Continental from rubber tree to road

The tyre is a complex combination of components made from numerous ingredients, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, textiles, steel wire and steel cord. But how do we get from the rubber tree to the road? Tyre production consists of six key stages in the manufacturing process: sourcing of materials, production of compounds, manufacturing of components, building the tyre, vulcanisation and, finally, quality control.

The first stage for tyre manufacturing is the sourcing of raw materials used to create the necessary compounds and components. Natural rubber is tapped from rubber trees grown in large plantations. The milky fluid (latex) extracted coagulates when acid is added to it. It is then cleaned and pressed into solid bales for easier transportation and storage.

Synthetic rubber and materials such as silica are used to reduce wear, increase grip and extend the life of the tyre, and are supplied by the chemical industry. The bales of natural and synthetic rubber are sectioned, cut to size, weighed and then mixed with other ingredients. Base materials such as rayon, nylon, polyester and aramid fibres that serve as reinforcement for the tyre construction are supplied by the textile industry.

High-strength steel serves as a starting material for the manufacture of steel belts (steel cord) and bead cores (steel wire). These give the tyre rigidity, which enhances shape retention and directional stability. Pre-treated steel cord is fed into a calender, where it is embedded in one or more layers of rubber that results in a continuous sheet of steel and rubber.

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