Trends & Markets
A trade show booth full of peak technology
| Andreas Weseler
Tire technology experts with KraussMaffei Berstorff
The Tire Technology Expo in Hanover is the most important trade show and conference for tire manufacturing technology worldwide. This year, KraussMaffei Berstorff was also represented there with an exciting exhibit. A company tour brought tire experts from all around the world together at our plant.
Already in its eighteenth year, from February 14 to 16, 2017, the Tire Technology Expo proved to be a magnet for tire manufacturing industries worldwide. An international group of experts were given the opportunity to see the newest extrusion technology for manufacturing tire components at the KraussMaffei Berstorff booth. Systems for commercial truck tires (TBR – Truck Bus Radial) as well as for passenger car tires (PCR – Passenger Car Radial) were presented. A particular highlight of the company tour was the newest generation of the hexaplex unit, featuring six different extruders. This unit allows joining up to six tire components – for insiders: cap twice, base, wings, cushion and chimney – with different material mixtures in a single pass to form a running strip. This unit is modularly designed. Depending on requirements, the new extrusion unit can be equipped with cold-feed extruders with screw diameters from 45 to 250 mm.
A look behind the scenes
Tire experts catch up on the newest technology from KraussMaffei Berstorff.
Visitors saw very different roller-head systems
Furthermore, a roller-head system was introduced that meets the highest standards for quality, productivity and durability. This system is equipped with extruders, extruder heads and two roll calenders, all exclusively developed by KraussMaffei Berstorff. With this new generation, high-precision airtight inner liners can be produced up to a width of 500 mm. The specially supported and heat-balanced calender rolls ensure constant reliable production. A one-of-a-kind shut-off system ensures fast opening and closing of the wide injection head. The tour of experts was rounded off with a single roller-head unit. It is used in the manufacturing of profiled natural rubber webs of high quality in different widths and thicknesses. Its particular strengths lie in short setup times and easy handling. “For all intents and purposes, anyone who wants to move ahead in tire manufacturing in terms of productivity and cost efficiency cannot pass up the extrusion systems from KraussMaffei Berstorff,” underscores Uwe Wagner, Head of Rubber Technology at KraussMaffei Berstorff.