HISTORICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS
OF PNEUMATIC TYRES

LOH PANG CHAI

Former Senior Research Officer , Malaysian Rubber Board (MR)

lohpangchai@gmail.com.my  ,  016-356 1168

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I wish to express my thanks to Dato' Seri Cheah Eu Keat , President , North Malaysia Tyre Association , for his invitation to write an article for a souvenir programme to commemorate the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Association .

The first part will lay out major events accompanying the ups and downs of the world tyre industry , both from the historical point of view , and also from the technological point of view .

The second part will be devoted to highlight several developments which had long term effects on the industry .

Third part will focus closer to home , the Malaysian Tyre and retread industry .Given the width and span of the many events , I can  only cover a few events which are of  significance .

PART 1 -  HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS OF TYRE INDUSTRY

THE UPS AND DOWNS

1870       BF Goodrich founded
1871       Continental AG founded
1888       Michelin Tire Company founded
1888       First commercial bicycle tyre by Dunlop
1889       Dunlop Tire Company founded
1898       Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company founded
1900       Firestone Tire & Rubber founded
1917       Yokohama Rubber Company founded
1931       Bridgestone Tire founded by Shojiro Ishibashi 
1986       BF Goodrich merged with Uniroyal to form Uniroyal-Goodrich
1987       General Tire acquired by Continental
1988       Firestone acquired by Bridgestone
1988       Uniroyal-Goodrich acquired by Michelin
1999       Goodyear acquired Dunlop from Sumitomo Rubber Industries
2006       Bridgestone acquired Bandag

Part 1.2 -TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

1839 -    Rubber vulcanisation
1845 -    Air tube device patent by Robert William Thomson
1888 -    First commercial pneumatic bicycle tire produced by Dunlop
1898 -    Schrader valve stem patented
1903 -    Goodyear Tire Company patented the first tubeless tire
1904 -    Cord ply fabric replace square woven fabric .
1906 -    First pneumatic aircraft tire , Non skid tread pattern
1910 -    BFGoodrich introduced carbon black as reinforcement . 
1938 -    Goodyear introduced rayon cord tyre
1937 -    1945  Second world war .
1940 -    BFGoodrich introduced the first commercial synthetic rubber tire
1946 -    Michelin introduced the radial tire
1947 -    Goodyear introduced first nylon tires
1947 -    BFGoodrich introduced tubeless tire
1963 -    Use of polyester cord introduced by Goodyear
1965 -    Armstrong Rubber introduced the bias belted fiberglass tyre
1968 -    Foam filled tyre
1968 -    DOT numbers required on new tyres in USA
1971 -    Moon tyre
1981 -    Radial aircraft tyre

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PART 2.1 - THE DUNLOP STORY

John Boyd Dunlop (5 February 1840 - 23 October 1921), born in Scotland, was the inventor who was one of the founders of the rubber company that bore his name, Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company.

He studied to be a veterinary surgeon and in 1867 established Downe Veterinary Clinic in Northern Ireland,

1887, he developed the first practical pneumatic or inflatable tyre for his son's tricycle, tested it, and patented it on 7 December 1888 . However, two years later he  was officially informed that it was invalid as Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson (1822-1873), had patented the idea in France in 1846 . and in the US in 1847. Dunlop's patent was later declared invalid .

Dunlop's development of the pneumatic tyre arrived at a crucial time in the development of road transport. Commercial production began in late 1890 in Belfast. Dunlop assigned his patent in return for 1,500 shares in the resultant company and in the end did not make any great fortune by his invention.  

Part  2.2  Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd

Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. Ltd was formed in Dublin 1889 to acquire and commercialise John Dunlop's patent for pneumatic tyres. The company continued its expansion, at Fort Dunlop, Birmingham to include South Africa, South America, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Spain . India , France, Japan  USA, and acquired rubber plantations in Malaysia and Ceylon.

Dunlop diversification included --  Mackintosh, footwear , clothing  ,  Aerospace , latex foam mattresses, golf balls and tennis racquets , diving  suit , swim fins. world's first 'fail safe' tyres .  .    

