Tire Tread Pyramidal Texture for 3D-Printed Mold Surface Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
3D printing of tire surfaces results in unsightly circular grooves due to the scanning pattern, affecting aesthetic appeal and potentially grip performance, while maintaining industrial cost and adhesion requirements.
Innovation Solution
A tire tread texture featuring an arrangement of contiguous pyramidal elements with specific alpha and beta angles, forming a mesh on the rolling surface, and a corresponding vulcanization mold with a garnish that replicates this texture, made using 3D printing to enhance surface quality and adhesion without increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If 3D printing is used to manufacture the vulcanization mold, then manufacturing flexibility and complexity are improved, but the tread surface develops unsightly circular grooves that worsen aesthetic appearance and grip performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the harmful circular grooves left by 3D printing into beneficial pyramidal micro-structures on the tread surface. By intentionally designing the mold cavity with pyramidal elements that counteract the circular groove pattern, the manufacturing defect is transformed into a functional feature that improves both aesthetics and grip performance through enhanced surface texture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies an inverted approach by creating pyramidal protrusions on the mold lining that will form corresponding pyramidal patterns on the tire tread, rather than trying to eliminate the circular grooves. This inversion transforms the surface topology from harmful concentric circles to beneficial radial pyramidal structures.
2Shape
If the tread surface is smoothed to improve aesthetics, then surface appearance is improved, but grip performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by creating pyramidal micro-structures specifically on the tread contact patches where grip is needed, while maintaining smooth surfaces in non-contact areas. The pyramidal elements with specific geometries (alpha angles between 15°-75° and beta angles between -75° to -15°) provide localized adhesion enhancement without compromising overall surface quality.
3Reliability
If a complex texture pattern is applied to improve grip, then adhesion is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the tread surface into multiple pyramidal elements arranged in a systematic grid pattern, with each pyramid defined by simple geometric parameters (base dimensions, height, alpha and beta angles). This segmentation allows the complex texture to be manufactured using standard 3D printing techniques while maintaining consistent pyramidal geometry across the entire tread surface.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The pyramidal texture improves the tire's aesthetic appeal and grip performance, achieving 120% and 185% better adhesion on wet and snowy surfaces respectively, while maintaining industrial cost efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a laser which is generally of a power of 200W to 1000W
Implementation Method 2
3D printing or additive manufacturing brings together processes for manufacturing parts in volume by adding or agglomerating material
Data Source
Figure 1-A~2-E
Figure 3-A~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to the surface state of tire treads cured in a vulcanization mold made by 3D printing. The invention proposes a texture of the rolling surface of the tread of a tire, which represents an optimal compromise between cost, esthetics, and grip performance of the tire. The texture is formed by an arrangement of contiguous elements in a pyramid shape, each pyramid-shaped element having a parallelogram base positioned on the rolling surface, and an apex located at a normal distance H from the base included in the interval [0.15 mm; 0.5 mm].