AI-Induced Tyres Are Now the Future of the Industry

There is no doubt that we now live in an AI-led and induced world and the impact on the global tyre industry during the past few years has been very significant.

Therefore Tyre.Media has recently conducted its own intensive and exclusive survey to discover exactly how this huge innovative development has altered the way the tyre sector is operated and managed.

In fact, it would be true to state that artificial intelligence is now effectively driving the entire tyre value chain from manufacturing and quality control right through to workshop operations, diagnostics, supply chain optimisation and industry-wide standards. Since 2023, tyre producers, technology suppliers and various aftermarket operations have been working with AI.

Here is a detailed breakdown of the significant influence that AI is now having on the industry. In tyre manufacturing and quality control it is now central to tyre production by improving defect detection, material mixing, process control plus an increase in safety levels and reliability during production.

Also, all tyre manufacturers now adopt the use of AI because elastomeric materials are difficult to automate and it helps stabilise processes that were previously inconsistent. Plus, when it comes to tyre splicing, AI optimisation is delivering up to 150 additional tyres per machine on a daily basis significantly boosting output.

All these benefits have led to a higher consistency, fewer defects and efficient production which has reduced costs and improved overall tyre performance, and manufacturers are also implementing AI led techniques to streamline operations and reduce downtime.

When it comes to innovative tyre design, simulation and testing many leading international tyre brands are already working with AI to further accelerate research and development techniques and reduce physical prototyping. This provides faster development cycles, more sustainable testing and produces tyres ready to adapt to any road conditions.

Looking at tyre inspection in the aftermarket an increasing percentage of workshops and garages are turning to AI based systems that deliver instant diagnostics and provide full diagnostic reports within seconds, including tread depth and wheel alignment, which improve the utilisation of alignment equipment.

In fact, a growing number of garages and workshops now rely on the daily use of Smartphone based AI tread scanners and Drive-over inspection lanes for alignment recommendations and automated condition reports, leading to the prediction of likely component failures and the recommendation of repair paths including estimated labour times.

Also Tyre and automotive industry organisations are now formalising their own AI adoption frameworks including the Auto Care Association’s AI Working Group who are developing data standards and vendor-neutral guidelines to help aftermarket companies work with AI technology effectively. Incorporating areas including data readiness and strategy, predictive modelling, AI driven technician recruitment, parts design and regulatory compliance automation.

AI is also accelerating R&D in tyres along with virtual tyre simulation techniques resulting in tyre development cycles that are usually commenced over three to five years now can take effect within twelve to eighteen months

Moving on to the equally important areas of supply chain, logistics and demand forecasting. Tyre producers are working with AI to improve forecasting and distribution by assisting manufacturers and distributors optimise inventory and reduce shortages. Whilst AI enhanced logistics improve delivery times and reduce operational costs.

So, let’s look at what all these recent dependence on AI technology actually mean for the global tyre and aftermarket market sectors. Basically, the industry is shifting from hardware-centric to data-centric.

AI is now definitely reshaping every major aspect of the tyre and automotive industry with companies under pressure from rising e-commerce transparency and margin compression as it enables SKU level pricing and helps companies protect their margins in an ever-competitive market.

So where does the industry go from here and how will AI drive the industry further forward? The general opinion is that predictive tyre health will become mainstream by 2030 with vehicles able to report tread wear, pressure anomalies, heat cycles and driving style component predictions. This will shift tyre sales from reactive to predictive.

At the same time tyres will become ‘fully connected’ leading to AI driven warranty automation, predictive maintenance subscriptions, fully automated inspection lanes and AI guided technician training.

It’s obvious that the global tyre industry is now firmly in the grip of Artificial Intelligence and we are going to see many significant changes in the way tyres are manufactured, distributed, and safety regulated in the near future.