ERJ Survey: Readers back Audi call for more supplier input

London - ERJ readers have backed Audi manager Dr Thomas Roscher’s call for tire makers to bring their suppliers in on discussions with automotive OEs around the development of tires for new vehicle models.

“We have our macro-level knowledge of [tire] technology,” Roscher told ERJ at the recent Tire Technology Expo in Cologne, Germany. “The tire makers have their in-depth knowledge, and suppliers to the tire makers have their special expertise.” (see full story)

But, said the Audi engineer, the latter group is not sufficiently involved in the process around the design and testing of tires during the vehicle-development stage.

“This cannot go on,” Roscher emphasised. “We need to bring the suppliers to the discussions at the table.”

There was unanimous support for this viewpoint among those responding to our poll started on 19 Feb, with around 32 percent of readers ‘strongly agreeing’ and the remaining 68 percent ‘agreeing’ with the suggestion.

Historically, the relation between tire makers and material suppliers has been very remote, according to J Burrows in his comments for the survey.

“Suppliers give samples, the customer tests them. On very rare occasions is there any detailed feedback - usually its just "it’s not good" or its OK how much does it cost,” he said.

The respondent went on to suggest that “the problem is that tire makers are very protective of their knowledge and technology and don’t want the suppliers to have too much of an insight into the tire business.

“I am lucky having worked on both sides of the fence,” concluded Burrows. “I also enjoy very open technical exchanges with certain tire makers maybe because of my past experience. I can confirm that knowledgeable suppliers can certainly help speed things up and help solve problems when they are allowed past the door.”

Others, though, believe that responsibility lies with the vehicle makers, as one respondent commented:  “Audi engineers should know the available materials and their features to insure the option to ask tire suppliers to consider designs that incorporate the latest technologies.”

Most respondents, however, believed that greater and earlier involvement of suppliers would accelerate the adoption of new tire technologies.

For Jagdish Patel of elastomers.org, the gains would include better use of resources, quicker developments and knowledge- sharing.

“Knowledge that is discarded by one company may revolutionise another's development and benefit us all,” said Patel. It does not mean giving away anything, it means squeezing value out of what you know and more to the point what you don't know.”

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this survey, which we plan to report further on in the next issue of ERJ magazine.