Abstract

The curing process is the final step in tire manufacturing where curing reactions of rubber compounds take place under elevated pressures and temperatures in a press. A simulator for the tire curing processes was developed, which implements numerical algorithms based on a finite element method to solve the rigorous model equations governing transient heat transfer and curing reactions. Extensive simulation has been carried out ranging from simple heat conduction problems to actual tire curing processes. The results have been verified through comparison with analytical solutions or actual thermocouple measurements. The simulator successfully describes the trends in temperature and the state of cure during the tire curing process. It also serves as the core module of an optimization algorithm, which is being developed for the curing processes.