You may have noticed that we have several blogs about the tyre production process, covering specifics like tread pattern design, vulcanisation and the role of the tiny rubber hairs you often find on brand new tyres.
Tyre curing is, in the simplest terms, a way of gathering all those different processes under one umbrella technique. It refers to the exact moment in the production journey when the green tyre rubber is subjected to high pressure, forcing the bonds between the rubber compounds to join forces and ensuring that the tyre is strong and stable enough to withstand life on the road.
Keep reading as we look at the tyre curing process and what happens…
What Happens During Tyre Curing?
This is the part of the tyre production journey when the rubber composition has been selected and poured into the correct tyre mould, and when vulcanisation forces the different compounds to bond together.
The end result, following tyre curing, is a strong and sturdy tyre that brings together all those individual elements – including the tyre tread, sidewall build, internal construction and tyre carcass – as one.
Is Tyre Curing Done Under High Heat?
As the title mentions, tyre curing can be performed in what is essentially a hot tyre oven.
But recent tyre technology and innovation means that you don’t necessarily need an uncontrollably high temperature to be present for effective curing. Nitrogen can be used to efficiently facilitate the curing process, with the added benefit of operating at a more controllable temperature.
This lower-temperature process leads to tyres that are produced both more sustainably and with a higher quality finish.
The Importance of Tyre Curing
To put it simply, without tyre curing, there would be no modern tyres. Not only does curing ensure that all the components of a tyre are held firmly together, but it is the only process through which tyres are created to meet the minimum required standards for safe road use.
Suffice to say, tyre curing is a process that not many drivers know about – but that affects all of us!
So, the next time you are browsing our tyre marketplace, think about the individual curing process that every single model has gone through and the huge variety of tyre moulds that have had to be created to offer such a diverse range of options!
