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How a Tire is Made

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Tires are the only part of a car that touch the road. They are designed to strike a balance between comfort, traction, energy efficiency, durability and overall cost. A lot of research and technology goes into making a tire that is both safe and durable, and tires are more complex to design and build than you might think.

Ingredients that go into Making Tires

It can take as many as 200 different ingredients, in varying proportions, to make a tire. Tires even contain antioxidants to help keep the rubber from breaking down due to the effects of oxygen exposure and temperature.

Raw materials used in the process:

Reinforcing fillers (silica and carbon black)
Elastomers (natural and synthetic rubber)
Chemicals (sulfur)
Plasticizers (oils, resins)
Textile reinforcements (aramid, rayon, polyester, nylon)
Metal reinforcements (wires, bead wires)

Tire Parts

A tire consists of many parts that work together to safely perform in a wide range of demanding road conditions. A tire's tread design, for example, plays an essential role in the tire's ability to grip the road in different driving conditions, and is crucial to its performance.

Belt

Steel belts are placed around tires to provide rigidity and reinforce strength. They are made of woven sheets of steel wires that are coated in rubber. Kevlar cord is also sometimes used, to add extra strength, durability and puncture resistance.

Sidewall

The area of extra-thick rubber that runs from the bead to the tread to give tires their lateral stability. This is the part of the tire were the manufacturer's information can be found. It also protects the side of tires from impact with curbs and the road.

Beads

Made from high-strength steel coated in rubber, beads create an airtight seal between a tire and the rim of the wheel.

Sipe and Groove

Tread blocks are separated by deep grooves that allow tires to disperse water, mud and snow. Sipes are the smaller grooves made in the tread blocks themselves to give extra grip, an important feature in winter tires.

Ply

These are the layers of fabric that make up a tire's skeleton. They're typically made of fibre cord that are woven together, and then coated with rubber. This allows your tire to be flexible, helps reduce friction heating, and maintains the tire's shape when driving fast.

Tread

This is the part of the tire that grips the road and provides cushioning. Its design and compound determine many of the tire's most essential performance features. It provides traction and turning grip for the tire, and is designed to resist wear, heat and abrasion.

Shoulder

Tires have a small beveled edge where the tread meets the sidewall.This design and construction is important for how your tire helps you take corners.

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The Process of Making a Tire

Up to 30 ingredients are used in a tire's rubber blend. The proportion of ingredients depends on what the tire's performance goals will be. This blend is composed of several types of rubber, fillers and other ingredients. It's mixed in giant blenders known as Banbury mixers, that create a black gummy compound that'll be sent for milling.

Mill

Once cooled, the rubber is sent to a special mill where it's cut into strips that will form your tire's basic structure. At this stage, other tire elements are prepared, some of which are coated in another type of rubber.

Build

Now the tire is constructed, from the inside out. The textile elements, beads, ply, steel belts, tread and other components, are placed in a tire-building machine so that every part is in its precise location. The result of this is a relatively finished product that's known as a green tire.

Cure

Now the green tire is vulcanized with hot molds in a curing process. This compresses all of the tire's parts together, and gives the tire its final shape, including its tread pattern and the manufacturer's sidewall markings.