General Tyre Internship Report

THE GENERAL TYRE AND RUBBER COMPANY OF PAKISTAN limited

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM REPORT

BY ASAD AHMED MEMON MUHAMMAD AZEEM INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING DEPARTMENT NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 1 2. TIRE ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 2.1 Components of Tire ...................................................................................................................... 2 3. TIRE PRODUCTION FLOW CHART ........................................................................................................ 4 4. MATERIALS USED ................................................................................................................................ 5 5. HOW A TIRE IS MADE .......................................................................................................................... 6 6. RAW MATERIAL WAREHOUSE............................................................................................................. 7 7. MIXING ................................................................................................................................................ 8 8. DUAL EXTRUDER ................................................................................................................................. 9 9. 4 ROLL CALENDER ............................................................................................................................. 10 10. TRIPLEX............................................................................................................................................ 11 11. STOCK PREPARTION AND BEAD/BAND BUILDING .......................................................................... 12 12. STEELASTIC AREA ............................................................................................................................ 13 13. RADIAL TIRE BUILDING .................................................................................................................... 14 14. BIAS TIRE BUILDING ........................................................................................................................ 15 15. RADIAL VERSUS BIAS PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................. 16 16. TUBE SECTION ................................................................................................................................. 17 16.1 Tubes ......................................................................................................................................... 17 16.2 Bladder ...................................................................................................................................... 17 16.3 Flaps .......................................................................................................................................... 17 17. CURING............................................................................................................................................ 18 18. FINAL FINISH ................................................................................................................................... 19 19. FINISHED GOODS WAREHOUSE ...................................................................................................... 20 20. PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL ....................................................................................... 21 20.1 Functions Of PPC ....................................................................................................................... 21 21. QUALITY ASSURANCE ...................................................................................................................... 23 22. TYRE ENGINEERING ......................................................................................................................... 23 22.1 Molds ........................................................................................................................................ 23 22.2 Tire Markings ............................................................................................................................ 24 23. MAINTENANCE PLANNING/MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE............................................................. 25 24. QUALITY CONTROL .......................................................................................................................... 26

1. INTRODUCTION: The General Tyre and Rubber Company of Pakistan Limited (Gentipak) is Pakistan‘s premier industry. It was established in 1963 by General Tire USA and has been in production since 1964. Gentipak has a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with CONTINENTAL AG (Germany’s largest tire manufacturer) which enables it to produce tires of “GENERAL” brand and provides the latest technology for production of tires based on Continental’s, R&D. The Plant and the Offices, are located in suburb of Karachi. Initial production capacity was only 120,000 tires per annum but is now around 2,000,000 tires per annum. The plant is constantly upgraded and is equipped with the most modern technology in tire manufacturing. COMPANY PRODUCTS     

Passenger Car Tires Light Truck Tires Truck and Bus Tires Tractor Front and Rear Tires Tubes

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2. TIRE: A tire is a strong, flexible rubber casing attached to the rim of a wheel. Tires provide a gripping surface for traction and serve as a cushion for the wheels of a moving vehicle. Tires are found on automobiles, trucks, buses, aircraft landing gear, tractors and other farm equipment, industrial vehicles such as forklifts, and common conveyances such as baby carriages, shopping carts, wheel chairs, bicycles, and motorcycles. Tires for most vehicles are pneumatic; air is held under pressure inside the tire. Until recently, pneumatic tires had an inner tube to hold the air pressure, but now pneumatic tires are designed to form a pressure seal with the rim of the wheel.

2.1 Components of Tire:

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. 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 include rayon, 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 and sidewall ornamentation. 2

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. Filler The filler 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. Chafer A key component of the tire that is the contact point between the tire and the wheel, designed to withstand forces the wheel puts on the tire during mounting as well as the dynamic forces of driving and braking. 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. The steel cords are oriented radially in radial tire construction, and at opposing angles in bias tire construction. Belts give the tire strength 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.

