They are optimized for handling and traction under wet
conditions, but can be used in dry conditions as well.
7

Most automobile tires are all-season tires. These tires satisfy

the needs of most road conditions. They have the deep water
channels for wet traction, but also harder rubber compound for
greater tire life in warm weather.
Off-road tires are ideal for drivers who take their vehicle off the
road and do limited on-road driving. These tires have stiffer
sidewalls for greater resistance against puncture when traveling
off-road. The tread pattern offers wider spacing than an all-season
tire to help remove mud from the tread.

COMPOSITION
Tire is a composite structure consisting of many layers. They
usually consist of
1. Inner liner
2. Body ply
3. Side wall
4. Beads, Apex
5. Belt Package
6. Tread
7. Cushion Gum.

Inner Liner
It is an extruded halobutyl rubber sheet compounded with
additives that result in low air permeability. The inner liner
assures that the tire will hold high-pressure air inside, without the
air gradually diffusing through the rubber structure.
Body Ply
The body ply is a calendered sheet (two or more sheets are rolled
together such that mechanically they are bonded) consisting of
consecutive layers of rubber and reinforcing fabric.
9

They give the structural strength to the tyre. Passenger tyres

typically have one or two body plies. Truck tires, off-road tires,
and aircraft tires have progressively more plies. The fabric cords
are highly flexible but relatively inelastic. The textile materials
used are cotton in early years now replaced by rayon, nylon,
kevlar, polyester.
Sidewalls
Sidewalls are non-reinforced extruded profiles with additives to
give the sides of the tire good abrasion resistance and
environmental resistance. Additives used in sidewall compounds
include antioxidants and antiozonants to protect the tyre from
decomposition when exposed to ultra violet light. Sidewall
extrusions are nonsymmetrical and provide a thick rubber area to
enable molding of raised letters and sidewall ornamentation.
Beads
Beads are bands of high tensile-strength steel wire encased in a
rubber compound. Bead wire is coated with special alloys of
bronze or brass. Coatings protect the steel from corrosion. Copper
in the alloy and sulphur in the rubber cross-link to produce copper
sulphide, which improves bonding of the bead to the rubber.
Beads are inflexible and inelastic, and provide the mechanical
strength to fit the tire to the wheel. Bead rubber includes
additives to maximize strength and toughness.
Apex
The apex is a triangular extruded profile that mates against the
bead. The apex provides a cushion between the rigid bead and
the flexible inner liner and body ply assembly. It is alternatively
called as "filler" in literature and industry.
Belt Package
Belts are calendered sheets consisting of a layer of rubber, a layer
of closely spaced steel cords, and a second layer of rubber. The
steel cords are oriented radially in radial tire construction, and at
opposing angles in bias tire construction. Belts give the tire
strength and dent resistance while allowing it to remain flexible.
Passenger tires are usually made with two or three belts.
10

Tread
The tread is a thick extruded profile that surrounds the tire
carcass and this is the layer which comes directly in contact with
the. Tread compounds include additives to impart wear resistance
and traction in addition to environmental resistance. Tread
compound development is an exercise in compromise, as hard
compounds have long wear characteristics but poor traction
whereas soft compounds have good traction but poor wear
characteristics.
Cushion Gum
Many higher-performing tyres include an extruded component
between the belt package and the tread to isolate the tread from
mechanical wear from the steel belts

RAW MATERIALS USED

The above mentioned tyre components use a broad variety of
materials like different rubber compounds, different types of
11

carbon black, fillers like clay and silica, chemicals or minerals

added to accelerate/decelerate vulcanisation. The tyres also have
several types of fabric for reinforcement, several kinds and sizes
of steel. Some of the steel is twisted or braided into strong cables.

