The robots navigate independently through the production hall using sensors, 360-degree camera systems and AI-based control technology.
At Continental’s ContiLifeCycle (CLC) retreading plant for truck and bus tyres in Hanover-Stöcken, Germany, seven autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been transporting green tyres around the plant since March. The AMRs handle tyre moves between stations so employees can focus on machine setup and quality control. The company said the automation is designed to make production more ergonomic and efficient within its tyre manufacturing operations, supporting Industry 4.0 initiatives for retreading.
“Self-driving robots have been supporting our production workflow for six months now,” said Felix Hantelmann, head of the ContiLifeCycle plant. “They handle simple, repetitive transport tasks such as moving a tyre from one point to another. The robots are directly connected to our digital order system. So they know exactly where to go and how to coordinate with each other to get there. They are a valuable addition to our daily operations and help create a safe, efficient and ergonomically optimised production environment.”
Tyre Transport
The robots navigate independently through the production hall using sensors, 360-degree camera systems and AI-based control technology. At speeds up to 2 meters per second, they move tyres between the tyre-building machine, curing presses and quality control in the retreading process. Before AMRs, employees moved tyres with cranes and trolleys that weighed up to 250 kilograms (approx. 550 lbs) when loaded with two tyres, requiring multiple manual steps and trips between stations.
“Our employees no longer have to move tyres across the hall. That means less physical strain for them. Instead, they can focus on more demanding tasks like machine operation and quality control,” Hantelmann said.
Hot-Retreading Workflow
- A handling robot transfers the buffed tyre carcass to the tyre-building machine, where—depending on size—it is fitted with up to 18 kilograms (approx. 40 lbs) of fresh rubber heated to about 100 C for the tread and sidewalls.
- Once the tread and sidewall are applied, the handling robot places the tyre on a transport trolley. An AMR, connected to the digital order system, then moves the trolley either to the curing press or to intermediate storage, depending on capacity.
- In the curing press, the roughly 75-kilogram tyre is vulcanized at 160 C, giving it its final shape and tread pattern. It is then transferred via conveyor to quality control.
These updates target consistent flow through retreading stages. Continental said it affects turnaround time and finished tyre quality for fleets focused on tyre maintenance and tyre repair programmes.
