The Journey to Automation Awards (J2A Awards) is an organization under the European Rubber Journal (ERJ) that recognizes efforts made by tire brands to drive automation and digital transformation. The organization recently held an inaugural ceremony in which Hankook Tire was recognized for its VCD (Virtual Compound Design) system.
The system is able to predict tire characteristics based on compounds used in the automation. It then finds the best compound mix with the help of AI-based analysis. Hankook Tire was acknowledged and “Highly Commended” under the Tire Manufacturer – Producer category.
Speaking about the award, Senior Vice President and CTO of the company, Bonhee Ku, said that it was an honor to be recognized as a force to reckon with when it comes to changing the future of mobility. The tire manufacturer has been making strides to create endless possibilities through digital transformation. Ku believes that the commitment of the company will play an important role in setting a new paradigm in the industry and transforming the whole process of making tires.
The VCD system was built to pave way for AI-driven tire development. Hankook was able to gather data from previous studies and perform analysis to find out whether it could be useful as “big data” where AI is applied.
The system was built in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institue of Science & Technology (KAIST). The institute came in handy in advancing the AI model Hankook Tire had created. The collaboration helped to improve accuracy thanks to the application of auto encoder and auto-machine learning (Auto-ML).
Hankook Tire plans to integrate the AI system gradually into compound development starting next year and finish on the compound design technology by 2023.