Natural Rubber
Natural Rubber is an elastomer derived from latex, a milky colloid
produced by some of the plants like Hevea brasiliensis. These
plants produce latex when they are wounded as a healing
mechanism. The latex is collected in a vessel and it is allowed to
coagulate which gives you the solid rubber which can be further
processed in to sheets. The coagulation process can be controlled
by chemicals like Ammonia, Formic acid. Ammonia decelerates
the coagulation process whereas Formic acid accelerates it. The
purified natural rubber is same as polyisoprene.
The monomer of Natural Rubber is 2-methyl-1,3butadiene,CH2=C(CH3)-CH=CH2. The required properties of
rubber like elasticity, is mainly dependent on the cis form of C5H8
rather than its trans counterpart. As the natural rubber is formed
by coagulation of latex, the relative proportions of cis and trans
are fixed which can result in degradation of desired properties.
Synthetic Rubber
12

Synthetic rubber can be made from the polymerization of a

variety of monomers including isoprene (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene),
1,3-butadiene, chloroprene (2-chloro-1,3-butadiene), and
isobutylene (methylpropene) with a small percentage of isoprene
for crosslinking. These and other monomers can be mixed in
various desirable proportions to be
copolymerized for a wide range of physical, mechanical, and
chemical properties.
The monomers can be produced pure and the addition of
impurities or additives can be controlled by design to give optimal
properties. Polymerization of pure monomers can be
stereospecifically regulated through various catalysts to acheive
the desired cis or trans double bonds.

Various kinds of synthetic rubbers are used in the tyre

components like Styrene-butadiene, Polybutadiene because of the
relatively low materials cost, low heat-buildup properties
respectively.
Halobutyl rubber is used for the tubeless inner liner compounds,
because of its low air permeability. The halogen atoms provide a
bond with the carcass compounds which are mainly natural
rubber.
13

Carbon Black
Carbon black is a material produced by the incomplete
combustion of heavy petroleum products such as coal tar,
ethylene cracking tar etc., It is a form of amorphous carbon that
has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio and significantly lower
PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon). It is used as a pigment
and reinforcement filler in the tyre. It helps in conducting heat
away from the tread and belt area of the tire, reducing thermal
damage and increasing tire life. While a pure styrene-butadiene
rubber has a tensile-strength of no more than 2.5MPa, and almost
nonexistent abrasion resistance, compounding it with 50% of its
weight of carbon black improves its tensile strength to 20MPa and
considerable wear resistance. The black color of the tyre is due to
carbon black, if we want to have anyother color with the same
reinforcing properties fumed silica is used.
Fumed Silica
It is also known as pyrogenic silica as it is produced in a flame,
consisting of microscopic droplets of amorphous silica fused into
branched, chainlike, three-dimensional secondary particles which
then agglomerate into tertiary particles. The resulting powder has
an extremely low bulk density and high surface area. Its threedimensional structure results in viscosity-increasing behavior
when used as a thickener or reinforcing filler.
Fumed silica also provides better trade-off for fuel efficiency and
wet handling due to a lower rolling loss compared to carbon
black-filled tires. Traditionally silica fillers had worse abrasion
wear properties, but the technology has gradually improved to
where they can match carbon black abrasion performance.
Vulcanization
Natural Rubber is sticky, deforms easily when warm, and is brittle
when cold. Vulcanization is a chemical reaction which helps in
14

betterment of some of the properties like removes the sticky

behavior, increases the young's modulus etc., in this chemical
reaction elements/compounds like Sulphur are added which have
the ability to form cross-links between the long chain polymer
molecules, converting the rubber from a thermoplastic to a
thermosetting polymer. The extent of vulcanization reaction can
be controlled by accelerators and retarders.A derivative of aniline
called thiocarbanilide, zinc oxide accelerates the action of sulfur
to rubber, leading to shorter cure times.
Antioxidant
An antioxidant is a molecule capable of preventing oxidation of
other molecules. We say something is oxidized if it loses
electrons, hence moving to a higher oxidation state. Oxidation
reactions can produce free radicals which can result in
polymerization.As the tyre components are exposed to sunlight
free radicals may get generated, antioxidants essentially
terminate these free radicals preventing extraneous
polymerization reactions. Antioxidants basically undergo oxidation
reaction themselves, thus preventing oxidation of other
compounds. Antioxidants are reducing agents such as thiols,
ascorbic acid, polyphenols.
Antiozonant
Rubber contains an unsaturated double bond, as the tyre is
always exposed to atmosphere ozone gas present in the
atmosphere may break the double bond in to aldehydes or
ketones. Thus reducing the degree of polymerization results into
the degradation of properties. Cracks start to appear on the tyre,
which are called as ozone cracks. Antiozonants are chemical
compounds that prevent or slow down the degradation of material
caused by ozone gas in the air. Paraffin wax acts as an
antiozonant by the means of formation of a surface barrier.

