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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

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A tire (American English) or tyre (British English; see spelling differences) is a
ring-shaped vehicle component that covers the wheel's rim to protect it and
enable better vehicle performance. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and
bicycles, provide traction between the vehicle and the road while providing a
flexible cushion that absorbs shock.
The materials of modern pneumatic tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber,
fabric and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds. They
consist of a tread and a body. The tread provides traction while the body
provides containment for a quantity of compressed air. Before rubber was
developed, the first versions of tires were simply bands of metal fitted around
wooden wheels to prevent wear and tear. Early rubber tires were solid
(not pneumatic). Today, the majority of tires are pneumatic inflatable structures,
comprising a doughnut-shaped body of cords and wires encased in rubber and
generally filled with compressed air to form an inflatable cushion.
Pneumatic tires are used on many types of vehicles,
including cars, bicycles, motorcycles, buses, trucks, heavy equipment,
and aircraft.
Metal tires are still used on locomotives and railcars, and solid rubber (or other
polymer) tires are still used in various non-automotive applications, such as
some casters, carts, lawnmowers, and wheelbarrows.

Etymology and Spelling


The etymology of "tire" is that the word is a short form of "attire", and that a
wheel with a tire is a dressed wheel.
The spelling tyre does not appear until the 1840s when the English began shrink
fitting railway car wheels with malleable iron. Nevertheless, traditional
publishers continued using tire. The Times newspaper in Britain was still
using tire as late as 1905. The spelling tyre began to be commonly used in the
19th century for pneumatic tires in the UK. The 1911 edition of
the Encyclopdia Britannica states that "[t]he spelling 'tyre' is not now accepted
by the best English authorities, and is unrecognized in the
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US", while Fowler's Modern English Usage of 1926 says that "there is nothing
to be said for 'tyre', which is etymologically wrong, as well as needlessly
divergent from our own [sc. British] older & the present American usage".
However, over the course of the 20th century, tyre became established as the
standard British spelling.

History
The earliest tires were bands of leather,[6] then iron, (later steel), placed on
wooden wheels, used on carts and wagons. The tire would be heated in
a forge fire, placed over the wheel and quenched, causing the metal to contract
and fit tightly on the wheel. A skilled worker, known as a wheelwright, carried
out this work. The outer ring served to "tie" the wheel segments together for
use, providing also a wear-resistant surface to the perimeter of the wheel. The
word "tire" thus emerged as a variant spelling to refer to the metal bands used to
tie wheels.
The first patent for what appears to be a standard pneumatic tire appeared in
1847 lodged by the Scottish inventor Robert William Thomson. However, this
never went into production. The first practical pneumatic tire was made in 1888
on May Street, Belfast, by Scots-born John Boyd Dunlop, owner of one of
Ireland's most prosperous veterinary practices. It was an effort to prevent the
headaches of his 10-year-old son Johnnie, while riding his tricycle on rough
pavements. His doctor, John, later Sir John Fagan, had prescribed cycling as an
exercise for the boy, and was a regular visitor. Fagan participated in designing
the first pneumatic tires. In Dunlop's tire patent specification dated 31 October
1888, his interest is only in its use in cycles and light vehicles. In September
1890, he was made aware of an earlier development but the company kept the
information to itself.
In 1892, Dunlop's patent was declared invalid because of prior art by forgotten
fellow Scot Robert William Thomson of London (patents London 1845, France
1846, USA 1847), although Dunlop is credited with "realizing rubber could

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withstand the wear and tear of being a tire while retaining its resilience". [9] John
Boyd Dunlop and Harvey du Cros together worked through the ensuing
considerable difficulties. They employed inventor Charles Kingston Welch and
also acquired other rights and patents which allowed them some limited
protection of their Pneumatic Tyre business's position. Pneumatic Tyre would
become Dunlop Rubber and Dunlop Tyres. The development of this technology
hinged on myriad engineering advances, including the vulcanization of natural
rubber by Charles Goodyear in the United States and independently by Thomas
Hancock in Britain, and patented by each separately in 1844, as well as by the
development of the "clincher" rim for holding the tire in place laterally on the
wheel rim.
Synthetic rubbers were invented in the laboratories of Bayer in the 1920s.
In 1946, Michelin developed the radial tire method of construction. Michelin
had bought the bankrupt Citron automobile company in 1934, so it was able to
fit this new technology immediately. Because of its superiority in handling and
fuel economy, use of this technology quickly spread throughout Europe and
Asia. In the U.S., the outdated bias-ply tire construction persisted, with market
share of 87% as late as 1967. Delay was caused by tire and automobile
manufacturers in America "concerned about transition costs." In
1968, Consumer Reports, an influential American magazine, acknowledged the
superiority of radial construction, setting off a rapid decline in Michelin's
competitor technology. Even in the U.S., the radial tire now has a market share
of 100%. Today, over 1 billion tires are produced annually in over 400 tire
factories, see List of tire companies.

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Wheel support
There are two aspects to how pneumatic tires support the rim of the wheel on
which they are mounted. First, tension in the cords pull on the bead uniformly
around the wheel, except where it is reduced above the contact patch. Second,
the bead transfers that net force to the rim.
Air pressure, via the ply cords, exerts tensile force on the entire bead
surrounding the wheel rim on which the tire is mounted, pulling outward in a
360 degree pattern. Thus the bead must have high tensile strength. With no force
applied to the outer tread, the bead is pulled equally in all directions, thus no
additional net force is applied to the tire bead and wheel rim. However, when
the tread is pushed inward on one side, this releases some tension in the
corresponding sidewall ply pulling on the bead. Yet the sidewall ply on the other
side continues to pull the bead in the opposite direction. Thus the still fully
tensioned sidewall ply pulls the tire bead and wheel rim in the same direction as
the tread displacement with equal force as that applied to push the tread inward.
This sidewall ply to bead tension support was a big reason for older cross-ply
cord tire construction using the materials available in the early 19th century. The
cross-ply cord arrangement orients the cords to more directly support the bead
& wheel rim (like a sling: bead to cord and around below the tread back to the
opposite bead, both ways, thus crossing plies of cords). However, with
improved combinations of cord, bead, rim materials and manufacturing
techniques, combined with ongoing focus and research on tire efficiency and
durability, it became both feasible and desirable to manufacture radial-ply cord
tires, which, for many applications (despite higher costs), outperform and more
than outlast (reliable-usual-service-life/cost ratio) similar cross-ply cord tire
designs by (a) facilitating a flatter contact pattern with more evenly distributed
pressure on the momentarily stationary area of contact between tread & ground
and (b) lower operating costs over time: due to reduced tire temperature,
decreased rolling resistance, lower puncture rates, greater longevity, etc.

