Arnold Fernandez | B.

tech , RSET

Industrial Training
Kakkanad|

July 30, 2016

APOLLO TYRES LTD.

CONTENTS

SL.No
NUMBER

TOPIC

PAGE

1.

Preface

02

2.

Acknowledgement
03

3.

Introduction

04

4.

History

05

5.

Tyre Manufacturing
06

6.

Manufacturing Processes
09

7.

Conclusion

11

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

PAGE 1

PREFACE

The main objective of my Industrial training was to co-relate theory

and practical in this field. During the training, I was exposed to the industrial
environment, associated with workers, and understand their psychology
towards work.
During the training we got familiarized with material handling, safety
practices, tyre manufacturing procedure, various problems and understood
various constraints of management. We have understood the scope, functions
and responsibilities of various departments in the organization.
Training provided us an opportunity to learn under a different environment
the various aspects of ship construction.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

PAGE 2

ACKNOWLEDGEMEMENT

Firstly I would like to thank the management and employees of Apollo

Tyres LTD, Kalamassery who has guided me throughout my training program
in the best way possible. I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to
Mr. Maneesh, Mr. Joseph Zachariah who has given me this opportunity and
for their kind hearted cooperation.
I also thank the prinicipal Mr. A Unnikrishnan, and my HOD Mr.
Thankachan T Pullan and other faculty members who have helped and
supported me in the course of my Industrial Training.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

PAGE 3

INTRODUCTION
Technology generation in the Indian tyre industry has witnessed a fair
amount of expertise and versatility to absorb, adapt and modify international
technology to suit Indian conditions. This is reflected in the swift technology
progression from cotton (reinforcement) carcass to high-performance radial
tyres in a span of four decades. Globalization has led to the linking of the
economies of all the nations and therefore major Indian players in the tyre
industry are pursuing global strategies to enhance their competitiveness in
world markets. The present section broadly undertakes an overview of the
Indian tyre industry through an examination of its growth trends with respect
to production, exports and acquisition of technological capabilities.
Key Features

At present there are 40 listed companies in the tyre sector in India.

Major players are MRF, JK Tyres, and Apollo Tyres & CEAT, which
account for 63 per cent of the organized tyre market. The other key
players include Modi Rubber, Kesoram Industriesand Goodyear India,
with 11 per cent, 7 per cent and 6 per cent share
respectively. Dunlop,Falcon, Tyre Corporation of India Limited
(TCIL), TVS-Srichakra, Metro Tyres and Balkrishna Tyres are some of
the other significant players in the industry.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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The industry is a major consumer of the domestic rubber market.

Natural rubber constitutes 80% while synthetic rubber constitutes only
20% of the material content in Indian tyres.

The sector is raw-material intensive, with raw material accounting for

70% of the total costs of production

Total production figures in tonnage: 11.35 lakh MT & total production

of tyres in all categories: 811 lakh (2007-08)

Current level of radialization includes 95% for all passenger car tyres,
12% for light commercial vehicles and 3% for heavy vehicles (truck
and bus)

Import of new tyres & tubes is freely allowed, except for radial tyres in
the truck/bus segment which has been placed in the restricted list
since November 2008

The major factors affecting the demand for tyres include the level of
industrial activity, availability and cost of credit, transportation
volumes and network of roads, execution of vehicle loading rules,
radialization, retreading and exports.

HISTORY

Apollo Tyres Ltd, with its corporate headquarters in Gurgaon, India, is

in the business of manufacture and sale of tyres since its inception in 1972.
Over the years, the company has grown manifold, establishing its footprint
across the globe.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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The company has manufacturing units in India and The Netherlands. It

is also setting up a new manufacturing facility in Hungary, with a planned
investment of 475 million. The company markets its products under its two
global brands Apollo and Vredestein, and its products are available in over
100 countries through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multiproduct outlets.

At the end of its financial year on March 31, 2015, Apollo Tyres had
clocked a turnover of US$ 2.08 billion, backed by a global workforce of
approximately 16000 employees.

Apollo Tyres Ltd is traded in India on the Bombay Stock Exchange and
National Stock Exchange, with 56% of shares held by the public, government
entities, banks and financial institutions as on March 31, 2015.

TYRE MANUFACTURING

Pneumatic tires are manufactured according to relatively standardized

processes and machinery, in around 455 tire factories in the world. With over
1 billion tires manufactured worldwide annually, the tire industry is the major
consumer of natural rubber. Tire factories start with bulk raw materials such
as rubber, carbon black, and chemicals and produce numerous specialized
components that are assembled and cured. This article describes the
components assembled to make a tire, the various materials used, the
manufacturing processes and machinery, and the overall business model.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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The tire is an assembly of numerous components that are built up on a

drum and then cured in a press under heat and pressure. Heat facilitates a
polymerization reaction that crosslinks rubber monomers to create long
elastic molecules. These polymers create the elastic quality that permits the
tire to be compressed in the area where the tire contacts the road surface
and spring back to its original shape under high-frequency cycles. Typical
components used in tire assembly are listed below.

