Michelin and other top tier tyre manufacturers took home awards for their contributions to the industry at the Tire Technology International Awards for Innovation and Excellence, held in Germany during the 20th Tire Technology Expo, from Feb. 25-27.
The awards, coordinated by Tire Technology International magazine, were split into seven categories and officiated by a panel of international journalists and industry experts. Award recipients included:
- VMI’s Synchro Crown Drum, Tire Manufacturing Innovation of the Year,
- Michelin’s Uptis, an airless mobility solution for passenger vehicles, Tire Technology of the Year
- Michelin, Tire Manufacturer of the Year, for overcoming competition from other Tier 1 tiremakers
- Eastman, Tire Industry Supplier of the Year
- RubberJet Valley, commended for its environmentally friendly High-Pressure Water Jet Technology, Environmental Achievement of the Year Award
As well as recognizing the achievements of manufacturers and suppliers, the awards celebrate the achievements of individuals within the industry. Andrew Tinker, a 40-year industry veteran, was honoured with the magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tinker has authored more than 80 technical papers, co-edited a book and was the co-inventor on four patents for commercial products, the Tire Technology Expo says. He has become a renowned expert in the study and development of rubber blends and thermoplastic elastomers based on natural rubber. Although he retired as director of research of the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) in 2009 and remains on a number of committees associated with the rubber industry.
The Young Scientist Award went to Alex O’Neil, a Jaguar Land Rover Research Engineer from the University of Surrey, who was commended for his research into the measurement of friction to predict tire behavior on different road surfaces.
