TVS Tyres R&D Facility: A Brief Visit

Tyres have to be among the most underrated components of a two-wheeler. Many people don’t realize the fact that it is this piece of rubber with a contact patch of few centimeters that keeps the motorcycle in contact with the tarmac. A given motorcycle can produce a ton of horsepower but it is of no use if the power can’t be laid down on the tarmac. It’s the same case with handling as well, despite employing the best chassis in business a poor tyre will make it futile. Because of this fact tyres are given high priority in the world of motorsports as a minor change in the compound of the rubber can change the outcome significantly. On the Indian context, a typical motorcycle tyre consumer gives durability highest priority over any other factors and we can regularly see bikers riding on completely worn-out tyre thereby putting their life on risk. But with performance bikes sales growing and awareness among the consumers improving, tyres are slowly getting their right due.

ZigWheels were invited by TVS Tyres to tour its R&D centre situated inside the factory in the temple town of Madurai. But before getting into those details we would like to give some facts about the tyre manufacturer itself. TVS Tyres is the country’s largest OEM supplier for tyres in the Indian two-wheeler market. Currently TVS Tyres monthly production output stands at a whopping 20 lakh units. With demand for two-wheelers increasing with every passing month, TVS Tyres are confident that they will hit the 24 lakh units per month target by August 2015 itself.

Talking about the TVS Tyres R&D centre, it was established in 1995 as a fully functional in-house centre spread across 35,000 square feet area with the latest testing, designing and lab equipment. The centre has been recognized by the Dept of Science & Technology, Government of India. According to TVS Tyres, the basic needs of two-wheeler manufacturers are safety, durability, performance, fuel efficiency and value for money. While the above parameters sound simple, it takes a ton of development work and testing to come up with the perfect combination tyre that satisfies the above needs. TVS Tyres R&D centre classifies every new project in three stages - Products, Process and Technology. We give you a brief on the above processes:

Products  

According to the manufacturer, specifications from the OEM are different from that of the aftermarket needs and thus OEM and aftermarket tyres are dealt with different development plans. Product work also covers areas like new product development, new compound development, new material development and new process development. Validation of the technology and process is done both internally and externally by consultants from Europe and Japan. Tyre testing is another important aspect and TVS Tyres has a special team of Japanese and European test riders.

Process

The process part of the function covers a detailed evaluation of the specs right from drawing board to the shop-floor and beyond. Elements like aesthetics, bench-marked practices, testing, validation elements, and materials flow process and scalability of these for large scale production are some of the areas that we excel in.

Technology

Technology is one aspect that is vital for development and for this purpose; TVS Tyres have invested in 2D drafting, 3D modeling, CAM and Simulation software. It also has the latest Abacus software for simulation of product behaviour where over 10 different parameters can be verified even before the product is manufactured. And for testing, TVS Tyres have indoor capabilities for endurance, plunger test, hi-speed testing (going up to 250kmph). TVS also have a test track near its manufacturing unit where the tyres are put through stringent tests before getting final approval for production.