Mathematics
Goodyear III
Analysis of Cross-section Geometry of Complex Steel Cords
Student Researchers: Kemar Reid, Andrew Licking, Yanlong Hu
Faculty Advisors: John Ramsay and R. Drew Pasteur (Mathematics)
The purpose of our project was to model geometrically the steel cords used by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Our clients at Goodyear wanted us to deliver a model (using MATLAB) that could display 2-D cross-sections of any specified steel cord design, anywhere along its length, in order to analyze the construction. These steel cords for tire reinforcement are created by taking series of filaments and wrapping them together in a helix. After construction, steel cords are placed upon a layer of rubber, while another is laid on top of it in the tire assembly process. The rubber then molds into the gaps in the steel cord, allowing for greater strength in the tire structure. However, when there is overlap in the structure, namely when two filaments try to occupy the same space, they will push out or rotate or in some other way cause an unaccounted for structural deformity, which will then lead to weakness in the tire designs as well. Our model will be used by Goodyear to view, analyze and interpret steel cord constructions used in tire reinforcement.