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Manufacturing
Pneumatic tires are manufactured in about 450 tire factories around the world.
Over one billion tires are manufactured annually, making the tire industry a
major consumer of natural rubber. It is estimated that by 2015, 1.72 billion tires
are expected to be sold globally. Tire production starts with bulk raw materials
such as rubber, carbon black, and chemicals and produces numerous specialized
components that are assembled and cured. Many kinds of rubber are used, the
most common being styrene-butadienecopolymer. The article Tire
manufacturing describes the components assembled to make a tire, the various
materials used, the manufacturing processes and machinery, and the overall
business model.
Styrene-butadiene copolymer (chemical structure pictured) is the most popular
material used in the production of rubber tires.
In 2004, $80 billion of tires were sold worldwide, in 2010 it was $140
billion (approximately 34% growth adjusting for inflation). In 2015, the US
manufactured almost 170 million tires.
The top five tire manufacturing companies by revenue
are Bridgestone, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, and Pirelli.

Materials
The materials of modern pneumatic tires can be divided into two groups, the
cords that make up the ply and the elastomer which encases them.

Cords
The cords, which form the ply and bead and provide the tensile strength
necessary to contain the inflation pressure, can be composed of steel, natural
fibers such as cotton or silk, or synthetic fibers such as nylon or kevlar.
Elastomer
The elastomer, which forms the tread and encases the cords to protect them
from abrasion and hold them in place, is a key component of pneumatic tire
design. It can be composed of various composites of rubber material the most
common being styrene-butadiene copolymer with other chemical compound
such as silica and carbon black.
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Rolling resistance
Optimizing rolling resistance in the elastomer material is a key challenge for
reducing fuel consumption in the transportation sector. It is estimated that
passenger vehicles consume approximately 5~15% of its fuel to overcome
rolling resistance, while the estimate is understood to be higher for heavy
trucks. However, there is a trade-off between rolling resistance and wet traction
and grip: while low rolling resistance can be achieved by reducing the
viscoelastic properties of the rubber compound (low tangent ()), it comes at the
cost of wet traction and grip, which requires hysteresis and energy dissipation
(high tangent ()). A low tangent () value at 60 C is used as an indicator of
low rolling resistance, while a high tangent () value at 0 C is used as an
indicator of high wet traction.[26] Designing an elastomer material that can
achieve both high wet traction and low rolling resistance is key in achieving
safety and fuel efficiency in the transportation sector.
The most common elastomer material used today is a styrene-butadiene
copolymer. It combines butadiene, which is a highly rubbery polymer (Tg =
-100 C) that has low hysteresis and thus offers good rolling resistance, with
styrene, which is a highly glass polymer (Tg = 100 C) that has high hysteresis
and thus offers good wet grip properties in addition to wear resistance.
Therefore, the ratio the two polymers in the styrene-butadiene copolymer is
considered key in determining the glass transition temperature of the material,
which is correlated to its grip and resistance properties.
Materials science research efforts are underway to improve such properties of
elastomers. For instance, this involves modifying the microstructure of the
copolymer (for instance, using solution styrene butadiene rubber (S-SBR) to
control the addition of vinyl butadiene units) as well as the macrostructure of
the polymer (such as the width of molecular weight distribution
(MWD)). Current investigation also involves looking at the functionalization of
the elastomer through the addition of filler materials such as silica and carbon

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black, as well as testing other nano-fillers such as nanocellulose crystals, carbon
nanotubes, and graphene.
Trialkoxymercaptoalkyl-silanes are a particularly interesting class
of silane bonding agents because of the advantages they afford in reducing both
rolling resistance and the emission of volatile substances.

Components
A tire carcass is composed of several parts: the tread, bead, sidewall, shoulder,
and ply.

Tread
The tread is the part of the tire that comes in contact with the road surface. The
portion that is in contact with the road at a given instant in time is the contact
patch. The tread is a thick rubber, or rubber/composite compound formulated to
provide an appropriate level of traction that does not wear away too quickly.
The tread pattern is characterized by the geometrical shape of the grooves,
lugs, voids and sipes. Grooves run circumferentially around the tire, and are
needed to channel away water. Lugs are that portion of the tread design that
contacts the road surface. Voids are spaces between lugs that allow the lugs to
flex and evacuate water. Tread patterns feature non-symmetrical (or non-
uniform) lug sizes circumferentially to minimize noise levels at discrete
frequencies. Sipes are valleys cut across the tire, usually perpendicular to the
grooves, which allow the water from the grooves to escape to the sides in an
effort to prevent hydroplaning.
Treads are often designed to meet specific product marketing positions. High-
performance tires have small void ratios to provide more rubber in contact with
the road for higher traction, but may be compounded with softer rubber that
provides better traction, but wears quickly. Mud and snow (M&S) tires are
designed with higher void ratios to channel away rain and mud, while providing
better gripping performance.

Tread lug

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Tread lugs provide the contact surface necessary to provide traction. As the
tread lug enters the road contact area, or footprint, it is compressed. As it rotates
through the footprint it is deformed circumferentially. As it exits the footprint, it
recovers to its original shape. During the deformation and recovery cycle the
tire exerts variable forces into the vehicle. These forces are described as Force
Variation.

