Future of Tire Technology Conference and the Big Thing Theory

Oct. 10, 2013

In a little more than two weeks, the first Future of Tire Technology conference and exhibition will be held Oct. 28-30, 2013, at the Omni Hotel in Charlotte, N.C. The three-day event will be hosted by Smithers Rapra Inc.

All the sessions will center on how tire companies, suppliers and OEMs can balance innovation, regulatory requirements and cost concerns with consumer perception and actions.

There are two sessions on Monday, three on Tuesday and one on Wednesday. Here is an in-depth look at the second day’s sessions.

TUESDAY, OCT. 29

Session III: Industry Outlook and the "Next Big Thing"

What Consumer Satisfaction Actually Means to the Consumer. Speaker: Gene Petersen, tire program manager/Consumer Reports Automotive Test Center, Consumers Union.

Long Term Future of Tire Manufacturing. Speaker: Florian Fischer, director of business development, VMI Americas Inc.

How Raw Material Suppliers Adapt Their Developments to the Needs of Tire Manufacturers and Customers. Speaker: Richard Brooks, global automotive market manager, DuPont (E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.).

Session IV: The Sustainability Question

Technology Roadmap for Renewable Rubber Materials for Tires. Speaker: Dr. Tom Rosenmayer, vice president of technology, Lehigh Technologies Inc.

Addressing the Tire Industry's Sustainability Mandates. Speaker: Tom Redd, president, Reklaim Inc.

Session V: Advancements in Material Performance

SSBR and NdBR Development for Tire Tread. Speaker: Dr. Judy Douglas, technical marketing manager, Lanxess Corp.

Carbon Black Technology and Approaches Toward Ultimate Tire Rolling Resistance. Speaker: Dr. Charles Herd, director, RCB technology, Birla Carbon (Aditya Birla Group).

The Next Generation of Tire Cord Reinforcement: Enabling a New Standard in Performance. Speaker: Akash Abraham, business development - transportation market, Performance Fibers.

Effect of Cured Liner Gauge on Tire Performance. Speaker: R. Christopher Napier, elastomers applications engineer, global specialty polymers technology, ExxonMobil Chemical.

Extender Oils Role in Global Tire Labeling. Speaker: Jimmy Rasco, vice president - global base oil technology, Ergon Inc.

Thermal Modeling of Pneumatic Tires. Speaker: Dr. Mohammad Behroozi, technical specialist, Tire Testing and Modeling Department, Pratt & Miller Engineering.

Future Tires with Twaron p-Aramid: A Raw Material's Perspective. Speaker: Botond Szalma, business development manager, tire and elastomer reinforcements, Teijin Aramid USA

New Paradigm-shifting Technologies in Tire Design. Speaker: John Robinson Scott, inventor and owner, Cambertire LLC.

Here’s a quick look at days one and three, respectively.

Monday, Oct. 28

Session I: Setting the Stage by Exploring the Regulatory Landscape.

Session II: What the Tire Needs to Do for Us.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

Session VI: Component Level Tire Modeling.

The 2013 program was built to deliver relevant information and business opportunity to all sectors of the industry.

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are available. Modern Tire Dealer is a media sponsor. For more information about The Future of Tire Technology, visit www.futuretiretech.com.

Smithers Rapra, a Smithers Group company, is a global leader in rubber, plastics, polymer and composites testing, consulting and information products and events, with key focuses including the tire, industrial, transportation, consumer and medical industries. For more information, visit www.smithersrapra.com.