Cimcorp to automate new Algerian tire plant

Ulvila, Finland – Finnish manufacturer and integrator of robotic handling systems Cimcorp Oy has won a contract to supply automated logistics systems to a new greenfield tire plant in Algeria.

The Ulvila-based company announced 27 June that it had received a “major order” from the Saterex group, to provide the technology under its Dream Factory concept, which covers both materials handling and software supply.

The Algerian consumer electronics and household appliances group is diversifying into tire manufacture, with growth in sales of products marketed under its Iris brand. 

As ERJ reported in February, the plant will be built in Sétif, 300km east of Algiers with the technical support from another Finnish company, Black Donuts Engineering.

The new facility which is expected to be operational by spring 2018, is the first tire plant in Algeria since Michelin Group closed its plant in the capital in 2013.

The site is planned to produce 1 million passenger car radial (PCR) tires for the first year, followed by 2 million units of both PCR and truck and bus tires in the second year. 

“The area around Sétif is undergoing significant economic growth across a number of sectors, including the automotive industry,” explained Yacine Guidoum, managing director of Saterex.

According to the official, the Algerian market consumes more than 7 million tires a year which are mainly poor-quality imported tires.

“As well as producing locally-branded tires to meet Algerian demand, we will be exporting about a third of our output to European and African markets,” he added.

Cimcorp will supply automated handling systems from its ‘Dream Factory’ solution for both upstream and downstream manufacturing processes at the Sétif plant. 

According to Cimcorp, the order will cover automated handling of the raw materials and compound warehouse, mixing and compounding areas, handling automation for green tires from tire building to curing, and finished tire handling in the testing and palletising areas.