Tread void
Tread voids provide space for the lug to flex and deform as it enters and exits
the footprint. Voids also provide channels for rainwater, mud, and snow to be
channeled away from the footprint. The void ratio is the void area of the tire
divided by the entire tread area. Low void areas have high contact area and
therefore higher traction on clean, dry pavement.

Rain groove
The rain groove is a design element of the tread pattern specifically arranged to
channel water away from the footprint. Rain grooves are circumferential in
most truck tires. Many high-performance passenger tires feature rain grooves
that are angled from the center toward the sides of the tire. Some tire
manufacturers claim that their tread pattern is designed to actively pump water
out from under the tire by the action of the tread flexing. This results in a
smoother ride in different types of weather.

Sipe
Tread lugs often feature small narrow voids, or sipes, that improve the
flexibility of the lug to deform as it traverses the footprint area. This
reduces shear stress in the lug and reduces heat build up. Testing of identical
siped and unsiped tires showed measurable improvements in snow traction and
ice braking performance, however diminishing and extending braking distances
on wet and dry pavement by a few feet on siped tires. Off-road tire enthusiasts
have been siping tires for years for greater traction, as many manufacturers now
offer already siped off-road-tires.

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Wear bar
Wear bars (or wear indicators) are raised features located at the bottom of the
tread grooves that indicate the tire has reached its wear limit. When the tread
lugs are worn to the point that the wear bars connect across the lugs, the tires
are fully worn and should be taken out of service. Most wear bars indicate a
remaining tread depth of 1.6 millimetres (0.063 in) and are tires are deemed
"worn out" when the tread is worn down to that point.

Bead
The tire bead is the part of the tire that contacts the rim on the wheel. The bead
is typically reinforced with steel wire and compounded of high strength, low
flexibility rubber. The bead seats tightly against the two rims on the wheel to
ensure that a tubeless tire holds air without leakage. The bead fit is tight to
ensure the tire does not shift circumferentially as the wheel rotates. The width of
the rim in relationship to the tire is a factor in the handling characteristics of an
automobile, because the rim supports the tire's profile.

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Sidewall
Uneven sidewall wear, down to fabric plies, due to significant under-inflation
The sidewall is that part of the tire that bridges between the tread and bead. The
sidewall is largely rubber but reinforced with fabric or steel cords that provide
for tensile strength and flexibility. The sidewall contains air pressure and
transmits the torque applied by the drive axle to the tread to create traction but
supports little of the weight of the vehicle, as is clear from the total collapse of
the tire when punctured. Sidewalls are molded with manufacturer-specific
detail, government mandated warning labels, and other consumer information,
and sometimes decorative ornamentation, like whitewalls or tire lettering.

Shoulder
The shoulder is that part of the tire at the edge of the tread as it makes transition
to the sidewall.

Ply
Plies are layers (of relatively inextensible cords embedded in the rubber to hold
its shape by preventing the rubber from stretching in response to the internal
pressure. The orientations of the plies play a large role in the performance of the
tire and is one of the main ways that tires are categorized.

Associated components
Several additional components may be required in addition to just the tire to
form a functional wheel.

Wheel
Tires are mounted onto wheels that most often have integral rims on their outer
edges to hold the tire. Automotive wheels are typically made from pressed and
welded steel, or a composite of lightweight metal alloys, such as aluminum or
magnesium. These alloy wheels may be either cast or forged. The mounted tire
and wheel assembly is then bolted to the vehicle's hub. A decorative hubcap and
trim ring may be placed over the wheel.

Rim

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The beads of the tire are held on the rim, or the "outer edge" of a wheel. These
outer edges are shaped to obtain a proper shape on each side, having a radially
cylindrical inclined inner wall on which the tire can be mounted. The wheel's
rim must be of the proper design and type to hold the bead of the appropriately
sized tire. Tires are mounted on the wheel by forcing its beads into the channel
formed by the wheel's inner and outer rims.

Inner tube
Most bicycle tires, many motorcycle tires, and many tires for large vehicles
such as buses, heavy trucks, and tractors are designed for use with inner tubes.
Inner tubes are torus-shaped balloons made from an impermeable material, such
as soft, elastic synthetic rubber, to prevent air leakage. The inner tubes are
inserted into the tire and inflated to retain air pressure.
Large inner tubes, which are large inflatable toruses, can be re-used for other
purposes, such as swimming and rafting (see swim ring), tubing
(recreation), sledding, and skitching. Purpose-built inflatable toruses are also
manufactured for these uses, offering choice of colors, fabric covering, handles,
decks, and other accessories, and eliminating the protruding valve stem.

Valve stem
The valve stem is a tube made of metal or rubber, through which the tire is
inflated, with a check valve, typically a Schrader valve on automobiles and most
bicycle tires, or a Presta valve on high-performance bicycles. Valve stems
usually protrude through the wheel for easy access. They mount directly to the
rim, in the case of tubeless tires, or are an integral part of the inner tube. The
rubber in valve stems eventually degrades, and, in the case of tubeless tires,
replacement of the valve stem at regular intervals or with tire replacement
reduces the chance of failure. Some may notice that their valve stem is all metal
with a nut retaining it (as opposed to the typical rubber stem with brass threads).
Most modern passenger vehicles are now required to have a tire pressure
monitoring system which usually consists of a valve stem attached to an

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electronic module. The module is hidden inside and is only visible when the tire
has been removed from the wheel.

Construction types
Radial tire technology is now the standard design for essentially all automotive
tires, but other methods have been used.