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3. TIRE PRODUCTION FLOW CHART:

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4. MATERIALS USED:  

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Natural Rubber, or Polyisoprene is the basic elastomer used in tire making. Stirene-butadiene co-polymer (SBR) is a synthetic rubber which is often substituted in part for natural rubber based on the comparative raw materials cost Polybutadiene is used in combination with other rubbers because of its low heat build-up properties Halobutyl rubber is used for the tubeless inner liner compounds, because of its low air permeability. The halogen atoms provide a bond with the carcass compounds which are mainly natural rubber. Bromobutyl is superior to Chlorobutyl, but is more expensive Carbon Black, forms a high percentage of the rubber compound. This gives reinforcement and abrasion resistance. Silica, used together with carbon black in high performance tires, as a low heat build-up reinforcement. Sulphur cross-links the rubber molecules in the vulcanization process Accelerators are complex organic compounds which speed up the vulcanization Activators assist the vulcanisation. The main one is zinc oxide. Antioxidants and antiozonants prevent sidewall cracking, due to the action of sunlight and ozone. Textile fabric reinforces the carcass of the tire. Steel for making steel belts.

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5. HOW A TIRE IS MADE: Tire manufacturing is a complex technical process. It can be broken down into eight manufacturing stages: 

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Mixing Various grades of natural and synthetic rubber are blended in an internal mixer (commonly known as a Banbury) and mixed with carbon black and other chemical products. This blend is called the "master batch" and its make-up is carefully constructed according to the desired performance parameters of the tire. CalendaringTextile fabric or steel cord is coated with a film of rubber on both sides. Calendared textiles such as rayon, nylon and polyester are used for the casing and the cap plies. Steel cord is used for the belts. Tread and Sidewall Extrusion The tread and sidewalls are constructed by forming two different and specifically designed compounds into tread profiles by feeding the rubber through an extruder. Extruders produce continuous lengths of tread rubber, which are then cooled and cut, to specific lengths. Bead Construction The bead core is constructed by coating plated steel wires, which are wound on a bead former by a given number of turns to provide a specific diameter and strength for a particular tire. Tire Building Tire building is traditionally a two-stage process. In the first stage, the inner liner, the body plies and the sidewalls are placed on a building drum. The beads are then positioned, the ply edges are turned around the bead core and the sidewalls are simultaneously moved into position. In the second tire building stage, the tire is shaped by inflation with two belts, a cap ply and the tread being added. At the end of this stage the tire is now known as a "green tire". Curing The green tire is now placed in a mold inside a curing press and cured for a specific length of time at a specific pressure and temperature. The finished tire is then ejected from the mold. Trimming Excess rubber is removed from the cured tire on a trimming machine. Inspection Before the tire is allowed to go to the dispatch warehouse, it is inspected both visually and electronically for quality and uniformity.

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6. RAW MATERIAL WAREHOUSE: R.M.W.H receives, holds and releases material for operations and production. The main responsibility of the R.M.W.H is to keep control of inventory so that there is no material shortage. As rubber is main raw material required to make a tire and is currently imported, R.M.W.H has to order it at least 90 days before the stock runs out. It is divided into three sections: 1. Hardware Section: It is responsible for providing tools and machine spare parts required for the maintenance of machine. 2. Raw material Section: Its responsibility is to issue raw material. Production Planning and Control prepares a RMR (Raw material requisition) and sends it to R.M.W.H by AS-400 system. R.M.W.H verifies the availability of raw material and dispatches the material. 3. Scrap Section The purpose of scrap section is to ensure the sale/disposal of factory process scrap material, obsolete spare parts and fixed assets.

