Please forgive my indulgence on the topic of tyre testing, but the end result of a safe tyre is, the tyre is only safe IF the appropriate inflation pressure is used!

The physical road testing of a pneumatic tyre is the last part in a very long line of testing procedures used to manufacture the tyre. The actual manufacturing is not the end of the line as the tyre has to be competently mounted to a wheel and then appropriately inflated prior and during use.

If the tyre/wheel assembly is not balanced in mass and dimension, then the tyre is not going to perform as expected, nor will the tyre perform as expected if the inflation pressure is not appropriate to the load and speed the vehicle is going to be utilised at.

The humble pneumatic tyre is a composite assembly of many different materials, each having to work in harmony and unison with each other.

The different materials used to manufacture the tyre have already undergone substantial testing as individual products to assure the sought-after properties and qualities are exactly what is required to produce a tyre that is not only safe but performs as expected.

Many years ago, on a major construction project in Asia with one of my clients, the tyre company I was an engineer with suffered many catastrophic tread separation failures. This was a time critical project so having haul trucks out of service was a serious impediment to achieving the extensive earthworks required. A long story short, I was given to understand that there was a change in the supplier of the carbon black used in this particular tyre tread specification. The fresh manufacturer’s product checked all of the (then) testing parameters, but when it came to actual live service, there was a deficiency somewhere. I was never privy to the actual product details, just the end result of seeing haul trucks with fuel and hydraulic tanks on the ground having been slapped off by tread packages parting from the tyre casing. Having up to 1,000 kg of tread rubber flapping out of control is not conducive to a safe operation.

The testing regime for the product used was seemingly insufficient to identify this issue pre-production, ending up with very costly results.

One can read in various publications of tyre testing where a group of journalists and motoring writers take vehicles fitted with various tyre producers’ products around a circuit in an attempt to quantify the performance, in lap times, but more importantly, in feel.  ‘Through the seat of your pants’ is a commonly used phrase.  As a young two-wheel motorcycle racer, I progressed from using treaded road tyres to a full racing slick. The feeling was totally different and, to be honest, I didn’t ever get the slick tread tyres to operate as they were designed.  After progressing to three-wheel bikes (sidecars), slicks became the ideal product.

In todays’ tyre production world, I suggest that the development on MotoGP motorcycles leads the way. Think of a MotoGP bike where cornering lean angles of up to 65 degrees, yes 65 degrees, are common place, all the time transmitting a power to weight ratio of more than 1:1, which is more than one horsepower per kilogramme of weight (including the rider!).  When combined with the technology developed in the giant OTR tyres used in mining, the development of tyre performance is progressing rapidly. The ability of a giant mining tyre to support a load in excess of 100 tonnes per tyre (think 50 average passenger cars, yes that’s per tyre) whilst travelling at 60 km/hr is an everyday event for a mining operation. These tyres on a drive position transmit thousands of horsepower to motivate the truck. These numbers are far in excess compared to your daily drive!

A passenger car tyre benefits greatly from all of this research and development leading to the actual physical testing of the tyre in the hands of the journalists pushing a car around a circuit.

Yet, all this testing can be undone by the end user’s reluctance to verify that the tyre’s operating pressure is appropriate for the duty cycle being undertaken. The adoption of real time tyre pressure monitoring (TPMS) has generated an increase in safety IF the driver actually uses the data.

Race pilots (drivers and riders) carefully study the operating tyre pressure detail as they well understand that just ½ a psi may make the difference between winning or finishing off the podium.

Alas, our industry has not really educated the daily driver to the critical importance of ensuring their tyres have the appropriate inflation pressures installed. Inflation, it seems, is only important to economists and price rises.

All the material testing, quality control in production and physical mounting of the tyre can be undone by the ignorance of the end user in not attending to the inflation pressures adequately. No matter how deep the science used, the quality control measures employed within production our product’s success remains at the whim of the end user as to whether they can be bothered to ensure the very item that provides their safe passage is indeed fit for purpose.

Regardless of the impressive advances in testing technology, the serious quantitative leaps in the use of computer aided design and manufacture, the improvements in material science yielding growth in all the useful features for a tyre combined in production benefitting the end result can be undone by end user apathy. As an industry, we have a programme of continuous improvement, but does the end user have the same? Do they care?

