subject: The Makings Of A Tyre [print this page] Tyres are a very vital component of a carTyres are a very vital component of a car. Irrespective of how good and powerful the engine is, if the tyres are not good, the overall efficiency of the vehicle is affected. It is important that tyres are of good quality and perfectly designed for the full potential of the car to be realized. The type of tyres or design also affects the mileage of the car. Similarly, the air pressures maintained in the tubes will aid the performance of the car. Therefore, the tyres are a crucial component for any vehicle that needs to perform with maximum efficiency.
The tyres are made up of a lot of various different components that provide strength and stability to the wheels. The inner edges of the tyres which make contact with the rim of the wheel are lined with high strength steel cables which are coated with rubber. This component is called the Bead, and is responsible for enabling the tyre to sit firmly on the wheel rim without slipping. The bead is also responsible for handling the forces that are applied on the tyres when they are installed on the wheel rim using tyre mounting machines. There are two bands of beads, one on the inner and the other on the outer rim of the tyre.
The body-ply, which is the inner-most layer of the tyres, connects the two bands of bead. There is a layer of ply fabric that is generally made of polyester cord, which makes contact with the tube, made of rubber, fitted inside the tyres. These cords can be seen running perpendicular to the line of the treads. A coating of rubber is applied over the plies and adhered well to the various parts of the tyres and provides a perfect seal for the air that is inside the tyres.
The numbers of layers of plies used determine the strength of the tyres. Generally, all regular cars have two plies in them, whereas a large commercial jet airline can have as many as 30 plies or more. Some of the high speed cars are fitted with one or two layers of plies below the tread, so that it is gives the car additional support as well as ensures that all the components are fitted firmly in place. This is an optional feature known as cap flies, which are not seen in normal tyres. Steel-belted radial tyres are additionally fitted with steel belts under the tread, so that they are puncture resistant. Better contact with the road surface results with the additional steel belts.
The sidewalls of the tyre provide the continuity between the tread and the beads of the tyre. They also provide lateral stability to the tyre and help prevent the air inside the tyre from escaping.
All these components are kept in place and then merged together in a tyre building machine. At this point, all the components are loosely fitted together and the tyre is called a green tyre. This is then passed into a curing machine for a process known as vulcanizing. Heat is applied to the green tyre and the tread patterns are moulded on the surface of the tyre. All the various components of the tyre are also bonded together due to the application of heat. The tyre then goes for some finishing procedures and is then ready for use.