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7. MIXING: The two major ingredients in a rubber compound are the rubber itself and the filler, combined in such a way as to achieve different objectives. In general, there are four major rubbers used: natural rubber, stirene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene rubber (BR), and butyl rubber (along with halogenated butyl rubber). The first three are primarily used as tread and sidewall compounds, while butyl rubber and halogenated butyl rubber are primarily used for the innerliner, or the inside portion that holds the compressed air inside the tire. Fillers such as carbon black and silica are used. Other ingredients also come into play to aid in the processing of the tire or to function as anti-oxidants, anti-ozonants, and anti-aging agents. In addition, the "cure package”—a combination of curatives(sulphur) and accelerators—is used to form the tire and give it its elasticity. After the compound is determined, the mixing operation takes place. The mixing operation is a batch operation, with each batch producing about 200 kilograms of rubber compound in less than three to five minutes. The mixer is a sophisticated piece of heavy equipment with a mixing chamber that has rotors inside. Its main function is to break down the rubber bale, fillers, and chemicals and mix them with other ingredients. The sequence in which the ingredients are added is critical, as is the mixing temperature, which can rise as high as 160 - 170 degrees Celsius. If the temperature is too high, the compound can be damaged, so the mixing operation is typically accomplished in two stages. The curative package is added in the final stage of mixing, and the final mixing temperature cannot exceed 100-110 degrees Celsius or scorching (premature curing) may occur. Once the mixing is completed, the batch is dumped out of the mixer and sent through a series of machines to form it into a continuous sheet called a "slab.” The slab is then transferred to other areas for bead wire assembly preparation, innerliner calendaring, steel and/or fabric belt/ply cord calendaring, tire sidewall extrusion, and tire tread extrusion. MACHINES AVAILABLE IN MIXING DEPARTMENT: 1. 2. 3. 4.

F-270 Banbury (PLC based) – For Master Batch HF-270 Banbury (PLC Based) – For Finish Batch KN-01 Kneader – For Master Batch KN-01 Kneader – For Master Batch

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8. DUAL EXTRUDER: Its purpose is to form tread (component of tire which comes in contact with the road surface) and sidewall (bridges between tread and bead) of truck, tractor and passenger Bias tires. Dual extruder is hot feed which is why it requires two mills to warm and soften the compound fed. MAIN PARTS OF DUAL EXTRUDER: 1. Breakdown Mill 2. Feed Mill 3. Hopper 4. Screws 5. Die In the initial stage, carefully identified slabs are transported to breakdown mills. These mills feed the rubber between massive pairs of rollers, over and over, feeding, mixing and blending to prepare the different compounds for the feed mills where they are slit into strips and then carried by conveyor belts to the hoppers/feed areas. There are 4 breakdown mills in total. There are two large screws in a sealed housing run by a single motor. Line speed and rpm of screws is set by panel. Both the screws push the compounds towards a single die having the cavity of the size of tread or sidewall to be extruded. Cushion gum if required is applied separately after extrusion from the die. The extruded component is then sent to the cooling line. Next it goes to the automatic running cutter which cuts according to the size set.

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9. 4 ROLL CALENDER: A machine for calendaring the fabric with rubber sheets on both sides. The machine consists of four large diameter rollers for the operation. The fabrics come in huge rolls, and they are as specialized and critical as the rubber blends. Many kinds of fabrics are used: polyester, rayon or nylon. Most of passenger tires have polyester cord bodies. 4 roll calendar produces calendared sheet with fabric inside known as ply which is used in both radial and bias tires. First, a pre-set number of fabric cords under proper tension are continuously pressed through two steel rollers, and rubber compound is added to the opening area between the rollers. Then the rubber compound is pressed into, on top of and on the bottom of the fabric or steel cords. A continuous sheet of cord-rubber composite goes through several more rollers to ensure good penetration and bonding between the rubber and cords. Quality is measured by the thickness of the sheet, spacing between cords, the number of cords and the penetration of rubber into the composite sheet. The composite sheet is then cut into appropriate sizes, shapes, and angles depending on the desired contour of the tire. Four mills of large diameter prepare rubber feed for the calendar. 1. CM 3 - Breakdown mill 2. CM 4 - Warm up mill 3. CM 5 - Feeding mill 4. CM 6 - Blending mill or Holding mill Units/Components of 4 Roll Calendar: 1. Let Off unit 1 and 2 2. Splicing unit 3. Tensiometro Unit 4. Precalendaring unit 5. Banana roll 6. Trimming unit 7. 4 rolls or Z calendar 8. Perforator 9. EPI (Ends per inch) 10. Cooling drums 11. Accumulator 12. Winding Unit 1 and 2 13. Storage Area

