Apollo accelerates tire development with Contact software

Bremen, Germany – Apollo Tyres is implementing a new laboratory information management system (LIMS), based on a software platform supplied by Contact Elements, to streamline its product development processes.

Serving as a central platform for Apollo's global R&D operations, the "low-code" software is intended to harmonise processes across locations and help the company reach its target of using 40% sustainable raw materials in tires by 2030.

The system integrates distributed data into a single source, reducing manual effort and dependency on tools like Excel, said Contact in a 2 Oct statement.

The software is intended to speed up tire development, which according to Contact traditionally takes about three years.

The technology will “digitally support and harmonise global R&D processes, streamline test data management, improve traceability of tire specifications, and simplify materials management,” it added.

Combining both specification management and test management, the LIMS will be rolled out at Apollo’s global R&D centres, first in India and subsequently in Europe.

Specification management supports the development process from raw material to the final tire, including recipe management.

Test management supports Apollo’s engineers in capturing test parameters, instructions, and analysing test results.

The LIMS provides integrated project management as well as interfaces to an ERP system and laboratory equipment to enable automated data exchange.

With the rollout, processes across the development facilities in Chennai, India, and Enschede, Netherlands, will be harmonised.