Bias
Bias tire (or cross ply) construction utilizes body ply cords that extend
diagonally from bead to bead, usually at angles in the range of 30 to 40 degrees,
with successive plies laid at opposing angles forming a crisscross pattern to
which the tread is applied. The design allows the entire tire body to flex easily,
providing the main advantage of this construction, a smooth ride on rough
surfaces. This cushioning characteristic also causes the major disadvantages of a
bias tire: increased rolling resistance and less control and traction at higher
speeds. This outdated technology is still made in limited quantities to supply
collector vehicles. It is possible to fit older cars with modern tires, if historical
authenticity is not paramount.

Belted bias
A belted bias tire starts with two or more bias-plies to which stabilizer belts are
bonded directly beneath the tread. This construction provides smoother ride that
is similar to the bias tire, while lessening rolling resistance because the belts
increase tread stiffness. The design was introduced by Armstrong, while
Goodyear made it popular with the "Polyglas" trademark tire featuring a
polyester carcass with belts of fiberglass. The "belted" tire starts two main plies
of polyester, rayon, or nylon annealed as in conventional tires, and then placed
on top are circumferential belts at different angles that improve performance
compared to non-belted bias tires. The belts may be fiberglass or steel. This
technology was a temporary, not invented here stop-gap, introduced by U.S.
manufacturers to forestall the radial tire.

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Radial
Radial tire construction utilizes body ply cords extending from the beads and
across the tread so that the cords are laid at approximately right angles to the
centerline of the tread, and parallel to each other, as well as stabilizer belts
directly beneath the tread. The belts may be cord or steel. The advantages of this
construction include longer tread life, better steering control, fewer blowouts,
improved fuel economy, and lower rolling resistance. Disadvantages of the
radial tire are a harder ride at low speeds on rough roads and in the context of
off-roading, decreased "self-cleaning" ability and lower grip ability at low
speeds.
Following the 1968 Consumer Reports announcement of the superiority of the
radial design, radials began an inexorable climb in market share, reaching 100%
of the North America market in the 1980s.

Solid
Many tires used in industrial and commercial applications are non-pneumatic,
and are manufactured from solid rubber and plastic compounds via molding
operations. Solid tires include those used for lawn mowers, skateboards, golf
carts, scooters, and many types of light industrial vehicles, carts, and trailers.
One of the most common applications for solid tires is for material handling
equipment (forklifts). Such tires are installed by means of a hydraulic tire press.

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Metal
Semi-pneumatic
Semi-pneumatic tires have a hollow center, but they are not pressurized. They
are light-weight, low-cost, puncture proof, and provide cushioning. These tires
often come as a complete assembly with the wheel and even integral ball
bearings. They are used on lawn mowers, wheelchairs, and wheelbarrows. They
can also be rugged, typically used in industrial applications, and are designed to
not pull off their rim under use.
Tires that are hollow but are not pressurized have also been designed for
automotive use, such as the Tweel (a portmanteau of tire and wheel), which is
an experimental tire design being developed at Michelin. The outer casing is
rubber as in ordinary radial tires, but the interior has special
compressible polyurethane springs to contribute to a comfortable ride. Besides
the impossibility of going flat, the tires are intended to combine the comfort
offered by higher-profile tires (with tall sidewalls) with the resistance to
cornering forces offered by low profile tires. They have not yet been delivered
for broad market use.

Airless
Tire pressure monitoring system
Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) are electronic systems that monitor
the tire pressures on individual wheels on a vehicle, and alert the driver when
the pressure goes below a warning limit. There are several types of designs to
monitor tire pressure. Some actually measure the air pressure, and some make
indirect measurements, such as gauging when the relative size of the tire
changes due to lower air pressure.

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Inflation pressure
Tires are specified by the vehicle manufacturer with a recommended inflation
pressure, which permits safe operation within the specified load rating and
vehicle loading. Most tires are stamped with a maximum pressure rating. For
passenger vehicles and light trucks, the tires should be inflated to what the
vehicle manufacturer recommends, which is usually located on a decal just
inside the driver's door or in the vehicle owners handbook. Tires should not
generally be inflated to the pressure on the sidewall; this is the maximum
pressure, rather than the recommended pressure.
Inflated tires naturally lose pressure over time. Not all tire-to-rim seals, valve-
stem-to-rim seals, and valve seals themselves are perfect. Furthermore, tires are
not completely impermeable to air, and so lose pressure over time naturally due
to diffusion of molecules through the rubber. Some drivers and stores inflate
tires with nitrogen (typically at 95% purity), instead of atmospheric air, which is
already 78% nitrogen, in an attempt to keep the tires at the proper inflation
pressure longer. The effectiveness of the use of nitrogen vs. air as a means to
reduce the rate of pressure loss is baseless, and has been shown to be a bogus
marketing gimmick. One study noted a 1.3 psi (9.0 kPa; 0.090 bar) difference
(from an initial pressure of 30 psi (210 kPa; 2.1 bar)) for air-filled vs. nitrogen-
filled tires. The test showed an average loss of 2.2 for the nitrogen filled tires
compared to 3.5 for the air filled tires. However, the statistical significance of
the test was not given as no t-test nor p values were reported. And they do note
that the loss in both the nitrogen filled tires and the air filled tires mean that tire
pressures should be checked regularly.
The tire contact patch is readily changed by both over- and underinflation.
Overinflation may increase the wear on the center contact patch, and
underinflation will cause a concave tread, resulting in less center contact,
though the overall contact patch will still be larger. Most modern tires will wear
evenly at high tire pressures, but will degrade prematurely if underinflated. An
increased tire pressure may decrease rolling resistance, and may also result in
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shorter stopping distances if tire pressure is too low, the tire contact patch is
greatly increased. This increases rolling resistance, tire flexing, and friction
between the road and tire. Under-inflation can lead to tire overheating,
premature tread wear, and tread separation in severe cases.

Load rating
Tires are specified by the manufacturer with a maximum load rating. Loads
exceeding the rating can result in unsafe conditions that can lead to steering
instability and even rupture. For a table of load ratings, see tire code.