15

DESIGN CONCEPTS
As a first step toward the evaluation of design concepts, the
wheel and tire assembly was considered in the light of its various
functions in the vehicle and its interaction with military logistics,
tactics and strategy.
The concept is that the tire and wheel might constitute a single
unit, eliminating weight and cost of beads, rims and associated
hardware. This concept is valid for tires that will not have to be
removed from the wheel during their life. It is anticipated that
foam-filled tires or tires packed with inflated spheres will not have
to be repaired as a result of punctures or other damage normally
deemed repairable. Any damage severe enough to take them out
of commission would normally require that the tire be discarded.
In order to utilize this concept, it is necessary to optimize the life
of the tire.
A very attractive prospect is that of a wheel and tire assembly
that
(1) Will have very long life,
(2) Require and permit no maintenance except possibly the
annual checking of inflation pressure and replacement of treads,
and
16

(3) Not require spares.

If characteristics (1) and (2) can be realized the integral WTA
concept can be used not only to save the cost and weight of the
beads, rims and associated hardware, but also to prevent injury
which might occur if a mechanic were to try to demount a casing
filled with pressurized foam or inflated spheres. If a casing cannot
be deflated, its removal from the wheel is hazardous unless
proper equipment and precautions are used.
The savings in weight and in production costs to be realized with
the integral WTA depend upon its design, which is discussed
below. Manufacturing feasibility must be incorporated in the
design of the assembly; the concept of the integral assembly
presents no untoward design challenges.

Visual design
This chapter describes the different steps of the design procedure,
which was focused on general and product design and meant to
form visual concepts before moving on to acoustic design. The
general workflow for the thesis is illustrated in the picture below.

Figure Workflow.

17

Expressions and concept generation

To find the expression of the Continental brand for the new tyre
tread designs, and to fit in the values for the customer, a values
description and mood board were created. The mood board
served as inspiration, and was also the basis for the some of the
expressions that were selected for the designs. Seven
expressions, some of them newly created, were then the basis for
sketching the patterns. Three of them represented Continental
tyre as a brand and Continental as a company, while the other
four represented the customer. Six patterns were then generated,
partly from extracting ideas from the mood board, and partly on a
combination of the expressions, of which one was a Continental
expression, and two were customer expressions. By tying one
expression in each concept to the Continental brand and company
the three functions above were combined with the function
identify.

18

Concept results
Six concept patterns were generated that would fulfill the basic
requirements in the product specification, which also included a
basic manufacturing limitations such as repeatability, and also
basic principles regarding solid mechanics (limiting the patterns
to geometries that will not make the material too susceptible to
mechanical damage). The patterns were drawn first by hand, then
in Photoshop to enable a high flexibility of output formats. All
patterns were drawn with grooves represented as black areas,
while rubber that would have a chance of contact with the ground
was made white.

Precise
Speedy/fast
Precise
Clear & shiny
Clear & shiny

Precise
Hard
Speedy/Fast

Gedgety

19

Functionally supreme
Safe
Speedy/Fast
Clear & shiny

Functionally supreme
Gadgety
Hard

Hard
Gadgety

Concept evaluation
After generating the concept patterns a short questionnaire was
used to evaluate the expressions of the concepts. This particular
survey was made only to receive a general indication about how
10 people, of various backgrounds, appreciated the six designs.
The subjects were instructed that this is highly subjective and
they could use their gut feeling and put anything they wanted,
including comments on the sheet, but they also had to choose
three of the available seven expressions, and only one from the
user/buyer/customer box and two from the Continental box (figure
17). The survey showed that most of the designs according to this
study were perceived to illustrate the expressions they were
intended to Illustrate.

