SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Dec. 24, 2024 – The University of Akron is bringing its renowned Tire Mechanics Short Course to Hannover, Germany, in 2025. Held concurrently with Tire Technology Expo 2025 at Deutsche Messe, this intensive four-day course offers engineers and scientists an in-depth exploration of the latest advancements in tire engineering.
Who Should Attend?
This course is designed for practicing engineers, chemists, and scientists with a Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent who work with tires and vehicles. Whether you're involved in tire design, manufacturing, testing, or research, this course will provide valuable insights and knowledge to enhance your expertise.
Expert Instruction and Comprehensive Materials
The course will be led by internationally recognized experts in tire mechanics, providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles and practical applications. Extensive course notes prepared by each instructor will be provided, along with a 700-page e-book, "The Pneumatic Tire," edited by Professors Gent and Walter. Upon completion, participants will receive a certificate from the University of Akron.
Course Fee
The course fee is €1,950 plus German VAT.
Program Schedule
Monday, March 3, 2025
- 09:00 – 09:30: Welcome and Introduction
- Dr. Xiaosheng Gao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering and Polymer Science, The University of Akron
- 09:30 – 16:30: Tire Components, Tire Compounds, and Tire Materials (Complimentary lunch 12:00-13:00)
- Dr. Annette Lechtenböhmer, Goodyear Innovation Center, Luxembourg (retired); Associate Editor, Tire Science and Technology Journal
- This lecture provides a comprehensive overview of tire components, compound requirements, and the use of materials in these compounds. It covers the connection between the role of components, compound properties, raw materials, curing processes, and final tire properties.
- Topics include:
- Components of a tire and their demands
- Tire compounds and materials (polymers, fillers, additives, sulfur, and curatives)
- Tire structures and composites (textile cords, wire, carcasses, beads, and belts)
- Processing (mixing, calendaring, extrusion)
- Tire building
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
- 08:30 – 16:00: The Tire as a Vehicle Component (Complimentary lunch 12:00-13:30)
- Dr. Gerald Potts, GRP Consulting, Akron, OH, USA
- Dr. James Cuttino, Presenter, Yokohama Corporation of North America, Cornelius, NC, USA
- This session explores the four primary functions of a pneumatic tire: supporting a moving load, generating steering forces, generating driving and braking forces, and providing isolation from road irregularities. It examines the tire's role in overall vehicle performance.
- Topics covered:
- Mechanics of force generation in the contact patch
- Tire performance (cornering and traction)
- Tire and vehicle dynamics
- Tire testing
- Overview of tire modeling
- 16:00 – 18:00: Visit to the Tire Technology Expo 2025 Exhibition
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
- 08:30 – 16:00: Impact of Rubber and Reinforcement Properties on Tire Footprint Mechanics (Complimentary lunch 12:00-13:30)
- Dr. Mahmoud Assaad, Global Tire Performance Prediction, Computational Mechanics, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, OH, USA (retired)
- This lecture examines how the viscoelastic behavior of rubber compounds and reinforcing cords influences tire footprint stability, contact pressure distribution, and force transmission.
- Topics discussed:
- Mechanical properties of rubber (elasticity, viscoelasticity, strength, Payne and Mullins effects, energy dissipation, strain energy release rate)
- Neural network-based constitutive model for rubber material
- Fibers and cords (load displacement, creep, stress relaxation, shrinkage)
- Impact of steel wires and polymeric cords on tire performance
- Tire transient force and moment response
- Footprint characteristics
- Cornering stiffness
- Tire applications (aging, electric resistance, pressure loss, post-cure inflation, digital twin technology, continuum damage mechanics)
- 16:00 – 18:00: Visit to the Tire Technology Expo 2025 Exhibition
Thursday, March 6, 2025
- 08:15 – 15:15: Virtual Tire Modeling for Improved Performance (Complimentary lunch 12:00-13:00)
- Dr. Ronald Kennedy, Center for Tire Research, The University of Akron and Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA (retired); Associate Editor of Tire Science and Technology Journal
- This session explores the use of simulations in virtual tire design processes, covering various modeling techniques, including finite element analysis (FEA), to predict and optimize tire performance.
- Topics covered:
- Tire load transfer, cord force, and tire shape mechanics
- Tire performance modeling methods (empirical, analytical, physically based numerical)
- Introduction to tire FEA
- Application of FEA to tire performance prediction (tire/road contact, rolling resistance, tread wear, durability, hydroplaning)
- 15:15 – 15:45: Course Evaluations and Distribution of Certificates
- Dr. Xiaosheng Gao, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Akron
Contact Information
For course information:
Dr. Xiaosheng Gao Department of Mechanical Engineering College of Engineering and Polymer Science The University of Akron Akron, OH 44325-3903, USA Tel: +1 330 972 2415 xgao@uakron.edu
For registration information:
Tim Sandford Conference Director, UKi Media & Events Parsonage House, Parsonage Square Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1UP, UK Tel: +44 1306 743744 Fax: +44 1306 877411 tim.sandford@ukimediaevents.com