Bridgestone Develops Color Printing Technology for Tires
TOKYO—Jan. 13, 2012—Bridgestone Corp. announced it has developed a revolutionary new printing technology for tires that is different from any tire printing or coloring process on the market today.
Until now, white rubber has been used on the sidewalls of tires to manufacture white ribbon and white letter tires. This process requires the use of large amounts of white rubber to prevent discoloration and to also maintain durability. This conventional manufacturing process can also add additional weight to the tire.
Bridgestone's advanced tire printing technology consists of the layer to protect from discoloration as the base, inks newly developed for this technology, and the layer to protect from external damages on the surface. Through this new technology, Bridgestone can realize the more creative showcase of tires while also considering environmental concerns such as fuel efficiency, without any additional weight to the tire.
Bridgestone will continue to explore the many opportunities associated with this new tire printing technology. As an example, original customer designs or photographs could be printed on tire sidewalls and later removed or changed if a customer chooses.
Bridgestone plans to quickly bring this tire printing technology to market.
About Bridgestone
Bridgestone Corp., headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.
Source: Bridgestone.