Yokohama taps ‘informatics’ to accelerate rubber R&D

The technology, said Yokohama, combines the simulation technology that emerged from efforts to foster innovative thinking about rubber material design. It involves the use of data from its research into the design, processing, analysis and measurement of existing rubber materials.

The approach also incorporates information and knowledge exploration using machine learning based on artificial intelligence (AI), said Yokohama, which aims to “dramatically raise” accuracy and speed in its development of advanced rubber materials.

Yokohama’s statement went on to note how tire performance is affected by the complex morphology of filled rubber materials.

In 2015, the company developed a simulation technology that has enabled it to run predictive simulations of the mechanical properties of virtual rubber materials.

The use of AI to analyse vast amounts of simulation results “makes it possible to derive the morphological design factors critical to achieving the desired performance [and] in a short period of time,” said Yokohama.

Product development, it added, will be further enhanced by new molecular dynamics simulation techniques make it possible to analyse how various design factors impact mechanical properties.

“Using this new technology to simulate a rubber material that could overcome the contradiction of combining superior rolling performance with high wear resistance,” explained Yokohama.