Michelin wins Tire Manufacturer, Technology of the Year at TTI Awards

Michelin and VMI were the big winners at the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence. Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year was won by VMI for its Synchro Crown Drum, while Michelin sealed the Tire Technology and Tire Manufacturer of the Year double, the former in recognition of its airless tyre, Uptis. Tire Industry Supplier of the Year was Eastman, while Environmental Achievement of the Year was RubberJet Valley’s environmentally friendly High-Pressure Water Jet technology.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former TARRC director of research, Dr Andrew Tinker, the author of more than eighty technical papers, co-editor of a book, and the co-inventor on four patents for commercial products.

Dr Tinker has become a renowned expert in the study and development of rubber blends and thermoplastic elastomers based on natural rubber. Though he retired as director of research of TARRC in 2009, he remains on a number of influential committees associated with the rubber industry.

Dr Tinker also helped to choose the winner of the Young Scientist Award for 2020, Alex O’Neil. The Jaguar Land Rover research engineer from the University of Surrey was commended for his research into the measurement of friction to predict tyre behaviour on different road surfaces.

Presented at Deutsche Messe during the 20^th Tire Technology Expo, the awards are presented to mark recent advancements in tyre technology, progress towards a greener industry, and the achievements of outstanding individuals. They are judged by a panel of international journalists and industry experts.

Technical and scientific communication director of Michelin, Cyrille Roget, collects the Tire Technology of the Year Award