Acoustic design
After generating pictures in Photoshop these were made into
bitmap files, transferred and processed with Matlab, from which
the simulation software retrieves data. Material data and
structural geometry data for another Continental tyre had already
been prepared and installed from previous research on roads. To
get started with the simulation process within the limited time of
this thesis work this data was used. Each pattern had to be totally
20

repetitive, without interruption due to misalignments between two

repetitions. Any misalignments could cause a disrupted pattern
when repeated, and would be likely to evoke larger vibrations that
could lead to a higher total emitted sound level. The coarse
adjustments to make repetitions smooth were therefore
accounted for in Photoshop, while fine adjustments were made in
Matlab. Simulations were then run in SPERoN at a constant
velocity of 90 km/h, with constant inflation pressure and air flow
resistance. The selected road surface was a surface called A141,
which is very similar to a smooth ISO surface.
Patterns were then modified to investigate some already proven
methods for improving sound characteristics. Some basic
characteristics (which are also known to make a big difference in
obtaining improved sound characteristics) were evaluated in
these simulations, there among:

Void content
Shoulder groove angle
Width of horizontal grooves
Randomization
Shift
By simulating, and hoping to confirm what was expected in terms
of general tendencies resulting from these basic modifications,
some of the concept patterns were meant to undergo modification
towards a better result. Other modifications of various patterns
were also made, some for investigation of the accuracy of the
software, some for finding the difference between basic patterns,
and for improvements of the previously generated initial patterns.
By modifying and simulating repeatedly the expected outcome
was to see the general tendencies resulting from modifications of
these basic characteristics in tread patterns.
By simulating, and hoping to confirm what was expected in terms
of general tendencies resulting from these basic modifications,
some of the concept patterns were meant to undergo modification
towards a better result. Other modifications of various patterns
were also made, some for investigation of the accuracy of the
21

software, some for finding the difference between basic patterns,

and for improvements of the previously generated initial patterns.
By modifying and simulating repeatedly the expected outcome
was to see the general tendencies resulting from modifications of
these basic characteristics (bullet points above) in tread patterns.

TYRE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

22

4.1 Compounding and Banbury mixing

A Banbury mixer combines rubber stock, carbon black and other
chemical ingredients to create a homogeneous rubber material.
Time, heat and raw materials are factors utilized to engineer
material composition. The ingredients are generally provided to
the plant in pre-weighed packages or are prepared and weighed
by the Banbury operator from bulk quantities. Measured
ingredients are placed onto a conveyor system, and the Banbury
is charged to initiate the mixing process. Hundreds of components
are combined to form rubber utilized for tyre manufacturing. The
components include compounds which act as accelerators, antioxidants, anti-ozonants, extenders, vulcanizers, pigments,
plasticizers, reinforcing agents and resins. Most constituents are
unregulated and may not have had extensive toxicological
evaluations. Generally speaking, the Banbury operators'
occupational exposures to the raw materials have been reduced
by improvements in administrative and engineering controls.
However, concern remains due to the nature and quantity of
components which make up the exposure.

23

4.2 Milling
Shaping of rubber begins in the milling process. At the completion
of the Banbury mixing cycle, rubber is placed onto a drop mill.
The milling process shapes the rubber into flat, long strips by
forcing it through two set rolls rotating in different directions at
different speeds. Mill operators are generally concerned with
safety hazards associated with the open operation of the turning
rolls. Older mills usually had trip wires or bars which could be
pulled by the operator if he or she is got caught in the mills.
Modern mills have body bars at about knee level that are
automatically triggered if the operator is caught in the mills. Most
facilities have extensive emergency rescue procedures in place
for workers trapped in mills. Mill operators are exposed to heat as
well as noise.

