The FD90 Truck/Bus Tire Uniformity Machine measures tire uniformity for Truck/Bus Radial (TBR) tires. The purpose of the FD90 Truck tire evaluation center is to assure tire quality. This is done by measuring, grading, marking, and sorting tires according to force variation, runout, and sidewall appearance. The FD90 is designed to handle the size and range to process all radial truck and bus tires from 16 inch to 25.5 inch bead diameters. This means a single FD90 can do the work that previously required several machines.
The FD90 is used for 100% tire checking in production. It can automatically adjust to different tire widths and test conditions for different tires within each bead diameter. Diameter changes are made quickly and easily with a rim assist mechanism. These features make the FD90 a high up-time, high-throughput, and ergonomically friendly machine.
Force Variation is a tire behaviour that creates ride disturbances such as vehicle vibration. Radial force variation induces forces into the vehicle on every tire rotation. These forces are amplified by the vehicle’s suspension when the forces occur at the vehicle’s natural frequency. Lateral force variation also creates vibration and steering pull.
Runout is a measure of the “out-of-roundness” of a tire. Radial and lateral runouts also cause ride disturbances during each tire rotation. Sidewall Appearance is the visual quality of a tire, which is influenced by several tire construction features, such as sidewall splice, body ply splice, and component quality.
When splices are overlapped too much they can create a depression in the sidewall when the tire is inflated. When splices aren’t placed together correctly they can cause a bulge. These defects are not acceptable to the consumer.
Tire and automobile manufacturers set limits on the acceptable values of force variation, runout, and sidewall appearance to assure good ride quality and customer satisfaction. The FD90 provides for the measurement, grading, marking, and sorting of tires to meet these requirements for truck and bus tires.
On-screen diagnostic and troubleshooting tools and on-screen documentation make the FD90 easy to use and service. Special maintenance access corridors ensure easy set-up, maintenance, and repair. The FD90 has the best measurement repeatability of any machine in the industry. This means that there is very little measurement error. When more tires pass grade limits, factory yields increase.
With options such as the Rim Assist Mechanism and the TGIS-SLT™ (Tire Geometry Inspection System with Sheet of Light for Truck), as well as Hot Stamp Marking options, the FD90 is a flexible and durable machine that will stand the rigors of plant life.