Kama Tyres launches new tire assembly lines

Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan – Kama Tyres has introduced new equipment for the production of passenger vehicle and 'light-cargo' tires at its Nizhnekamskshina plant.

The equipment includes two VMI MAXX assembly units and an automatic 'apexer' filler cord line, said an 8 Feb announcement from parent group Tatneft.

Part of a project to increase annual tire output by 1.2 million units, the new assembly units also enable the production of an expanded range of passenger car and light-truck tires at the Kama Tyres plant. 

Features, said Tatneft, include advanced software and human-machine interface technology, while the machines are also said to employ energy-efficient drives. 

Laser sensors ensure accurate application of material to the drums, added Tatneft, also noting that average assembly cycle is 37-38 seconds.

Each assembly unit, it said, can produce up to 2,000 tires per day at improved levels of quality, as the automated system reduces the potential for human error. 

Tatneft went on to describe the launch of a new line for filling cords on the side ring of radial tires with a landing diameter of up to 20 inches – using an apexer, designed for the automatic assembly of pre-made on-board rings with a filler cord produced on the line. 

More than 2,500 units of the end-product – an onboard wing, which is planted on the tire disk – were produced during a shift. 

The process is supported by a VMI Pixxel video system, integrated into the machine to ensure “full constant control of all components is applied.” 

The "laser-based trangulation detection system checks the area of the filling cord joint [and can] reject substandard products in real-time without the operator's participation,” noted Tatneft.