24

4.3 Extruding and Calendering

The calender operation continues to shape rubber. The calender
machine consists of one or more (often four) rolls, through which
the rubber sheets are forced.
The calender machine has the following functions:
To prepare compounded rubber as a uniform sheet of definite
thickness and width
To place a thin coat of rubber on a fabric (coating or
skimming)
To force rubber into the interstices of fabric by friction
(frictioning)
The rubber sheets coming off the calendar are wound on drums,
called shells, with fabric spacers, called liners, to prevent
sticking.

The extruder is often referred to as a tuber because it creates

tube-like rubber components. The extruder functions by forcing
rubber through dies of appropriate shape. The extruder consists
of a screw, barrel or cylinder, head and die. A core or spider is
used to form the hollow inside of tubing. The extruder makes the
large, flat section of tyre treads.
Extruder and calendar operators may be exposed to talc and
solvents, which are used in the process. Also, the workers at the
end of the extrusion operation are exposed to a highly repetitive
25

task of placing the tread onto multi-tiered carts. This operation is

often referred to as booking treads, because the cart looks like a
book with the trays being the pages.
The configuration of the extruder as well as the weight and
quantities of tread to be booked contribute to the ergonomic
impact of this operation. Numerous changes have been made to
lessen this, and some operations have been automated.
4.4 Component Assembly and Building
The tyre assembly machine consists of a rotating drum, on which
the components are assembled, and feeding devices to supply the
tyre builder with the components to assemble (see figure 80.7).
The components of a tyre include beads, plies, side walls and
treads. After the components are assembled, the tyre is often
referred to as a green tyre.
Tyre builders and other workers in this area of the process are
exposed to a number of repetitive motion operations.
Components, often in heavy rolls, are placed onto the feeding
portions of the assembly equipment. This may entail extensive
lifting and handling of heavy rolls in a limited space. The nature of
assembly also requires the tyre builder to perform a series of
similar or identical motions on each assembly. Tyre builders utilize
solvents, such as hexane, which allow the tread and plies of
rubber to adhere. Exposure to the solvents is an area of concern.
After being assembled, the green tyre is sprayed with a solventor water-based material to keep it away from adhering to the
curing mould. These solvents potentially expose the spray
operator, material handler and curing press operator. Nowadays,
water-based materials are mostly used.

4.5 Curing and Vulcanizing

Curing press operators place green tyres into the curing press or
onto press loading equipment. Curing presses in operation in
North America exist in a variety of types, ages and degrees of
automation. The press utilizes steam to heat or cure the green
26

tyre. Rubber curing or vul-canization transforms the tacky and

pliable material to a non-tacky, less pliable, long-lasting state.

4.6 Inspection and Finishing

Following curing, finishing operations and inspection remain to be
performed before the tyre is stored or shipped. The finishing
operation trims flash or excess rubber from the tyre. This excess
rubber remains on the tyre from vents in the curing mould.
Additionally, excess layers of rubber may need to be ground from
the side walls or raised lettering on the tyre.
One of the major health hazards that workers are exposed to
while handling a cured tyre is repetitive motion. The tyre finishing
or grinding operations typically expose workers to cured rubber
dust or particulate. This contributes to respiratory illness in
workers in the finishing area. In addition, a potential exists for
solvent exposure from the protective paint which is often used to
protect the side-wall or tyre lettering. After finishing, the tyre is
ready to be stored in a warehouse or shipped from the plant.