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10. TRIPLEX: Its purpose is to form tread and sidewall of radial tires. There are three screws of diameter 90mm, 200mm and 150mm in a sealed housing having individual feed area. Housing is fitted with small pins to blend the rubber properly. Multiple dies can installed at the same time. Cushion gum can be applied separately if required. Cooling is provided so that the rubber shrinks before it is cut into size. Triple extruder is cold feed thus there is no requirement for mills to warm up the feed as in the case of dual extruder. A cutter which runs according to the instructions fed in the PLC is provided at the end of the shrinkage conveyor for cutting the sidewalls and treads into sizes. Treads and sidewalls are weighed in terms of weight per unit length. Line speed of the shrinkage conveyor is adjustable and the variation in line speed is automatically induced in the rpm of the screws so as to compensate if material shortage occurs at die. Cement is applied to the treads and sidewalls which have been cut. Cement improves the adhesion of the rubber. Three metal sensors are installed at the individual feed area so that no metal can get inside the housing of the screws and cause damage to them.

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11. STOCK PREPARTION AND BEAD/BAND BUILDING: The bead component of the tire is a non-extensible composite loop that anchors the body plies and locks the tire onto the wheel assembly so that it will not slip or rock the rim. The tire bead component includes the copper coated steel wire loop, apex or bead filler; the chafer, which protects the wire bead components; the chipper, which protects the lower sidewall; and the flipper, which helps hold the bead in place. The bead wire loop is made from a continuous steel wire covered by rubber and wound around with several continuous loops. The precision of the bead circumference is critical. If too small, tire mounting can be a problem; but if too loose, the tire can come off the rim too easily under loading and cornering conditions. The bead filler is made from a very hard rubber compound, which is extruded so as to form a wedge. Filler and bead are joined manually in a rotating disc. There are two machines which are used to make beads 1. BD-2 - produces one bead at a time. 2. BD-3 –produces three beads at a time. Spools of steel wires are place over pulleys which can rotate on the application of tensile force on the wires. A machine pulls all the wires at the same time from the coils and an extruder coats rubber on the wires. Next the rubber coated wires are shaped into circular bands which are then cut. There are various disc sizes for different tires. Machines which are used in stock preparation: 1. FC-2 2. FC-3 3. FC-4 4. FS-1 5. FS-2 Band is a set of plies utilized in tire building. Plies are cut according to the circumferential size of tire and at an angle. The plies are built at opposite angles forming crisscross pattern. Band is built according to the ply rating of the tire. It is distinguished by two types  

Tractor Truck/Bus

Band Building sections of five machines: BB-1, BB-2, BB-3, BB-4, BB-5 These machines consist of two rollers which press multiple plies together with help of pneumatic pressure.

There are three types of bands made: 1. First band - 4 plies, breaker and drum squeegee assembly. 2. Second band - Only plies 3. Third band – 2 plies and 2 breakers 12

12. STEELASTIC AREA: This section produces steel belts which are used in Radial tire building. High tensile brass coated steel cords (multi strand) are used in the construction of tire belts. The brass coating is done to make rubber adhere to the steel. The storage of these brass coated steel cords is in a temperature and humidity controlled environment (the creel room). The temperature is kept around 27 degrees Celsius and humidity around 30%. Otherwise, corrosion due to moisture may cause the steel belts to lose adhesion with rubber. The steel wire passes from the creel room on rollers through aligning combs into the calendar where the wires are coated with a thin sheet of skim stock rubber. A pre – set number of steel cords under proper tension are continually pressed through two steel rollers, and simultaneously the rubber compound is added to the opening area between the rollers. A thin layer of rubber is applied into, on top of and the bottom of the fabric. A continuous sheet of cord – rubber composite goes through many more subsequent rollers to ensure proper penetration of rubber between the cords and desired adhesion between rubber and the fabric. Cooling drums cool down the strip and later Columbia Cutter cuts the belts at required angle and length. Winder assembly winds the belts which then go into storage area where temperature is controlled.

