KM Berstorff gets the measure of electrostatic tire strips

Hanover, Germany – KraussMaffei Berstorff has developed a non-contact measuring system for checking the conductivity of chimney strips.

Incorporating carbon black, the strips are added to the tread profile of silica-reinforced tires to eliminate electrostatic charge via road-contact.

KM Berstorff’s new C-Check system is designed to measure in-line conductivity of the profile directly after extrusion, said a 21 March company statement.

The technology, it claims, enables “in-process detection” of material defects and transmits a warning signal in real-time to operators and the control system.

“The chimney strip has a width of a few millimetres only,“ noted Gerard Nijman, head of R&D and rubber processing technology at KM Berstorff.

The C-Check system, he said, checks the chimney at variable production speeds and measures its conductivity between the outside and inside of the tread.

The process involves an electrode, with flexible positioning, charging the strip that is placed on an earthed conveying system.

Features also include recipe-controlled positioning and automatic height adjustment.

The system can be retrofitted on existing lines, KM Berstorff also stated.