Virtual tire development delivering real gains for Pirelli

Milan, Italy - Pirelli has reported significant cost and time savings around its R&D on innovative materials through the use of virtual processes using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

"R&D on innovative materials is benefiting from the introduction of virtual processes using AI, from design to the industrialisation of materials," the company said in its first half financial report, issued 4 Aug.

"Material development time has been reduced by 30%," noted the Italian tire maker, which also reported a "20% reduction in material prototypes, with consequent savings in costs."  

In 2020, Pirelli installed an advanced simulator at its R&D centre in Milan to reduce tire development times as well as the number of physical prototypes needed.

At the time, the company reported a 30% reduction in average development time for new tires due to faster assessment of virtual prototypes produced for different car models.

On another front, the tire company is working in collaboration with Milan Polytechnic and Polytechnic Foundation, under the ‘Joint Labs’ programme.

The partnership leverages virtual modelling tools  such as a static simulator at Pirelli’s Milan R&D centre and a dynamic simulator at the Politecnico.

There are two main areas of research: development of innovative materials and modelling of mixing processes; and  product ??development using integrated static or dynamic simulation and innovative modelling.

Over the 10 years of the collaboration, recently extended by three years, 14 registered patent families have been filed, according to Pirelli.

The use, it said, of advanced materials identified as part of the partnership has led to significant improvements in tire performance, safety and sustainability.