Speed rating
The speed rating denotes the maximum speed at which a tire is designed to be
operated. For passenger vehicles these ratings range from 160 to 300 km/h (99.4
to 186 mph). For a table of speed ratings, see tire code.

Service rating
Tires (especially in the U.S.) are often given service ratings, mainly used on bus
and truck tires. Some ratings are for long haul, and some for stop-start multi-
drop type work. Tires designed to run 500 miles (800 km) or more per day
carrying heavy loads require special specifications.

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CHAPTER 2
COMPANY
PROFILE

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Madras Rubber Factory Limited, commonly known by the
abbreviation MRF, is an Indian multinational and the largest manufacturer
of tyres in India. It is headquartered in Chennai, India. The company
manufactures rubber products including tyres, treads, tubes and conveyor belts,
paints and toys. MRF also runs the MRF Pace Foundation, Chennai and MRF
Challenge in motorsport.

HISTORY
Madras Rubber Factory was started by K M Mathew as a toy balloon
manufacturing unit in 1946 at Tiruvottiyur, Madras (now Chennai). In 1952, the
company ventured into the manufacture of tread rubber. Madras Rubber Factory
limited was incorporated as a private company in November 1960 and ventured
into manufacture of tyres in partnership with Mansfield Tire & Rubber
company based in Ohio, United States. The company went public on 1 April
1961 and an office was established in Beirut, Lebanon to develop the export
market in 1964 and its current logo of the muscleman was born. In 1967, it
became the first Indian company to export tyres to USA.
In 1973, MRF started manufacturing Nylon tyres for the first time. The
Company entered into with a technical know-how collaboration
with B.FGoodrich in 1978. The Mansfield Tire & Rubber Co sold out its share
in 1979 and the name of the company was changed to MRF Ltd in the year. The
company finalized a technical collaboration agreement with Marangoni TRS
SPA, Italy for the manufacture of pre-cured tread rubber for retreading industry.
MRF tyres supplied tyres to Maruti 800, India's first modern small car. In 1989,
the company collaborated with Hasbro International United States, the world's
largest toy maker and launched Funskool India. Also, they entered into a pact
with Vapocure of Australia to manufacture polyurethane paint formulations and
with Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli for conveyor and elevator belt

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manufacture. During the year 2004-05, the product range of the company
expanded with Go-kart & rally tyres and tyres for two/three wheelers.

PRODUCTS

Tyres tyre manufactures various tyres for passenger cars, twowheelers,


trucks, buses, tractors, light commercial vehicles and offtheroad tyres. The
major products include MRF Nylogrip for bikes, MRF ZVTs and MRF
Wanderers for cars and SUVs, MRF Meteor all terrain tyres, MRF Steel
Muscle for trucks and buses.
Conveyor Belting manufactures its in-house brand of Muscleflex
conveyor belts.
Pretreads MRF has the most advanced pre-cured retreading system in
India. MRF forayed into retreading in 1970 and manufactures pretreads for
tyres.
Paints - manufactures polyurethane paint formulations and coats used in
automotive, decorative and industrial applications.
Cricket - MRF manufactures cricket bats, gloves, pads and other
accessories.

MANUFACTURING FACILITIES

The company has manufacturing facilities for tyres


at Kottayam in Kerala, Puduchery, Arakonam and trichy 2
plants Perambalur in Tamil Nadu, Medak in Telangana has two facilities one
recently opened. The company manufactures toys at its facility in Goa. The
paints and coats are manufactured at two facilities in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

FUNSKOOL

Funskool India was established in 1987 in collaboration with Hasbro toys, USA.
Funskool manufactures and markets toys, board games among others. It has a
manufacturing facility in Goa, India. The company has manufacturing licenses
for toys and games from Disney, Warner Brothers, Rummikub, Dora and IIT
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Bombay. Funskool also has partnerships with renowned toy
brands Hasbro, Lego, Hornby, Ravensburger, TomyToys, Leap
Frog, Siku, Jumbo and New Bright for manufacture and marketing in India.[7]

MOTORSPORTS

MRF Racing

MRF built its first Formula 3 car in 1997. MRF in collaboration


with Maruti established the Formula Maruti racing, a single-seater, open wheel
class motorsport racing event for race cars made in India. MRF Challenge is
a Formula 2000 open-wheel motorsport formula based series organized
by Madras Motor Sports Club in association with MRF. The latest
season consisted of races organized at Madras Motor Racing Track,
Chennai, Bahrain International Circuit, Losail International Circuit,
Doha and Buddh International Circuit, Noida. Freddie Hunt, son
of 1976 Formula One champion James Hunt and Mathias Lauda, son
of 1975, 1977 and 1984 Formula One champion Niki Lauda both competed in
the series. MRF has sponsored Indian racing drivers including Narain
Karthikeyan, Karun Chandok, Ashwin Sundar, N. Leelakrishnan and Raj
Bharath.

MRF RALLY TEAM

MRF have also been a long-running sponsor of MRF rally team participating
in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and Indian National Rally Championship.
Associating with Czech car manufacturer koda, MRF Skoda is the three time
reigning champion in Asia-Pacific Rally Championship with Chris
Atkinson winning in 2012, Gaurav Gill in 2013 and Jan Kopeck in 2014. MRF
also participates in Raid De Himalaya, the world's highest rally.

MRF MOTOCROSS

21
MRF promotes a national motocross championship, a form of all-terrain two
wheeler racing held on enclosed off-road circuits annually across several cities.

MRF Karting

MRF sponsors major karting championships in India. MRF is the first Indian
tyre company to develop FIA approved karting tyres.