27

Indian Tire Market

The Indian tyre industry has been quick in adopting the latest
technology trends through foreign collaborations and tailoring
these to Indian needs. The manufacturers are also investing in
development of green tyres. The market for radial tyres in the
commercial vehicles segment has seen rapid growth in recent
times. In the medium and heavy commercial vehicle segment
thecurrent adoption levels of radial tyres is around 15 per cent. In
the light commercial vehicle segment, it is estimated to be 18 per
cent. The passenger car segment switched to
radial tyres earlier, and within a short period of time, penetration
levels reached almost 100 per cent. This segment will surely be
the focus for Indian tyre manufactures as it is expected to grow at
about 15
per cent over the next few years to Rs 423 billion by 2017.
In 2011-12, the Indian tyre industry recorded a turnover of Rs 300
billion, producing 119.2 million tyres, amounting to 1.49 million
metric tonnes. Currently, India has 40 listed tyre manufacturing
companies, of which the top 10 account for over 96 per cent of
the countrys total tyre production. The tyre export market in
India is valued at Rs 3.6 billion. While the tyre industry is largely
dominated by the organized sector, the unorganized sector
dominates the bicycle tyre market. With the focus on providing
better products and services, Indian tyre manufacturers
are setting up well-equipped in-house R&D centres with emphasis
on developing cutting-edge technology for new compounds, new
designs for different segments and new reinforcement materials.
Cost optimisation for quality improvements
and orientation towards changing customer requirements are also
areas of research. The concept of green tyres is now emerging
as a benchmark for the industrys competitiveness. Though the
technology has been around since the

28

1990s, due to higher manufacturing costs, it was put on a

backburner until recently. Green tyres provide numerous benefits
over normal tyres, including
lower fuel consumption.
Top 5 tyre companies in India in 2015
Here is a list of the top 10 tyre companies, ranked on the basis of
net sales, as of 2015:
1. MRF. MRF, which stands for Madras Rubber Factory, has been
the market leader for the last 21 years. Starting out as a toyballoon manufacturer, it become the first Indian tyre company
to touch a turnover of Rs 50 billion. MRF has built a strong
association with sports, mostly cricket and motor sports. Most
cricket lovers will remember the MRF logo on Sachin
Tendulkars bat.
2. Apollo Tyres. With its portfolio of six brandsApollo, Dunlop,
Kaizen, Maloya, Regal and VredestienApollo Tyres caters to
all segments of customers ranging from passenger and
commercial vehicles to off-highway tyres. It is the 15th largest
tyre manufacturer in the world. The company managed a
growth rate of 37 per cent in 2012, having been slightly hit by
rising raw material costs. In the car segment, Apollo is the
biggest supplier of tyres.
3. JK Tyres. The company was hit by slowdown in the automotive
sector this year as the truck/bus segment, in which it is the
market leader, recorded a growth of just 7 per cent and the car
sales saw a growth of 2.7 per cent. Overall, the company
registered a growth of just 17 per cent, which is pretty low by
industry standards. On a positive note, its all-radial plant
coming up in Chennai is on course. Increased capacity is
expected to give JK Tyres a renewed strength in the market.
4. CEAT Tyres. CEAT, owned by the RPG Group since 1982, is
probably the most visible face of the Indian tyre industry.
Cricket lovers are familiar with the CEAT Cricket Ratings, which
was the first international cricket rating system. More recently,
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its advertising campaign The road is full of idiots won many

awards and critical acclaim. The company scaled the Rs 10
billion export benchmark in 2015.
5. Balkrishna Tyres. BKT operates in the niche category of off
highway tyres used in segments like agriculture, construction,
industrial and earthmovers. The company has enjoyed a yearon-year (y-o-y) growth rate of 46 per cent in 2015. Its sales
mostly come from overseas markets and hence the continued
downturn in Europe and US could slow down its growth in the
coming years.

Financial Analysis of MRF Tires

MRF Ltd, originally known as Madras Rubber Factory is leading
tyre manufacturing company in India was established in the year
1946 by K M Mammen Mappillai, The company is primarily
engaged in the manufacture of rubber products, such as tyres,
tubes, flaps, tread rubber and conveyor belt.MRF is the first
Indian company which exports tyres to USA in 1967, Now it
exports to more than 65 countries in USA, Europe, Middle East
Japan and Asia Pacific.The manufacturing units of the company
are located at Tiruvottiyur and Arakonam
in Tamil Nadu, Kottayam in Kerala, Ponda in Goa, Medak in
Andhra Pradesh and Union Territory of Pondicherry.
In the present study an efforts have been made to analysis
financial position of the concern by careful study of revenues,
sales, profits, net worth and other elements from the
financial statements and financial ratio analysis. The relation
between two or more accounting figures/groups is called a
financial ratio. A financial ratio helps to express the relationship
30

between two accounting figures in such a way that users can

draw conclusions about the performance, strengths and
weakness of a firm.
TEN YEARS FINANCIAL SUMMARY
(Rs. in Crore)
Sales

