The MAXX, first introduced in 2008, is VMI’s top of the range tyre building machine. Designed for hands-off and eyes-off production and equipped for robotised bead loading and green tyre removal, the MAXX is capable of producing an average of 2,000 tyres a day. VMI claims that code and size changes can be performed quickly when using the MAXX, and the fully automatic unit is set up for easy manual intervention should the need arise.
Tyre equipment manufacturer and software provider Mesnac has purchased a majority interest in US firm Test Measurement Systems, Inc. (TSMI) for an undisclosed amount. The TSMI brand and identity will be retained following the deal, states Mesnac. Dr. Jerry Potts, CEO of the Akron-based firm, and other senior TSMI management staff will remain with the business and work with Mesnac to identify opportunities for growth, product innovation and diversification.
While much attention has been focused on the amount of tyres being produced in China in general and the rapid growth of the most professional Chinese tyre manufacturers, the machinery companies that supply them have kept their similarly meteoric rise somewhat beneath the radar. But while the tyre mould and machinery making companies have managed to avoid the limelight so far, some market observers argue that their growing influence should not be ignored.
Demand for larger size OTR and earthmover retreads has been robust over the past couple of years, and Marangoni Tyre Machinery has now introduced a product aimed at this segment of the market. The Trio Super 63” can, as its name suggests, accommodate up to and including 63-inch size radials. Marangoni reports the unit can peel, buff and groove OTR and earthmover tyres rapidly, and as the tyres being processed can be fitted upon flanges and inflated up to 1 bar, the Italian manufacturer is confident the resultant geometric stability is maximal.
Dutch tyre building machinery manufacturer, VMI has been presented with the award for Innovation and Excellence in tyre manufacturing for its new MAXX Tyre Building Machine at the Tire Technology Expo in Hamburg, Germany. An international jury said the major reason for its decision was the breakthrough in fully automatic tyre building.
The MAXX is newly developed machine able to produce high quality passenger car green tyres with a bead size of 14”- 24” with increased productivity: the building process is fully hands-off, with the loading of the beads and the unloading of the green tyre done automatically. The design includes moving drums and a fixed transfer position to allow for a more precise process, flexibility and speed. Laser measuring devices and digital cameras automatically control and record the positioning of components and quality of splices.
VMI reports that the first VMI MAXX is already in production in Finland.
The Konstrukta Group has recently restructured organisationally from being one entity into five separate divisions in fields as diverse as explosives, mechanisation and automation, rubber and tyre manufacturing machinery and economics. Based in Trencin, Slovak Republic, the company has invested 1.6 million US dollars in the upgrading and development of its R&D centre for rubber technology. “The current pattern of consistent growth within rubber related industries demanded that we give ourselves every opportunity to make sure we were in a position to increase our market share,” said Jan Dugacek, managing director of the tyre machinery division.
The tyre division provides research, development, production and supplies of technological equipment for the tyre industry – extrusion lines for inner liner production, steel cord and textile cord cutting lines, auxiliary equipment and spare parts. The extrusion lines are designed for production of tyre components including treads and sidewalls for the manufacture of car, light truck, truck, bus agricultural and OTR tyres.
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