A major factor in Dunlop's decline was the decision in the early 1960s to develop textile radial tyres rather than the more durable steel-belted radial tyres. Dunlop lost ground to Michelin and other manufacturers marketing steel-belted tyres . In 1971 Dunlop merged with Pirelli to form the world's third largest tyre company. The joint venture arrangement was later dissolved in 1981.

Takeover and breakup

By early 1980s Dunlop was heavily in debt . In 1984 it sold the US tyre subsidiary to its management, and sold Dunlop India to the Jumbo Group of Dubai]. Then in 1985 the company was acquired by BTR plc. The right to use the Dunlop name for road tyres, were  sold to Sumitomo Japan .

During the 1990s BTR sold off the various Dunlop companies:.

• in 1996 Dunlop Footwear business was sold to the Dutch company Hevea .
• in 1996 Dunlop Adhesives was sold to Norcros plc .
• in 1996 Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd was sold to form a separate company.
• in 1997 Dunlopillo was sold to its management as Dunlop Latex Foam Ltd. ..
• In 1998 BTR sold its share of Dunlop Africa Ltd,
• In 2006 Dunlop Tyres International, was bought by Apollo Tyres of India .

 
PART 3.1  -- TALL & THIN OR IS IT SHORT & FAT ?

Early tyres are about an inch and a half wide and one quarter thick.  They made no noise and greatly relieve concussion on rough road.

During all these years the tyre was in the shape of rounded balloons with 100% aspect ratio and lasted less than 1500 km.  They were also easily punctured and damaged.  It was then not uncommon for a vehicle to carry up to six spare tyres on a long excursion.

In 1934 tread pattern were created to provide better wet road-holding . The aspect ratio was further reduced to 95% in 1950 when tubeless tyre was introduced.  Lower profile ratio had the advantage of better vehicle control , and In 1962 this aspect ratio was already in the region of 88%. In 1968 the 70% aspect ratio tyres were considered as low profile .

Today in Malaysia tyres of 65% ~ 55%  aspect ratio are common as OE , while  50% , 45 % aspect ratio tyres are common replacement on even average street vehicles .

Low profile , wide tread tyres have the following

Advantages --

Better treadwear
Lower rolling resistance
Better high speed capability
Better road-holding , traction , braking

Disadvantages

Harsh ride at low speeds
More sensitive to vehicle tyre imbalance , suspension system
More likely to aquaplane

3.2    CROSS-PLY VS RADIAL

Radial tyres are superior to cross-ply ( bias-ply ) tyres in many aspects .

Better treadwear
Better road-holding
Lower rolling resistance
Lower temperature rise , cooler operation
Better high speed capability
Higher puncture resistance
Lower cost per kilometre

Nevertheless , cross-ply tyres do have some advantages of their own

Lower tyre cost
More resistant to sidewall impact , curb damage
Less sensitive to  tyre inflation
More forgiving to abuses such as under-/ higher inflation or over loading

       Malaysian Tyre Radialisation 

       Motorcycle tyre           0 %
       Passenger car tyre    100 %    
       Light truck                70 %      
       Heavy truck              40 %      
       Agriculture                 0 %
       Earthmover                0 %

Radialisation has long term implications for Malaysia as radial tyres require more NR Which has higher building tack and green strength .

Trends Affecting Radialisation in Malaysia

Improved highway
Faster , long distance transport
Greater safety awareness
Better vehicle / tyre care , maintenance
Improved economy

Part 3.3- Tyre prices in Malaysia

If we look at the price of car tyres in Malaysia , one would quickly arrive at the conclusion that the cost performance ratio of car tyres hoe shown tremendous improvement .

As a tyre user I would applaud and congratulate our tyre manufacturers . In the last 4 decades , tyre prices have hardly increased , while the prices of passenger cars have increased by a few folds . During he last few decades cost of labour , machine  , raw material , utilities , land  , construction  , environment pollution control , safety & health  have all gone up by a few hundred percents . And yet tyre prices have hardly gone up . This is a point to ponder for those involved in other related industries including retreaders , retreads compounder , tyre machinery fabrication , dealers and consumers .

LOH PANG CHAI
2010-04-09