2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004
13444. 13054. 10637. 8080.4 6141.9 5715.5 5036.7 4233.6 3437.1 2989.4
75
03
03
5
4
2
5
6
3
3

Other
Income 37.40 39.73 33.14 29.13 34.40 40.83 24.17 27.07 44.96 58.54
Total
Income 13482. 13093. 10670. 8109.5 6176.3 5756.3 5060.9 4260.7 3482.0 3047.9
Profit
Before
Taxatio 1226.8 833.12 893.65 534.66 398.48 211.39 260.96 99.81 55.34 42.90
n
Provisio 0
n for
Taxatio 424.59 260.76 274.23 180.68 145.45 66.83 89.18 19.90 15.03 14.10
n
Profit
after
Taxatio 802.21 572.36 619.42 353.98 253.03 144.56 171.78 79.91 40.31 28.80
n
Share
Capital 4.24
4.24
4.24
4.24 4.24 4.24 4.24 4.24 4.24 4.24
Reserve 3640.9 2853.5 2293.5 1686.4 1357.1 1116.5 981.91 820.05 749.81 719.17
s
0
6
3
4
8
5
Net
Worth
Fixed

3645.14

2857.80

2297.77

1690.68

1361.42

1120.79

986.15

824.29

754.05

723.41

Assets

5834.14

5477.16

4967.07

3865.62

3020.57

2866.24

2289.77

1955.99

1787.85

1534.47

As shown in above table MRF Ltd. has shown tremendous growth in the last 10 years. Let
see these in the chart to have clear idea of growth

1.

Sales
Sales
31

14000
12000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
2012

2004
2013

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

As shows in the above chart the sales of Mrf Ltd have

continuously increased in the last 10 years. At the end of 2004 it
was Rs. 2989.43 crores which went to Rs. 13444.75 crore in
2013. In terms of percentages it has increased 450%
approximately during the last 10 years.

2. Net Worth

4000
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000

32

500
0
2012

2004
2013

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

The net worth has increased from 723.41 crore to 3645.14

crores during the last 10 years. The rate of increased is 504%
approximately.

Recycling of worn tires

A car tire qualifies as a worn tire when, after a certain period of
use, it has forfeited its original functional capability. The worn tire
can be recycled for its material value and/or as energy carrier.
Recycling thus represents an expansion in the use benefit of a car
tire. This natural interface is used to functionally separate the life
cycle assessment of a car tire from the life cycle assessment of a
worn tire.
The recycling of worn tires takes place in different recy-cling
processes. Alongside raw material recycling processes the
suitability of which is estab-lished in tests there are a number of
material and energy recycling processes that have been tested in
real life situa-tions. This study takes a look at the most significant
worn tire recycling processes as case examples.
The three recycling processes are full retreading, cement
production, and energy generation in tire power stations. In a
systems comparison of this kind, the uniformity and equivalency of
benefits must be guaranteed. The benefit achieved by using the
worn tire thus always serves as reference quantity; i.e. the
mileage of the retreaded tire, the amount of cement pro-duced or
the amount of energy obtained. This makes possible a direct
comparison of resource consumption and the related
environmental impact with standard and equivalent processes.
It is important to note that this manner of analyzing a worn tire,
which concentrates on its in-put as feedstock or energy car-rier in
the recycling process, neglects the negative impact (resources
expended, emissions into the air and water, waste and
overburden) during its life as a functioning tire).
33

References
http://www.efymag.com
publications.lib.chalmers.se
www.continental-corporation.com
http://www.uniroyaltires.com
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https://en.wikipedia.org
http://global.yokohamatire.net

http://www.madehow.com
https://www.scribd.com

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