For all the testing programmes we, as an industry, have in place, the one lacking I feel is the understanding of the level of knowledge from the perspective of the driver. Do they understand the information that the physical tyre testing provides? In the case of a motoring enthusiast, very much yes, but they make up a small percentage of the population.

The advent of the Euro 7 standards will draw the performance of tyres into the everyday realm for the legislators and regulators. Again, how the daily drivers that use their vehicles for commuting actually care is an unknown, and I feel that the care factor is probably less than zero.

In speaking with learner drivers, I ask whether the driving instructors had mentioned tyres at all and was totally unsurprised when the answer came back as a no. I know I have said before that unless we can engage drivers into understanding and appreciating their tyres’ contribution to their personal safety whilst driving, then our industries progress will be stymied.

All the progress in material science, advanced vehicle standards, wonderful testing regimes can all be negated when the vehicle driver ignores the very basic of the tyres operating requirement – the appropriate operating inflation pressure. 

How we change the mindset of the end user is still testing my knowledge and patience; it is more than tiring to keep on hearing that people don’t even acknowledge the benefits they enjoy from the use of the product our industry produces.

Please educate the end user on the critical importance their tyres have in overall on-road safety. Look after your tyres, so when you call upon them to look after you, they will be appropriately equipped to do so.

Stay TyreSafe

Titan International, a major global manufacturer of wheels and tyres for off-highway equipment, has secured expanded production rights for the Goodyear brand across multiple segments while renewing its existing farm tyre licensing agreement.

The deal extends Titan’s Goodyear brand manufacturing rights to include light construction, industrial, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), lawn and garden and golf tyre categories, significantly broadening the company's market reach.

The Illinois-based firm will continue to produce agricultural tyres under the Goodyear Farm Tyres brand, maintaining its presence in a sector where it manufactures products ranging from small implement tyres to the massive Goodyear Optitrac LSW1400/30R46, which features the company's proprietary Low Sidewall Technology.

"We are excited to expand our rights into new segments, as this positions us to serve our customers better and seize emerging market opportunities. Our research and product development teams are already working on new tyre designs incorporating innovative tyre technologies for the lawn and garden segment," said Paul Reitz, President & CEO of Titan International, Inc. "In addition to our newly acquired rights, we are reaffirming our commitment to the farm tyres segment, a vital part of our business."

Industry analysts note the expansion comes as demand for specialised off-highway tyres remains robust across construction, agriculture and recreational sectors despite broader economic headwinds.

Strategic growth initiative

The licensing expansion aligns with Titan's strategy to offer comprehensive wheel and tyre solutions across forestry, powersports, outdoor power equipment, agricultural, earthmoving, and light construction markets throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and Oceania.

The company did not disclose the financial terms of the licensing agreement with Goodyear.

Titan International has manufactured Goodyear-branded farm tyres since 2005, when it acquired Goodyear's North American farm tyre business. It has gradually expanded these rights to other regions, including Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, and Australia.

Targets International Expansion With Robust Fy25 Performance

CEAT Ltd, the RPG Group’s flagship tyre company, reported a capital outlay of INR 9–10 billion  for FY2025–26, keeping with its capacity expansion strategy and global integration. This follows a strong FY25 performance of record revenues and double-digit growth across segments despite headwinds in overseas markets.

The business ended FY25 with consolidated revenue of INR 132.18 billion, up 10.6 percent year on year, and Q4 revenue at INR34.21 billion, up 14.3 percent compared to the corresponding quarter previous year. The standalone full-year EBITDA was INR 15 billion, and the Q4 operating margins improved by more than 100 basis points sequentially at 11.5 percent.

"We incurred capex of INR 9.46 billion in FY25 and expect a similar investment of INR 9–1.0 billion in FY26," said Kumar Subbiah, Chief Financial Officer of CEAT. “Our focus will remain on expanding capacities, particularly at the Ambarnath and Chennai facilities, and funding the integration of the recently acquired Camso compact construction business.”

In FY25, CEAT depreciated assets amounting to INR11.40 billion. Much of its FY26 capex will also fund equipment modernisation and normal maintenance at its Sri Lankan operations under Camso, putting a cost estimate of INR1-1.25 billion a year over the next two years.