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13. RADIAL TIRE BUILDING:

It is a type of construction of tire in which ply cords extending from beads are at right angle to the centerline of tread and parallel to each other. A radial tire is built on a flat drum in a two-stage process. In the first stage, the innerliner is wrapped around a drum and the body ply is wrapped on top. The bead assemblies are then positioned, and a bladder on the drum is inflated and pushed in from both ends of the drum, forcing the body ply to turn up to cover the bead assemblies. The sidewall sections then are pressed onto both sides. At this stage assembly is called carcass. In the second stage of the tire building process, another machine is used to apply the steel belts in crisscross pattern, nylon cap ply, and tread on top of the first stage. At this stage assembly is called a green tire. The main components of first stage machine (PB-11, PB-13 to PB-19) are:   

Drum Bead applier Turn up assembly

The main components of second stage machine (PR-1 to PR-5) are:   

Belt and tread drum Transfer ring Expander

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14. BIAS TIRE BUILDING:

A type of construction of tire in which ply cords extending from bead to bead are at angle lying between 30 to 40 degrees. Successive plies at opposing angles are laid over each other to form a crisscross pattern to which the tread is applied. Green tires of bias construction are assembled in a single stage thus only one machine is required for complete assembly of tire. There are currently six tire building machines for Bias construction. The main components of bias tire building machine are:  Drum  Bead applicator  Back tool assembly The following components are assembled:  Drum squeegee  Bands  Beads  Sidewall  Chafer  Breakers  Tread Number of bands and breakers to be used are dependent on the type of tire manufactured i.e. truck/bus, tractor. 15

15. RADIAL VERSUS BIAS PERFORMANCE:

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16. TUBE SECTION: 16.1 Tubes: A single extruder makes green tubes which are then spliced to join the edges. A valve is fitted to the tube for inflation purposes. Lastly they are cured. Butyl rubber is used in making of tubes. Finally they are inspected for any leakage of air. Curing Machines: TP-1 to TP-10 for passenger car tire tubes TP-10 to TP-15 for truck and tractor tire tubes

16.2 Bladder: The Bladder is flexible rubber that is filled with steam or hot water when tire is being cured. The bladder is attached to the inside of the mold. A single bladder lasts for about 200 curing cycles. It also forms marks/impressions on the inside of attire. The stock for bladder comes from single extruder. The dimensions and geometry of the tire to be cured determine the bladder to be chosen for the job.

16.3 Flaps: It is used at the interface of the tire. It protects tube from the rim. Machines: FL-01 for trucks and tractors FL-02 for passenger cars

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17. CURING: Curing is the process of applying pressure to the green tire in a mold in order to give it its final shape, and applying heat energy to stimulate the chemical reaction between the rubber and other materials. In this process the green tire is automatically transferred onto the lower mold bead seat, a rubber bladder is inserted into the green tire, and the mold closes while the bladder inflates. As the mold closes and is locked the bladder pressure increases so as to make the green tire flow into the mold, taking on the tread pattern and sidewall lettering engraved into the mold. The bladder is filled with a recirculating heat transfer medium, such as steam, hot water, or inert gas. At the end of cure the pressure is bled down, the mold opened, and the tire stripped out of the mold. Types of Presses: 1. Dome Type 2. Platen Type Dome type presses are used for tractor and truck/bus tires. Whereas Platen type presses are used for light truck tires and all radial tires. Procedure for DOME:1. 200 psi steam in bladder, orifice open. 2. 200 psi steam in bladder, orifice close 3. DOME steam , 145 C 4. Delay cure for cool mold (>20 minutes) 5. Non-circ hot water in bladder 6. Circ cold water thru bladder 7. Full blow down open 8. Drain dome steam 9. Full blow down 10. Apply 200 psi steam flush in bladder 11. Apply vacuum in bladder 12. Open mold and remove tire