CRICKET

MRF Pace Foundation is a coaching clinic for training fast bowlers established
by MRF with the help of former Australian pace spearhead Dennis
Lillee in Chennai, India. Through this program, young aspiring fast bowlers are
trained in a special facility. Fast bowlers who trained with foundation and went
on to represent the Indian Cricket Team include Javagal Srinath, Irfan
Pathan, Munaf Patel, Venkatesh Prasad, R. P. Singh, Zaheer Khan and S
Sreesanth. Besides Indian players, foreign players like Chaminda Vaas, Henry
Olonga, Heath Streak and Australian fast bowlers Glenn McGrath, Mitchell
Johnson and Brett Lee have also trained at the foundation. Sachin Tendulkar in
his early days trained in the MRF Pace Foundation to become a fast
bowler. Glenn McGrath was appointed director of the Foundation on 2
September 2012, replacing Dennis Lillee, who has held the post since its
inception in 1987.

ENDORSEMENT

MRF had been the bat sponsor for many greats of the game. Batting
legends Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Steve Waugh have endorsed MRF
and have reached milestones in their respective careers with MRF bats. MRF
has also sponsored Indian batsmen Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir and Sanju

22
Samson. Currently MRF is endorsed by star batsmen Shikhar Dhawan, Virat
Kohli and AB de Villiers.

SPONSORSHIP
At IPL 2010, MRF sponsored moored balloons floating above the cricket
grounds with a high-definition camera recording live actions of the cricket
match. MRF joined as a global partner of International Cricket Council for 2015
Cricket World Cup.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

MRF won the JD Power Award for the record 11th time in 2014. The company
has won several awards and accolades including the All India Rubber Industries
Association's (AIRIA) award for 'Highest Export Awards (Auto Tyre Sector)',
'Top Export Award' from Chemicals & Allied Products Export Promotion
Council (CAPEXIL) for 2009-10. In 2014, MRF was ranked 48th among India's
most trusted brands according to the Brand Trust Report, a study conducted by
Trust Research Advisory.

23
MARKET PLAYERS

Indian % International %
MRF 22.00% Michelin 20.01%
Apollo 20.00% Brighestone 18.04%
JK Tyres 19.00% Goodyear 16.09%
Ceat 16.00%
Birla 7.00%
Goodyear 6.00%

BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION
Bridgestone Corporation is a multinational auto and truck parts manufacturer
founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.
The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition
of ishibashi, meaning "stone bridge" in Japanese.
As of 2015, the company is the largest manufacturer of tires in the world,
slightly ahead of Michelin.
Bridgestone Group had 141 production facilities in 24 countries as of 2005.

HISTORY

The very first Bridgestone tire was produced on 9 April 1930, by the Japanese
"Tabi" Socks Tyre Division (actually made jika-tabi). One year later on 1 March
1931, the founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, made the "Tabi" Socks Tyre Division
independent and established the Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. in the city of
Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. "Bridgestone" was named after the name of the
founder, Shojiro Ishibashi (Ishi = Stone, Bashi = Bridge).
Foregoing dependence on European and North American technology, the
Bridgestone Tire Co., Ltd. set its eyes on manufacturing tires based largely on
Japanese technology. The fledgling company experienced many difficulties in
the areas of technology, production, and sales in the early days. Eventually,

24
improvements were achieved in quality and manufacturing processes which led
to the business rapidly expanding in domestic and overseas markets.

Challenges during and after World War II

Wartime regulations were in effect throughout Japan, and tires also came under
the jurisdiction of these regulations. This resulted in nearly all of the company's
output being used to satisfy military demand. 1945 saw the end of armed
conflict, but the company was devastated by the war. The Tokyo headquarters
was destroyed during an aerial bombing raid, and all overseas assets were lost.
Fortunately, the plants in Kurume and Yokohama escaped unscathed, and
production was able to resume immediately after the war ended. Brushing aside
the problems caused by a labour union strike that lasted for forty-six days, the
foundations of the company were further reinforced after this.

After World War II Bridgestone started manufacturing motorcycles, but its main
income was from supplying tires to its rival motorcycle makers such
as Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha and it was later decided to cease motorcycle
manufacturing.

Technological innovation

In 1951, Bridgestone was the first company in Japan to begin selling rayon cord
tires, and a five-year project to modernize production facilities was started. This
year also saw another Bridgestone building opened in Kybashi, Tokyo, which
contained the Bridgestone Museum. Sales surpassed ten billion yen in 1953,
placing Bridgestone at the top of the tire industry in Japan, and celebrations
were held to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the company's foundation in
Kurume.
The sale of nylon tires was started in 1959, and work forged ahead with the
construction of the new Tokyo plant, which was opened in 1960, in order to
cope with the fast-expanding market for motorization.

25
RADIAL TIRES AND OVERSEAS EXPANSION

The company issued stock shares and was listed on the stock exchange in 1961.
A new system of administration was ushered in by Shojiro Ishibashi as the
chairman, and Kanichiro Ishibashi as the president. As part of the transition
across to administrative reform, the Deming Plan in honour of W. Edwards
Deming, which involves overall quality control activities, was adopted, and the
company was awarded the prestigious Deming Prize in 1968. Also, additions
were built onto the Tokyo plant in 1962 to house the new Technical Centre, and
a progressive system of research and development was established. On the
product front, 1967 saw the sale of the company's first ever radial tire, the
RD10.
Bridgestone's first overseas plant since the end of the war was opened in
Singapore in 1965, and production was also commenced in Thailand in 1969.
The 1960s for Bridgestone was an era of overseas expansion that also included
the establishment of Bridgestone America in the United States in 1967 to act as
Bridgestone's USA representative sales branch.
At the start of the period of Japan's economic stagnation, brought about by the
first oil shock, the company was placing even more emphasis on establishing its
own technology for the manufacture of radial tires, and it was also at this time
that further domestic plants were constructed and fitted out. Its Super Filler
Radial was placed on the market in 1978, and in 1979 the company introduced
the high-performance POTENZA radial tire, from an Italian word for power.
The company was actively engaged in overseas expansion activities at this time.
In addition to starting up production in Indonesia and Iran in 1976, it also
invested in a Taiwan tire manufacturer and purchased a tire plant and a plant for
diversified products in Australia in 1980. The founder, Shojiro Ishibashi, died
on 11 September 1976.
On 1 March 1981, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary. At the same
time, the company initiated activities to strengthen its home base that supported

26
overseas expansion strategy with the aim of being ranked as one of the world's
top three manufacturers of rubber products. New production facilities were also
established in Thailand, India, Poland, China, the United States and other
countries. The company changed the name from Bridgestone Tyre Co., Ltd. to
Bridgestone Corporation in 1984.