INNER LINER
The inner liner is an extruded halobutyl rubber sheet compounded with
additives that result in low air permeability. The inner liner assures that the
tire will hold high-pressure air inside, without the air gradually diffusing
through the rubber structure.[1]

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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BODY PLY
The body ply is a calendered sheet consisting of one layer of rubber, one
layer of reinforcing fabric, and a second layer of rubber. The earliest textile
used was cotton; later materials includerayon, nylon, polyester, and Kevlar.
Passenger tires typically have one or two body plies. Body plies give the tire
structure strength. Truck tires, off-road tires, and aircraft tires have
progressively more plies. The fabric cords are highly flexible but relatively
inelastic.
SIDEWALL
Sidewalls are non-reinforced extruded profiles with additives to give the sides
of the tire good abrasion resistance and environmental resistance. Additives
used in sidewall compounds include antioxidants and antiozonants. Sidewall
extrusions are nonsymmetrical and provide a thick rubber area to enable
molding of raised letters.
The sidewalls give the tire resistance against the environment. Sidewall plays
an important role in strengthening of tyre.
BEADS
Beads are bands of high tensile-strength steel wire encased in a rubber
compound. Bead wire is coated with special alloys of bronze or brass.
Coatings protect the steel from corrosion. Copper in the alloy and sulfur in
the rubber cross-link to produce copper sulfide, which improves bonding of
the bead to the rubber. Beads are inflexible and inelastic, and provide the
mechanical strength to fit the tire to the wheel. Bead rubber includes
additives to maximize strength and toughness of tyres.
APEX
The apex is a triangular extruded profile that mates against the bead. The
apex provides a cushion between the rigid bead and the flexible inner liner
and body ply assembly. Alternatively called "filler" (as in the diagram above).
BELT PACKAGE
Belts are calendered sheets consisting of a layer of rubber, a layer of closely
spaced steel cords, and a second layer of rubber. Belts give the tire strength

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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and dent resistance while allowing it to remain flexible. Passenger tires are
usually made with two or three belts.
TREAD
The tread is a thick extruded profile that surrounds the tire carcass. Tread
compounds include additives to impart wear resistance and traction in
addition to environmental resistance. Tread compound development is an
exercise in compromise, as hard compounds have long wear characteristics
but poor traction whereas soft compounds have good traction but poor wear
characteristics.
CUSHION GUM
Many higher-performing tires include an extruded component between the
belt package and the tread to isolate the tread from mechanical wear from
the steel belts.
OTHER COMPONENTS
Tire construction methods vary somewhat in the number and type of
components, as well as the compound formulations for each component,
according to the tire use and price point. Tire makers continuously introduce
new materials and construction methods in order to achieve higher
performance at lower cost.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

PAGE 9

Compounding and Banbury mixing:

A Banbury mixer combines rubber stock, carbon black and other
chemical ingredients to create a homogeneous rubber material. Time, heat
and raw materials are factors utilized to engineer material composition. The
ingredients are prepared and weighed by Banbury operator from bulk
quantities. Measured ingredients are placed onto a conveyor system, and the
Banbury is charged to initiate the mixing process. Hundreds of components
are combined to formrubber utilized for tyre manufacturing. The components
include compounds which act as accelerators, anti-oxidants, anti-ozonants,
extenders, vulcanizers, pigments, plasticizers, reinforcing agents and resins.
Most constituents are unregulated and may not have had extensive
toxicological evaluations. Generally speaking, the Banbury operators
occupational exposures to the raw materials have been reduced by
improvements in administrative and engineering controls. However, cocern
remains due to the nature and quantity of components which make up the
exposure.

Milling:
Shaping of rubber begins in the milling process. At the completion of
the Banbury mixing cycle, rubber is placed onto a drop mill. The milling
process shapes the rubber into flat, long strips by forcing it through two set
rolls rotating in different directions at different speeds. Mill operators are
generally concerned with safety hazards associated with the open operation
of the turning rolls. Older mills usually had trip wires which could be pulled
off by the operator if he or she is got caught in the mills. Mill operators are
exposed to heat as well as noise.

Extruding and Calendering:

Extruders convey uncured rubber forwards down the barrel and
through the die by the action of a rotating screw. They produce continuous
extruded sections such as cable covering. Single screw versions are most
common but twin or triple screw extruders may be used for complex
products such as cable sheathing where they may be several layers of
compound (co-extrusion). Screw extruders can be either hot fed, with
warmed pre-mixed rubber, or cold fed. Temperature control is generally by
water circulating in a jacket around the extruder barrel, screw and die head.
The rubber is normally fed in strip form, taken off a two-roll mill.
Calendaring is multiple large diameter roll that squeeze rubber
component into a thin sheet. In the calendar machine fabric is coated with
rubber. There are two types of calendars three roll calendars and four roll
calendars. In a four roll calendar both sides of the fabric are coated with
rubber. Whereas, in a three roll calendar only one side of the fabric is coated
with rubber. This is then collected in a liner to avoid sticking.

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

PAGE 10

Tyre Building:
All tyre components are assembled at tyre building machine. Focal
point of machine is cylindrical building drum. The tyre building process begins
by placing plies on the drum one at a time. Plies are turned up along beads.
Finally tread and sidewall are added to complete the tyre. The final product is
called green tyre. It is the basic form of tyre. From this section it is taken for
the bagging process. After the bagging process it is taken for curing .

Curing:
The curing process includes the application of pressure to the green
tyre in a mould to give its final shape and also the application of heat energy
to stimulate the chemical reaction between rubber and other components. In
this process the green tyre is automatically transferred onto the lower mould
bead seat, a rubber bladder is inserted into the green tyre, and the mould
closes while the bladder inflates. As the mould is closed and locked, the
bladder pressure increases so as to make the green tyre flow into the mould,
taking on the tread pattern and sidewall lettering engraved into the mould.
The bladder is filled with a recirculating heat transfer medium, such as
steam, hot water or inert gas. The curing process takes about an hour. After
the curing process we have the final tyre output.

Final Finish:
All tyres are supposed to be visually inspected and placed on tyre
uniformity machine (tug) before they are send to the warehouse. The visual
inspection lasts only for about 15 secs. When an abnormality is discovered,
the tyre is send to the classifiers. Many inspections are carried out on the
tyre. After final inspection and repair tyres are send to the warehouse were
tread labels are replaced on the tyre.

CONCLUSION

REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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REPORT ON APOLLO TYRES LTD

ARNOLD FERNANDEZ, RSET

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