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18. FINAL FINISH: Tire inspection is the last step in the tire manufacturing process. The tire inspection includes:    

Trimming of the mold flash and micro-vents Visual inspection for appearance and to spot obvious defects X-ray examination to check internal structure and to spot defects Tire durability, uniformity, and weight balance inspection

After curing is complete, the tire is removed from the mold for cooling and then testing. Each tire is thoroughly inspected for flaws such as bubbles or voids in the rubber of the tread, sidewall, and interior of the tire. Then, the tire is placed on a test wheel, inflated, and spun. Sensors in the test wheel measure the balance of the tire and determine if the tire runs in a straight line. Bulge test is also done by mounting the tire on the rim and inflating the tire with an air pressure of 50psi. If any penetration of air is found in the tire, it is rejected.

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19. FINISHED GOODS WAREHOUSE: The products that fulfill all the quality parameters are sent to F.G.W.H for shipment to the dealers and OEMs. Tire packaging is also done here. They also collect the claimed tires. A warehouse sheet is generated in the holding area when the tires are been handed over to F.G.W.H. The sheet is verified and signed by warehouse supervisor before the tires are let in the warehouse. A locking key system is used which means when tires are in the holding area, the warehouse gate is locked and similarly when tires are in the F.G.W.H, the gate to holding area is locked. A Sales Invoice is generated in the sales department when tires are to be dispatched from F.G.W.H. In case of transfer of tires to branch offices, a Transfer Invoice is generated. F.G.W.H verifies the invoices and plans the logistics.

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20. PRODUCTION PLANNING AND CONTROL: Production Planning and Control organizes and coordinates the entire range of manufacturing activities. It provides the overall plan to which people and departments must work. It ensures that material, tools, equipment, personnel and documentation are in the right place at the right time. It continually monitors and updates the plans and schedules to meet machine breakdowns and other manufacturing hazards.

20.1 Functions Of PPC: 1. Demand Planning Input: Annual Forecast, Production History, Specifications, Machine Utilization, Product Profitability, Quality key indicator, Plant shutdown. Source(s): Marketing, PPC, Technical, Finance, I.E, Q.A, P.E Output: Machine and tool requirement, Production profitability, Annual production forecast. Period: 2-3 Years Frequency: Annual or when required 2. Master Production Schedules Input: Raw material, Special Orders, F.G Inventories, 3 month sales forecast, Trial Runs request, Preventive maintenance schedule, Machine manning. Source(s): Marketing, FGWH, RMWH, Technical, P.E, Production Output: Monthly Production Forecast. Period: Three Months Frequency: Monthly 3. Material Requirement Planning Input: Monthly Production Forecast, Raw material inventories / On Order, Order rules / Lead time, Specifications. Source(s): PPC, Technical, Supply Output: Raw material explosion, Raw material status. Period: Three Months Frequency: Monthly

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4. Capacity Requirement Planning Input: Machines capacity / Efficiencies, Machine Utilization. Source(s): PPC, Industrial Engg Output: Machine Utilization. Period: One Month 5. Daily Schedules Input: Urgent need, Updating of specifications, Updating of Standards, R.M/F.G /W.I.P inventories, Machines availability, Material rejection. Source(s): Marketing, PPC, Technical, RMWH, FGWH, I.E, Q.A, P.E Output: Shop Floor Schedule. Period: Daily 6. Daily Schedules Input: Material rejection, FIFO usage, Material order status, Inventory status, Shop floor schedule, Stock W/A advise, Leftover stock. Source(s): Production, PPC, Technical, RMWH, FGWH, Q.A, Supply Output: Inventories control, Production report. Period: Daily 7. Process Priority Input: Daily Production report, Machine breakdown, Bottle necks, R.M/F.G /W.I.P movement, O.E shipment status. Source(s): Production, PPC, Technical, P.E, FGWH Output: Production analysis, Problem Solving. Period: Daily

