As vehicles become more complex, original equipment (OE) tire development has expanded into an even more multi-layered engineering process.

Tire manufacturers collaborate on OE tire projects with automakers, requiring teams to work together to meet a full range of performance and safety targets.

Nexen Tire America views collaboration with carmakers as a “co-engineering process.”

The company’s engineering teams work in parallel with vehicle manufacturers to integrate advanced development cycles and design tires using sophisticated technologies and tools.

“Today’s OE tire is not an off-the-shelf component,” says Aaron Neumann, head of Nexen Tire’s American Technical Center. “It’s being engineered as part of the total vehicle system. 

“Every element of the tire is tuned to meet OE-specific targets for safety, handling and fuel economy, plus an expanding set of electric vehicle (EV)-specific criteria, including rolling resistance for range and tire noise reduction.”

Nexen is leveraging its use of simulation and modeling technologies, “including finite element analysis (FEA) and data-driven tire modeling,” which helps its engineers assess performance early in the new tire development cycle and streamline the prototyping stages.

From lists to life

Neumann, who joined Nexen in 2011 and has held various OE project management and development roles within the company, says the tiremaker’s OE tire development process begins with a list of performance targets that the automaker envisions. From there, early designing stages are very collaborative and typically begin by trading virtual models.

The next level is an “iterative process” and can include working on virtual and physical models side-by-side with the carmaker. 

Communication between the companies usually includes trading data, coordinating testing and reviewing those test results together.

Historically, one of the big changes in vehicle manufacturers’ involvement in OE tire development came after the Ford/Firestone recall in 2000, where Ford Motor Co. eventually made an effort to become more involved in the manufacturing process of tires, according to Neumann.

“We work engineer-to-engineer. We work with transparency, we give them lots of data and we’re very honest about what the big picture is in the development.”

Designing in the digital age

Nexen is leveraging digital tools, such as FEA, that “use computing power to predict performance,” offering elements such as estimates of stiffness, footprint shape, rolling resistance and even certain handling metrics, like cornering stiffness.

A relatively new system called X-AI allows Nexen to house a mass database of all its testing results and use millions of test data points from nearly 200,000 tire specs gathered over the past 15 years, according to Neumann. 

The advanced computing power and machine learning of X-AI lets Nexen access and experiment with the data to predict tire performance for all its experimental models.

When it comes to EVs, Nexen’s strategy is to incorporate new technology in its EV-compatible tires for use on all types of vehicles.

“Our technical focus for those products is really improving treadwear,” says Neumann. 

“I want to see a 20% improvement in all our tires across all our ranges. 

“I just made a new compound development request for our next generation of Roadian HTX and ATX light truck products. 

“That’s the direction I’m pushing for in the North American market.”

Tires for the future

Since today’s vehicles are equipped with a range of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), Neumann says it’s crucial for tires to be engineered while considering those functions.

The company’s team performs many tests with ADAS systems turned off, which helps monitor tires “at their true limits.” 

But as advancements, such as full self drive, continue to transform new vehicles, Neumann says Nexen will continue developing tires with a high performance standard.

“The tire needs to do well, whether it’s a computer driving (the vehicle) or a human.”

Neumann says the biggest evolution in the development of OE tires has been the introduction of driving simulators. Though simulators are still in the early stages, their technology has the potential to save both time and resources.

“There are amazing simulators out there. Racing teams are using them for very advanced chassis training and driver training.

“But I have yet to see a simulator that will deliver what I described in a joint test using a real vehicle. We’re looking for a certain quality of ride and steering that has a lot of nuance and subtlety. 

“Simulators can’t deliver that level of feel and immersion, at least not yet.”