Professional Doctorate in Engineering in Energy & Process Technology at the University of Twente

The Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) programme is a 2-year post MSc technological programme with a focus on technological design. This programme at the University of Twente contains an educational part that will be followed at the University, and a design project that will be carried out at Apollo Tyres. The educational programme will have an in-depth and broadening character with ample attention for professional development and will be partly tailored to the design project. In collaboration with Apollo Tyres, high level, creative and new designs for complex issues will be aimed at.

One of the best known and most widely used methods to predict tyre performance for tread compound is Tsweep test, measured at low constant strain (0.05-1%). In a real situation, the tyre is subjected to a load which in combination with road roughness causes tread deformation at different strains, which are much higher than in a conventional Tsweep test. Some publications have shown that a correlation between DMA data and tyre data can be improved by measuring at higher strains. At the same time there are various patents in which the Tsweep is measured at constant load, and this is used as indication of tyre braking. Both tests are done in single shear mode, which is not the standard mode for a DMA. To compare both tests with wet braking distance data of different compounds, new clamping devices and vulcanization molds have to be designed.

The PDEng needs to design a new DMA test method for a Metravib 450 to improve the prediction of friction for tread compounds at tyre level in comparison with current Tsweep measured at low strain, including:

Design of a single shear clamping device for a Metravib DMA;
Design of a mold for vulcanization of single shear samples together with a metal bonding part.

Deadline Application: 05-09-2017

Further details
Professional Doctorate in Engineering in Energy & Process Technology at the University of Twente