CURING PROCESS

The curing press is where tyres get their final shape and tread pattern. Hot molds like giant waffle irons shape and vulcanize the tyre. The molds are engraved with the tread pattern, the sidewall markings of the manufacturer and those required by law. Tyres are cured at over 300 degrees for 12 to 25 minutes, depending on their size. As the press swings open, the tyres are popped from their molds onto a long conveyor that carries them to final finish and inspection. If anything is wrong with the tyre – if anything even seems to be wrong with the tyre, even the slightest blemish – it is rejected. Some flaws are caught by an inspector's trained eyes and hands; others are found by specialized machines. Inspection doesn't stop at the surface. Some tyres are pulled from the production line and X-rayed to ensure tyre integrity. In addition, quality control engineers regularly cut apart randomly chosen tyres and study every detail of their construction that affects performance, ride or safety. This is how all of the parts come together: the tread and sidewall, supported by the body, and held to the wheel by the rubber-coated steel bead. But whatever the details, the basics are fundamentally the same: steel, fabric, rubber, and lots of work and care, design and engineering.

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