The Camso acquisition, which is effective from Q2 FY26, is likely to significantly enhance CEAT's global presence. "Integration work has started in full acceleration," said Arnab Banerjee, Managing Director and CEO. “Initial focus will be on customer retention and business continuity, with consolidation expected to double Camso’s current capacity utilisation over the medium term.”

Despite international uncertainties, CEAT renewed its medium-term global growth forecast. Exports are expected to form 25–26 percent of the revenue post-Camso integration. Turbulence still exists in Latin America and North America due to tariff policies and exchange rate weakness. CEAT, however, has reported consistent performance in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

CEAT also indicated a likely raw material cost stabilisation in Q1 FY26, potentially softening by Q2, to support its margin growth initiatives. The gross margin was 37.5 percent in Q4 FY25, and the target was above 40 percent in the near term.

Banerjee signaled ongoing activity in electrification, premiumisation, and digitalisation. "With our technology outlays and new product introductions, we are hopeful of sustaining 20–25 percent market share in electric vehicle segments," he asserted.

The debt levels of the company are under control. The gross debt as of 31 March 2025 was INR 19.28 billion with a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.3x and debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44x. Subbiah added that CEAT's strong cash generation will allow it to finance both organic and inorganic growth without materially diluting leverage metrics.

Black Swan Graphene Inc. (Black Swan) has appointed Jobin George as Technical Sales Manager for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region with immediate effect. This significant move, which supports Black Swan's worldwide commercial team as it promotes adoption of its graphene-enhanced products, follows Dan Roadcap’s appointment as Head of Technical Sales and Business Development.

George has an MBA from ICFAI University in India, a Post Graduate Diploma from the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology in India and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University, India. He brings with him more than 20 years of global expertise in project management, business development and technical sales. George has had positions at Sands International Plastics and Sojitz Corporation in the United Arab Emirates, as well as Aquapak Polymers and H-Pack Global Ltd.

Simon Marcotte, President and Chief Executive Officer, Black Swan Graphene, said, “The addition of Jobin to our commercial team marks another important milestone in our global expansion strategy. His international experience, particularly in the EMEA region, and his proven ability to translate technical capability into commercial success make him an ideal fit as we continue scaling our graphene business.”

George said, “Black Swan is positioned at the forefront of advanced materials innovation. The opportunity to contribute to the adoption of such a transformative technology across the EMEA region is tremendously exciting. I look forward to engaging with our existing customers and partners, along with exploring opportunities for new clients as well, to showcase the performance and value of Black Swan’s graphene solutions.”

The Tire Recycling Foundation (TRF), a joint initiative led by the U.S. Tire Manufacturers Association (USTMA) and the Tire Industry Association (TIA), has appointed Stephanie Mull as its Executive Director.

Mull will spearhead the organisation's initiatives to promote innovation and invest in the circular tyre economy, expand the market for end-of-life tyres and support studies to fill in the gaps in the sustainability and tyre recycling supply chain in her new role at TRF. Mull brings a wealth of experience in the sustainability field and a broad understanding of fleet management and decarbonisation, including converting fleets to electric and alternative fuel vehicles. In her role as PepsiCo's Sustainability Senior Manager, she oversaw major electrification projects, obtained grant money and spearheaded efforts to lower Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions throughout Pepsi and Frito-Lay's North American fleets. Mull oversaw the local government's efforts to upgrade municipal vehicles to greener technology and volunteered to help the Red Cross electrify its fleet.

Anne Forristall Luke, TRF Board President, said, “Stephanie Mull brings the passion, in-depth expertise and history of excellence that will drive TRF and its partners to achieve critical tyre recycling and reclamation milestones. We are thrilled to have her join the Foundation as we advance tyre sustainability while tackling the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

Mull said, “I’m honoured to join the Tire Recycling Foundation and support its sustainability mission to achieve 100 percent end-of-life tyre circularity. TRF is a vital nexus of expertise and leadership, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders in developing tyre recycling solutions that pave the way for a more sustainable future.” 

The Tire Recycling Foundation is dedicated to achieving 100 percent circularity for end-of-life tires by advancing innovation, building partnerships and supporting scalable recycling and reclamation solutions. Consisting of 15 global industry leaders with expertise in the manufacturing, recycling and transportation industries, TRF’s Board primarily focuses on the acceleration and adoption of emerging end-of-life tyre market technologies like rubber-modified asphalt (RMA).