FIRESTONE PURCHASE

In 1988, Bridgestone purchased the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of


Akron, Ohio. Placing considerable financial and personnel resources into
rebuilding Firestone after the purchase, Bridgestone achieved surplus annual
profits for the year 1992 with BFE (Bridgestone Firestone Europe) and again in
1993 with BFS (Bridgestone Firestone USA). The Firestone Tire and Rubber
Company and Bridgestone Tire Company Ltd USA were amalgamated in 1990
and became "Bridgestone Firestone North American Holdings Ltd". The North
American subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation is now named Bridgestone
Americas, Inc. The tire division is Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC.
Bridgestone Americas opened a $100 million technical center in Akron in 2012.

27
MARKET DRIVERS: INDIA

Robust growth rate in all vehicular segments over last 5 years


Improved capacity utilization by all major manufacturers (>80%)
Decrease in custom and excise duties to nullify increase in raw Material
costs and increases OPM
Low labour cost: partially offset by low productivity
Improved credit profile and loan serviceability

MARKET CHALLENGES: INDIA

The Radicalization challenge- Radial vs. Cross ply Tyres Global average-
65% India -2%

SCOPE AND CHALLENGES

Industry poised for a very good growth rate


More J.Vs with world market leaders- better technical Know-how and
quality
Growth in automobile sector cumulative effect on Tyre industry
Increasing trend in capacity utilization better output
New and uncharted territories as export markets.
Increasing productivity both labour and machinery
Competition from other developing markets
Increasing raw material costs will effect OPM

28
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY

29
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS:
Profit earning has become one of the important objectives of each and every
company.
It is very easy to attract new customers but retaining old customer is to
difficulty only the satisfied customer will remain loyal to the firm brands.
A person enters a showroom when he wants to purchase tyres, but before
purchasing tyres he consults so many persons about tyre. Like about price,
quality, service etc, and then he make decision to purchase.
If he finds any problem with tyres, he may change his positive attitude into
negative attitude towards tyres given by the showroom.
Considering, all above points, I have decided To study the Customers
Satisfaction towards MRF Tyres in Dharmashala.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:


A customer is not dependent on us we are dependent on customer , this
statement is basis thing for every firm or service sector.
Objectives are:

1. To know the customer satisfaction towards MRF tyres as compare to its


competitors in Dharamshala city.
2. To know the attributes which creates customer satisfaction among MRF
tyre users in Dharamshala.
3. To know valuable suggestion form the customer.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY:


The study is purely based on the survey conducted in Dharamshala city
and has focused on customers. The study covers the information about the mind
set which may varies from situation & where the respondents may not be able to
give required and accurate information.

30
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
To achieve the stated objective a survey was conducted at Dharamshala
city regarding Customer Satisfaction towards MRF Tyres.

Primary Data:
Primary data is collected by the random sampling method. Here we have
randomly interviewed 100 customers through Questionnaire and personal
interview and collected the primary data.

Secondary Data:
These are generally published sources which have been collected originally for
some other purpose, they are not gathered specially to achieve the objectives of
the particular research project hands but already assembled.

Survey Techniques:
Once the researcher has decided to use survey method for collecting data he has
to make a decision to adopt any one of the following survey techniques.
1. personal interview
2. Questionnaire

QUESTIONNAIRE
It is the most commonly used instrument in collecting primary data. A
questionnaire consisting of set of questions presented to a respondent for his/her
answer. The questionnaire is very flexible in the sense that there are many ways
to ask questions.

Data Collection:
Method used to collect data for the study was through survey. Survey is a
systematic collection of information directly from the respondents; survey was
through personal interview which involves collection of data through face to
face communication with the help of questionnaire.
Method of Sampling:
Dharmashala city has a huge population and each persons opinion cannot
be collected. So the respondents were chosen randomly in Dharamshala city.

Sample Size:

31
Sample size for the study consisted of 100 persons residing in
Dharamshala city. Among them only some of them responded and others
rejected to respond as they were not interested.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

1. Due to respondents busy schedules, the interests shown by respondents to


answer the questionnaire may be less. This may have resulted in collecting
inaccurate information.
2. Due to time and cost constraint the sample size selected is 100.
3. The selected sample size is small as compared to the total number of
customers. Hence the obtained result may not be accurate as it may not
represent the whole population.
4. The project is open for further improvement of the work.

32
CHAPTER 4
DATA ANALYSIS
AND
INTERPRETATION

33
Q1. Which factors motivated you to purchase MRF Tyres?

Responses No. of Respondents


Friends 30
Brand Image 25
Advertisement 15
Relatives 10
Self-Decision 20
Other 00
Total 100
Friends Brand Image Advertisement
Relatives Self-Decision Other

20.00%
30.00%

10.00%

15.00%
25.00%

Interpretation:
30% respondents say that they are motivated by the friends to purchase MRF
Tyres. 25% respondents say that they are motivated by Brand Image of MRF
Tyres. 20% respondents have purchased MRF Tyres by their own decision.

34
Q2. The following table shows the level of satisfaction of customer
need/purpose of purchasing MRF Tyres?

Responses No. of Respondents


Fully Satisfied 46
Satisfied 34
Dissatisfied 15
Fully Dissatisfied 05
Total 100
Fully Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Fully Dissatisfied

15.00% 5.00%

46.00%

34.00%

Interpretation:
46% of the respondents are fully satisfied with their purchase of MRF Tyres.
34% of the respondents are satisfied with their decision. 15% respondents are
dissastified by their buying decision. 5% respondents are highly dissatisfied by
their decision.

