VMI sees strong demand for small-batch tire machines

Epe, The Netherlands - Dutch tire machinery maker VMI has seen rising demand for smaller production runs, due to the "ever-increasing variety of tires available".

As a result, the company has developed gear pump extrusion ‘Unixx Belt Maker’, designed to support small batch production, said VMI in its latest sustainability report.

The first such machines are now in operation at “some of Europe’s leading tire manufacturers,” said the 2022/2023 report, issued earlier this year.

According to VMI, the machine employs a controlled extrusion process that "drastically" reduces waste, especially during production changes.

Another feature of the machine is the ability to produce thinner belts with optimised rubber layers that fully encapsulate the wire mesh.

This, said the Epe-based group, both lightens the tire and lowers rolling-resistance, helping to reduce fuel-consumption and CO2 emissions.

Furthermore, transitions between tire specifications have been made more efficient, resulting in up to a 50% reduction in material waste, VMI also stated.