Bridgestone’s revolutionary MasterCore OTR tyres launched
- By TT news
- August 10, 2020
Bridgestone’s revolutionary MasterCore off-the-road (OTR) tyre line, which is engineered for ultra-high durability with the performance that can be customized to various mine sites and operations, has been introduced.
The new giant mining tyre line is launching initially with 63-inch tyre with additional patterns and sizes available to customers in 2021.
"After many years of global product development that produced advances in engineering, chemistry and material science, we are excited to introduce the MasterCore brand to mining customers all over the world," said Tomohiro Kusano, Vice President and Senior Officer, Responsible for G-MAA (Mining, Aircraft, Agriculture) Solutions Business, Bridgestone Corporation. "Each mine site is unique and requires a custom tire solution that enables operators to improve efficiency. Our MasterCore offering sets a new standard for off-the-road tire performance as we strive to achieve Dan-Totsu - our vision to be a clear and absolute industry leader."
About MasterCore Technology
Below are key features of MasterCore tyres:
- An industry first, MasterCore tyres are engineered with steel cord that features Metal Surface Coating Technology for improved adhesion between the rubber and steel cord, delivering better durability.
- MasterCore tyres utilize proprietary anti-rust steel cord developed and manufactured by Bridgestone for added moisture resistance that improves durability.
- Designed with new rubber compounds for improved crack propagation, MasterCore tyres have an enhanced casing for more dependable performance.
- MasterCore tyes have new patterns and features that reduce tire operating temperature for better performance.
The Japanese company said MasterCore tyres can be designed for customised performance and for a number of performance attributes including faster speeds, increased payload and maximized uptime. Bridgestone began testing MasterCore tyres with select customers last year and performance has exceeded customer expectations.
Bridgestone is developing advanced mining solutions to meet customer needs and deliver social value. The company's mining solutions offering includes Dan-Totsu (clear and absolute leader) products such as MasterCore, best-in-class service delivered by Bridgestone solutions engineers who are experts in mining tyres, mining solutions centers and the company's iTrack solutions business.
Bridgestone is leveraging its solutions business to improve resource productivity by combining the real and digital worlds to deliver integrated products, services and servicing networks that utilize tyre and mobility data.
In addition, by continuously feeding back data and knowledge obtained by the company's solutions offering, Bridgestone will further improve its product portfolio, expand its service offering and strengthen the company's tyre wear and durability prediction technology. This will enable Bridgestone to continue to provide even greater value to society and customers.
Yokohama Rubber has established a new research and development centre in Hangzhou, China, as the Japanese tyre maker seeks to strengthen localised product development and speed up response times in the Chinese market.
The new facility, named Yokohama China Technical Center, began operations in May within the company’s new passenger car tyre plant in Hangzhou, which started production in November 2025.
The company said the centre would enable the local development of products specifically for the Chinese market, from initial research through to completion, helping to accelerate product launches and improve responsiveness to regional demand.
The centre will consolidate R&D functions for Yokohama Rubber’s tyre and multiple business divisions in China, while expanding engineering staff and testing facilities. Its activities will include tyre development, raw material analysis and evaluation, supplier audits, and mould drawing preparation.
Yokohama Rubber said the new operation would also support research into new raw materials and the development of local suppliers in China.
The company currently operates tyre plants in Hangzhou and Suzhou, alongside multiple business plants in Hangzhou and Weifang.
Aarika Innovation Launches KoolWheel Tyre Cooling System
- By TT News
- May 07, 2026
Chhattisgarh-based technology company Aarika Innovation has introduced KoolWheel, an automated tyre water spray cooling system manufactured in India.
The product is designed for freight vehicles and school buses to manage tyre overheating caused by road surface temperatures.
The system uses IR (infrared) temperature sensors, a 5-bar pump and solenoid valves to spray a mist on tyres when temperatures exceed a threshold. The hardware operates on a 12V setup and includes a controller that requires no driver intervention. Dashboard indicators and buzzers provide alerts regarding system status and temperature levels.
The company has introduced two variants of the product for KoolWheel Freight, which is designed for trucks, trailers and multi-axle vehicles, covering up to 22 tyres across six axles. And KoolWheel SchoolSafe, which is developed for school buses and coaches, featuring a 50-litre stainless steel tank and an automatic shutoff to prevent battery drain.
The company states the system can reduce tyre temperatures by up to 25deg Celsius and extend tyre life by up to 35 percent. The technology is intended to reduce the risk of blowouts and maintenance costs for fleet operators. The product is currently available in markets including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
Swayam Agarwal, Founder, Aarika Innovation, said, “KoolWheel has been created to solve a very real problem faced by Indian transporters and school bus operators every day. Tyre overheating is not just a maintenance issue; it directly impacts road safety, operating costs, and fleet reliability. With KoolWheel, our aim is to offer an affordable, intelligent, and Made-in-India solution that helps fleets run safer, longer, and more efficiently.”
Pirelli Commences Cyber Tyre Production In Georgia
- By TT News
- May 07, 2026
European tyre major Pirelli is starting production of its Cyber Tyre technology at its plant in Georgia. The facility produces tyres for the US market, including products for the motorsport segment.
The announcement occurred during the SelectUSA Investment Summit. Cyber Tyre is a system that collects data from sensors embedded in tyres. This data is processed through software and algorithms to communicate with vehicle electronics. The system is intended to integrate with driving systems to provide functionalities for mobility and safety.
Pirelli is also introducing the Modular Integrated Robotised System (MIRS) at the factory. This manufacturing process uses robots to manage productivity and quality. The system creates a link between product design and application. This update is intended to increase the production capacity of the site.
The Georgia plant has operated for over two decades and includes a research and development centre. The facility uses natural rubber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
Claudio Zanardo, CEO of Pirelli North America, said, “The start of Cyber Tyre production in our Rome, Georgia plant is a significant milestone for Pirelli in this country. It reflects our commitment to bringing advanced technologies like Cyber Tyre closer to the market, further strengthening our industrial footprint and innovation capabilities in the United States.”
Yokohama Rubber Deploys AI And Simulation-Based Mould Design System
- By TT News
- May 04, 2026
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. developed a proprietary tyre mould design support system in April 2026, integrating finite element method (FEM) simulations and the company’s own artificial intelligence technology. This new tool is designed to augment the expertise of development personnel, enabling even less experienced staff to efficiently design moulds. It achieves this by providing data derived from numerous virtual experiments, which clarify how different mould design factors influence tyre characteristics.
The system accelerates mould development, lowers costs and minimises the rework typically associated with realising new designs. Furthermore, by fostering a multi-perspective understanding of the links between mould design elements and tyre performance, the tool equips Yokohama Rubber’s developers with fresh insights. These discoveries are expected to aid in creating tyres capable of achieving higher performance levels.
Developed under Yokohama Rubber’s HAICoLab AI concept launched in October 2020, the system addresses longstanding challenges. Mould design critically affects tyre traits, but traditionally understanding this relationship required expensive, time-consuming trial production and evaluations. The process also depended heavily on the tacit know-how of highly experienced staff, leading to variations in accuracy and development time based on individual expertise.
The support system resolves these issues through automated simulations and AI-based prediction and visualisation. It first generates numerous tyre FEM models with varied mould shapes and calculates their characteristics in a virtual space. These results train an AI surrogate model that instantly predicts design factor-performance relationships. By applying explainable AI technologies like SHAP and Partial Dependence Plots, the company’s developers can quantitatively visualise each factor’s impact, easily determining necessary adjustments to achieve targeted tyre characteristics.
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