Nexen advances tire mould production with 3D printing, XAI

Seoul – Nexen Tire has advanced tire mould production with a patented 3D printing technology, supported by XAI (eXplainable AI)-based design processes.

The traditional tire development process involves designing structures and patterns, creating moulds, manufacturing prototypes, and finally testing them on vehicles to achieve final product approval.

Nexen's new technology streamlines this process and enhances product precision by incorporating XAI and 3D printing technologies into tire development, said the Korean tire maker 21 Aug.

According to Nexen, XAI is an artificial intelligence technology that helps understand and analyse the causes and processes behind the results generated by machine learning algorithms.

It analyses various data such as basic designs, key design variables, performance contributions, and design direction to “maximise” tire design efficiency.

The technology then proposes “the optimal structure and design” that meets the requirements of tire developers.

Nexen said it is now using XAI-driven designs to create virtual tire models, assessing product performance in virtual environments.

Once a model passes the virtual development stage, a physical prototype is produced using 3D printing technology, for final evaluation.

The additive manufacturing process enables the simultaneous creation of prototypes in various designs and specifications, Nexen added.

According to the Korean tire maker, 3D printing technology reduces the mould production time by 70% - a process that traditionally took two to three months.

Furthermore, production costs can be reduced by at least 50%, providing cost efficiency in the early stages of development.

The manufacturing technology also allows for new tire designs that include diverse and complex patterns as well as sipes, particularly for high-performance tires, Nexen added.