As times evolve, the rubber tire industry is placing increasingly higher demands on tire quality and functionality. Consequently, the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies has become ever more critical for cost control and green production in the tire manufacturing process. Relying on its core robotic technology strengths and accumulated R&D innovations, STEP, together with its partner Shanghai Gude, is rapidly responding to the emerging needs of the rubber tire industry in areas such as material handling, loading and unloading, and laser marking. We offer a comprehensive manufacturing solution—from robots and standard equipment to application software and customized feature development—delivering tangible value to tire manufacturers and end-users.
In laser marking on rubber tires, the R&D team at STEP Robotics has continuously conducted cross-disciplinary research into laser engraving technology. A brand-new, upgraded intelligent tire laser-engraving solution has been launched. It has already been successfully implemented and delivered in bulk to leading companies in the industry, such as Zhongce Rubber and Sailun Tire.
This solution revolutionizes traditional production processes by integrating a workstation composed of STEP six-axis robots, a 3D laser vision system, a laser engraving system, and a Mecanum-wheel omnidirectional alignment mechanism. Adopting a completely new process, it replaces the conventional methods of embedding periodic labels, steel tags, and vulcanized hollow barcodes. The system enables automatic engraving at designated locations on tires, offering fast production cycles while ensuring clear, aesthetically pleasing, and uniformly smooth lettering without any adhesive edges. As a result, it significantly improves the utilization rate of vulcanizing machines and enhances the quality grade of the finished products.
STEP Rubber Tire Laser Engraving Intelligent Solution
After five generations of iterative improvements, the STEP now places greater emphasis on meticulous attention to detail and addressing pain points in laser engraving on rubber tires.
√ Quick installation, seamless integration
Based on a workstation-based approach, this solution is ready to use out of the box. Customers can complete flexible deployment in a compact 2-meter space without needing to shut down their systems for hours. Installation, debugging, and integration with the MES system can all be completed within just 10 days.
√ Brand-new AI algorithm for precise calibration
Given the industry-specific characteristics of tire rubber, a brand-new real-time 3D vision AI algorithm leverages 3D digital models to perform real-time AI data comparisons, enabling continuous real-time scanning and precise positioning of tires. This approach effectively prevents tire deformation caused by thermal expansion and contraction, production line logistics bottlenecks, and stacked or blocked tires. Additionally, a new thermal imaging technology has been introduced to eliminate interference from hot steam in specific environments, ensuring reliable performance of the 3D vision system.
√ Automatic compensation, meticulously crafted
With the increasing adoption of personalized customization requirements from customers, a new automatic compensation technology has been introduced to ensure precise control over engraving depth, accuracy, and positioning. The human-machine interface has been further optimized, enabling true “point-and-grave” functionality—wherever you point the mouse, that’s exactly where the engraving will occur. Meanwhile, the repeat positioning accuracy reaches ±0.2 mm, and the precision of laser engraving can be as fine as within 1 silk (0.01 mm). Additionally, the machine features a self-check function after engraving is complete. For semi-steel and all-steel tires, the system automatically compensates for the tire’s curved surface without compromising tire safety or affecting tire pressure testing.
√ Digital production, empowering smart manufacturing
It can automatically interact with the production MES system, display production data in real time, optimize process flow configurations, thereby enhancing product quality and improving production efficiency.
√ Green production, energy conservation and emission reduction
Monitor and capture dust layers and microplastic particulate pollution generated by tire treading, helping customers meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
In terms of value-added services, STEP puts the user at the center and pays meticulous attention to detail, enabling flexible DIY personalized customization. For example, it offers services such as engraving anti-counterfeiting QR codes and customizing small-batch, personalized logos. To enhance the aesthetic quality of tire lettering, STEP provides users with a new font that breaks through traditional molding techniques, producing “yang” characters with a distinctly raised texture. Compared to letters molded via vulcanization, these engraved characters are clearer, more visually appealing, and feature smooth curves. Additionally, for QR code engraving, STEP helps users establish entirely new sales models—allowing them to trace all key information simply by scanning the code.
Next, STEP Robotics will conduct more in-depth work in the areas of single-machine automation for rubber tire production, as well as the intelligent and digital transformation of production lines and factories. By replacing human labor with machines, we aim to reduce labor costs, enhance production efficiency, and improve product quality, thereby contributing to the intelligent development of the tire industry.
