Molds-Fertigung GOODYEAR
New casting system for Moldplant Luxemburg
As one of the world´s largest tyre manufacturers, GOODYEAR has its own mould construction in Luxemburg. From the Grand Duchy, the ”Rubber and Tyre“ company supplies all European tyre factories with ”moulds“, which have been produced on a Kurtz low-pressure casting machine for some time now.
Tyre production itself is a complex process, in which many production steps are passed through. For example, a tyre comprises more than ten different rubber mixtures and up to 25 individual component parts. A central process step in tyre manufacture is vulcanisation. In a heating or vulcanisation press, aluminium moulds, in which the tyre is not only given its profile, are used. Under pressure and at temperatures from 165 to 200 °C, the caoutchouc mixture, which has been plastic up to then, becomes elastic rubber.
At the same time, the components of the tyre are insolubly connected to one another. During the heating process, the profile is also embossed onto the tread by the vulcanisation mould – for which the tyre profile has been included in the interior as a negative pattern. The heating time for car tyres is nine to 17 minutes – at a pressure of up to 22 bar, depending on the type of tyre, size and required properties.
Precise pressure control,
best casting results
As a rule, the aluminium moulds are manufactured by casting processes. In this context, the moulded part is cast with the actual tyre negative. As these moulds are not “simple” cast parts with a view to shape and surface quality, GOODYEAR decided on a type AL 13-13 FSC Kurtz low-pressure casting machine.
With the known precise pressure control, the flexible cooling concept of air/water mixed circuits and combined with our furnace changing concept for best melt qualities, the best casting results are achieved. The controls make it possible to administer all casting formulations for the variety of differing moulds for all sizes of tyre. Effectivity has also been increased by the new system – and there is still room for the planned increases in quantity. The Kurtz project team is proud of such a renowned customer as GOODYEAR and sincerely thanks them for the very pleasant cooperation. May you always have enough air in your tyres!