Symmetric laminates for enhanced tire durability: A numerical study on belt edge separation

Tire failure due to belt edge separation is a common issue caused by various factors such as adhesion loss, high heat generation, and interlaminar shear. This research paper focuses on studying the phenomenon of belt edge separation in tires by investigating the effect of belt lay arrangement on this failure mode. The study examines two types of belt arrangements, namely Symmetric and Asymmetric, in both four belt and three belt package configurations, using advanced finite element analysis (FEA) techniques. MSC-MARC commercial Finite Element software is employed to conduct FE analysis on an 11R22.5 tire model under steady-state rolling conditions. Through numerical simulations, the study reveals that the symmetric belt arrangement, irrespective of the belt package configuration (four belt or three belt), minimizes strain energy density, principal strains, and principal stresses in the belt edge region compared to the asymmetric arrangement. Interestingly, the asymmetric arrangement is commonly used by tire companies for Truck Bus Radial (TBR) tires. Based on the findings of numerical simulations, this research paper proposes a new three belt package configuration that effectively utilizes the symmetric belt lay arrangement as a potential solution to reduce belt edge separation in TBR tires.