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21. QUALITY ASSURANCE: Quality Assurance department ensures that ISO standards are followed and is responsible for its certification. Its main purpose is preventing the claims from customers. In case of receiving such claims on quality of provided products and services, the department starts searching the reasons and effects of the revealed discrepancies. If a tire on examination is found to be having some manufacturing defect, the Company will either repair it free of cost or make reasonable allowance on pro-rata basis on the purchase of a new tire. This allowance will be based on the actual wear and balance left of a tire. It is also responsible for taking market surveys to check if the product is meeting its requirement. The department also carries out investigations in case of recurring problems.

22. TYRE ENGINEERING: Tire engineering department provides the technical specifications for the manufacture of the tire e.g. mold design etc. They develop drawings, specifications and do mold inspection in case of new vendors.

22.1 Molds: The mold in the curing press is the cavity in which tire is cooked and given the final shape. The mold has the embossed imprints of the tread pattern and codes printed on the sidewall of the tire. The two basic type of molds used are: 1. Segmented mold These molds are divided into segments in the circumferential projection of the tire. The number of segments can be 6 or more depending on the size of the tire. The engravements of sidewall are on a separate part. 2. Two parts mold These molds are divided into two parts along the centerline of tread. The engravements are on both parts of the mold.

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22.2 Tire Markings:

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23. MAINTENANCE PLANNING/MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE: Maintenance planning department determines the scope for the maintenance activities. They generate a work plan for maintenance activities and monitor efficiency of maintenance. They plan and schedule activities. They prepare preventive maintenance work order and prepare work completion against work order sheets. They fill/update machine history using AS-400. Maintenance activities are planned in case of mechanical failure, electrical failure and preventive maintenance. AS-400 software is used to look for machine history while generating work plan. They are also responsible for maintaining maintenance inventory and work side by side with R.M.W.H. The reorder point ("ROP") is the level of inventory when an order should be made with suppliers to bring the inventory up by the Economic order quantity ("EOQ"). Economic order quantity is the level of inventory that minimizes total inventory holding costs and ordering costs. There are three types of maintenance: 1. Preventive Maintenance: Maintenance carried out before any hazard/breakdown occurs. For preventive maintenance, history of a machine is prepared and studied according to which a yearly plan for maintenance is prepared upon which maintenance is carried out. 2. Predictive Maintenance: Maintenance which is carried out on prediction of technician. A technician is assigned to the machine whose work is to troubleshoot any smaller problems and if he finds any sign which indicates the possibility of a big problem occurring, he raises a work order to maintenance planning department. 3. Corrective Maintenance Corrective maintenance can be defined as a maintenance task performed to identify, isolate, and rectify a fault so that the failed equipment, machine, or system can be restored to an operational condition within the tolerances or limits established for in-service operations.

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24. QUALITY CONTROL: Quality Control Department has following responsibilities and sections. 1. X-Ray testing. 2. Material Testing Lab 3. Reliability Test i) Endurance Testing ii) High Speed Testing 4. Plunger test. 5. Tire Uniformity machine – used to check if forces are balanced. 6. Statistical Process Control e.g. control charts etc. 7. In Process Inspection. 8. Final Inspection Quality control begins with the delivery of raw materials. Company chemists do random testing of the raw materials in the material testing lab. Throughout the batch mixing operation, samples of the rubber are drawn and tested to confirm if the rubber fulfills its requirement. A variety of nondestructive evaluation techniques are also used such as X-ray videography, reliability testing, and plunger testing for cured tires.

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