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CONSTRUCTION
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Yokohama Tire Construction Flowchart
You may not be familiar with some terminology describing
processes used in tire manufacturing. Below are definitions of the
terms unique to the tire industry.
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Internal Mixer
The internal mixer is a large multi-story enclosed mixer used to
mix oil, rubber and chemicals into all the rubber compounds used
in manufacturing tires.
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Bead Wrap
This the process that forms the bead. After the bead wire is coated
with rubber it is wrapped forming the circle-shaped bead that will
be used in constructing the bead assembly.
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Bead Wire
See Bead Assembly.
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Calendaring
Calendering is a process in tire manufacturing where steel or
fabric is coated with rubber. Steel belts, body plies, cap plies
and belt edge covers are all produced using the calendering process.
Steel or fabric is placed between two large heavy rollers. Rubber
is also inserted between the rollers at the top and bottom of the
material being coated. As the material moved through the rollers
the pressure forces the rubber to permeate and adhere to the steel
or fabric.
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Curing
Is the process where a green tire is the assembeled components
that make up a tire before it is cured. Curing bonds all the
different rubber components of a tire together. The tread design
and sidewall nomenclature are also molded into the tire during
the curing process.
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Extrusion
Extrusion is a process used to manufacture shaped solid rubber.
Treads, sidewalls and bead fillers are manufactured using
extruders. An example of extruding is cake decorating. To decorate
the cake the decorator squeezes icing through tips shaped to form
different shapes. The decorator is extruding icing.
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