Autoclave Modifications

Big Tyre, Toowoomba

Big Tyre specialises in rebuilding and repairing pneumatic and solid tyres for mining, industrial and farming applications. An integral part of this process is using an autoclave to vulcanise (cure) the rubber after it has been applied to a tyre carcass. Tyres are supported on rollers mounted to a centre boom, which rotate the tyres while steam provides the heat to the interior of the autoclave.

Big Tyre engaged Solidtech Engineering to design a boom for use with their new 4200mm diameter autoclave. They required a system that was easy to use and readily fitted or removed, which could handle a pair of the world's largest pneumatic tyres each measuring 4000mm in diameter and weighing 6000kg.

In conjunction with the requirements specified by Big Tyre, Solidtech Engineering designed a very strong but versatile removable centre boom system that requires only one person to operate without difficulty. It easily locates accurately into the strong back plate that supports the boom. To complete the design, the boom and back plate was extensively checked and its strength verified using finite element analysis.

In addition to the boom, Solidtech Engineering also developed a removable roller and gear layout for rotating the tyres at the required speed. The autoclave has been recently commissioned and we look forward too seeing Australia's largest rubber Tyres being produced from it.

Click here to browse Big Tyre's website

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