35
Q3. As compare to other tyres the MRF Tyres are rated as below:
A) Price of Tyres

Responses No. of Respondents


Strongly Satisfied 30
Satisfied 32
Not Satisfied 20
Fully Not Satisfied 18
Total 100

Strongly Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied Fully Not Satisfied

18.00%

30.00%

20.00%

32.00%

Interpretation:
32% respondents are satisfied with the price of MRF tyres. 30% respondents
are strongly satisfied with the price of MRF tyres. 20% respondents are not
satisfied with the price of MRF tyres. 18% respondents are fully not satisfied
with the price.

36
Q3(B). Quality of Tyres

Responses No. of Respondents


Strongly Satisfied 46
Satisfied 30
Not Satisfied 16
Fully Not Satisfied 08
Total 100
Strongly Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied Fully Not Satisfied

8.00%

16.00%

46.00%

30.00%

Interpretation:
46% of the respondents are strongly satisfied with the quality of the tyres. 30%
of the respondents are satisfied with the quality of the tyres. 16% of the
respondents are not satisfied with the quality of the product. 8% of the
respondents are fully not satisfied with quality.

37
Q3 (c) Durability of Tyres

Responses No. of Respondents


Strongly Satisfied 46
Satisfied 32
Not Satisfied 14
Fully Not satisfied 08
Total 100
Strongly Satisfied Satisfied Not Satisfied Fully Not satisfied

8.00%

14.00%

46.00%

32.00%

Interpretation:
46% of the respondents are strongly satisfied with durability of tyres. 32% of
the respondents are satisfied with the durability of tyres. 14% respondents are
not satisfied with the durability and 8% respondents are fully dissatisfied with
the durability of the tyres.

38
Q4. The following tables show why customer prefers MRF Tyres.

Responses No. of Respondents


Quality 38
Price 24
Service 16
Durability 22
Total 100
Quality Price Service Durability

22.00%

38.00%

16.00%

24.00%

Interpretation:
38% respondents prefer the MRF tyres due to the quality and 24% respondents
prefer the MRF tyres due to its price. 22% respondents prefer the MRF tyres
due to its durability and 16% respondents prefer the service.

39
Q5. The following table shows the problems faced by consumers while
purchasing MRF Tyres.

Responses No. of Respondents


Lack of Information 32
Non Co-operation of show room people 08
Delay 16
No problem 44
Total 100

Lack of Information; 32.00%

No problem; 44.00%

Non Co-operation of show room people; 8.00%

Delay; 16.00%

Interpretation:
44% respondents say that they face no problem while purchasing MRF tyres.
16% respondents say that they face the problem of delay. Only 8% respondents
feel non cooperative behavior of showroom employees. 32% respondents feel
that the representatives have lack of information about the products of MRF
Tyres.

40
Q6. What is your preferable tyre brand?

Responses No. of Respondents


MRF 30
JK Tyres 15
Bridgestone 25
Ceat Tyres 10
Apollo 15
Miclines 05
Total 100

MRF JK Tyres Bridgestone


Ceat Tyres Apollo Miclines

15.00% 5.00%
30.00%

10.00%

15.00%
25.00%

Interpretation:

30% respondents prefer MRF Tyres. 25% respondents prefer Bridgestone tyres.
15% respondents prefer J.K. Tyres and Appollo Tyres. 10% respondents prefer
ceat tyres. Only 5% respondents prefer miclines tyres.

41
CHAPTER 5
FINDINGS &
SUGGESTIONS

42
FINDINGS

According to the study I, conclude that the MRF TYRES Company satisfies the
customer need and the purpose, but only problem is with the service given to
the customers by the showroom. So, as per study in my opinion based on project
I can say that MRF TYRES should think about the service provided by
showrooms in order to capture the maximum market segment.

According to Dharamshala city the market is vast almost the whole district
customers and other new people purchase the MRF Tyres because it is old brand
running tyres in market. Almost people demands the MRF Tyres comparing to
other company tyres.

Company provide more advertisement and always keep customers need with
development of MRF Tyres.

40% of customers have purchased on there own decision. They have


decision on the basis of experience and some customers have taken after
making comparison with other tyres. Hence it reveals that customers are
satisfied with MRF TYRES

Majority of customers means 46% are satisfied with the fulfillment of


their need/purpose.

Only 32% of customers are fully satisfied with price of the tyres about
21% are not satisfied and 14% of customers are fully not satisfied with
the price.

About 46% of customers are fully satisfied,30% of customers are only


just satisfied and 16% are not satisfied with the quality.

43
About 46% of customers are satisfied with durability of tyres, and 14%
are not satisfied with durability.

About 42% of customers are fully satisfied with the performance of the
tyres, and only 14% are dissatisfied.

The customers are having a very good opinion about the MRF TYERES
about 28% are strongly satisfied with its performance, and only 17% are
not satisfied with performance.

The customers are having very good opinion about the behavior of
showroom people about 44% of customers are saying they are friendly
and only 13% are dont know.

The service charges are very reasonable in the view of about 43% of
customers and about 11% of customers believe that the service charges
are costly.

Majority of customers are fully satisfied with the MRF TYRES

44
SUGGESTIONS

Showroom must recruit well qualified and skilled labours that care about
the customer. It will abolish the problem of unskilled and poor quality
service.

Showroom employees and workers should maintain friendly relation with


every customer.

Showroom should provide the remolding system to the existing


customers.

The company should reduce the price of there products.

Improve the distribution network and make available the products in


needed time of customers.

Company always keeps some prizes and gifts to attract the customers.

The products should advertise in the Regional TV channels and in leading


newspaper must.

45

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