What feeling will you experience when you find the made in Russia label on a foreign brand product that you just purchased? Moreover, you specifically made a purchase abroad in order to get a truly “branded” thing. Do you feel confused or, conversely, proud of the country? A similar anecdotal story about buying tires in Europe by an unlucky Russian car owner somehow happened to be heard by a Lenta.ru correspondent. Tires as a result cost exorbitant prices, which gives the incident an instructive connotation.

The logic of those who choose a foreign-made product is understandable: after all, how long has the inertia of thinking forced, for example, to treat domestically assembled foreign cars as “second-fresh sturgeon”. Perhaps, only the current crisis has put everything in its place: cars of foreign brands that have not found sales in the country are now exported. This is perhaps the best proof that the quality of localized cars is not inferior to the original. But what about tires? The Lenta.ru correspondent visited the Pirelli factories in Voronezh, Milan and Turin to compare the production process.

Not robots burn pots

In Italy, a lot is connected with the eminent company, after all, it has existed since 1872. In honor of its founder, Giovanni Battista Pirelli, a street is named in Milan. And the first skyscraper that was allowed to rise above the famous Milan Cathedral is the Pirelli Center. At the company's headquarters, they carefully treat their own history - a large archive has been created that serves as a museum. And the old concrete cooling tower (that is, the water cooling tower) is skillfully inscribed in a modern ensemble of office architecture made of steel and glass.

A similar combination of technologies of the past and present centuries is in production. Serial tires are made by robots, but prototypes are made the old fashioned way, by hand. It is reminiscent of an art school: workers with chisels, like sculptors, leisurely gouge the tread grooves on a bare tire, clamped in an old, battered vise. This is cheaper than immediately making a mold for vulcanizing a tire with an experimental pattern, which, after testing, may have to be finalized.

So high technologies are technologies, and no one has yet canceled the golden hands of experienced craftsmen. This is especially felt in the Pirelli research center, where, in particular, tires for Formula 1 cars are being developed. It is necessary to design not only the tires themselves, but sometimes the auxiliary equipment. For example, in the past, something like carbon paper was used to measure the contact patch of the wheels with the road - this technology was borrowed by Pirelli from the manufacturers of running shoes. However, with the growth of requirements, the employees of the center had to independently develop special measuring tools.

mechanical waltz

Of course, pilot production has little in common with in-line production, where robots rule the roost. The birth of a tire begins with the creation of a multi-component rubber compound. The main ingredient is rubber, both natural and synthetic. The tire consists of about 80 percent of it. Sulfur and carbon black, as well as various chemical additives, are added to rubber. The exact composition of the mixture is the main know-how of the manufacturer.

To reduce costs, Pirelli seeks to use localized components to the maximum - for example, Russian rubber is used in Voronezh. And like the creators of fine wines, who by mixing grape varieties achieve the same taste, despite the difference in yields, Italians are forced to strictly ensure that the mixture at all 22 factories is identical. For this, a chemical analysis is carried out, and the apparatus is connected to a central server in Milan: if the sample differs from the reference, the conveyor stops.

The finished tire in section resembles an onion: a sealed layer, a textile cord and a metal cord, a shielding layer and, finally, a tread. Each ply requires its own rubber mix. Finished components are sent to assembly machines that resemble giant looms. Winding the cord, by the way, is also one of the secrets of production: the angle at which the textile tape, consisting of rubberized threads, is fed, regulates the contact patch of the future wheel.

After assembly, the tire takes on an almost finished look, but it feels like a piece of chewing gum - sticky and easily deformed. To give it strength, vulcanization is required. The tire is clamped with metal plates with a relief imprint of the tread and placed in an autoclave, where, under the influence of pressure and temperature, the rubber becomes elastic.

A few minutes pass - and with a hiss, in a cloud of steam, the finished wheel rolls out into the light to immediately get back on the conveyor - to the control area. As in Italy, in Russia the tire is checked in three stages: visual, instrumental control and X-ray to detect hidden defects. A high-quality tire is delivered to the finished product warehouse, the defective one is immediately cut and then disposed of. If the percentage of rejects in the batch exceeds the calculated value, the conveyor is stopped until the reasons are clarified.

social question

Production in Turin and Voronezh is quite identical, and the same can be said about the equipment - except that secondary processes, such as tire sorting, are more automated in Italy, in accordance with the large output. The company's social policy towards employees is similar.

At the Russian plant, the abundance of informational safety posters seems to be evidence of the low culture of local production. However, in Milan and Turin there are no less such posters - Pirelli's safety requirements are very strict. A journalist from the group inadvertently demonstrated this by stepping over the restrictive line in front of the machine. A photocell has been triggered and the line is frozen.

Perhaps, if there is anything that distinguishes Russian and Italian production, it is the working conditions: the Voronezh Tire Plant was created back in the 1950s, it went through the fever of the 1990s, lack of money and bankruptcy. And although about 100 million euros were spent on modernization, its interior decoration is strikingly different from the spacious, bright and well-ventilated workshops of the enterprise in Turin. Special mention deserves a magnificent dining room, where meals for Italian employees are partially subsidized by the company. Excellent working conditions, however, the merit of not only Pirelli, but also the workers themselves - Italy is famous for its strong trade union movement. So Voronezh tire manufacturers have something to learn from foreign colleagues, in addition to knowledge of materiel.

Tires of this brand are manufactured by Pirelli & C. The company's technological capabilities are concentrated in 24 enterprises located in 13 countries of the world. Of these, 5 production facilities are located in Italy, and the headquarters of the company is located in Milan.

The remaining plants are located in Brazil, which accounts for 5 tire production. 2 plants are located in the UK, Germany, Turkey, Romania and Russia. One each in Argentina, USA, China, Egypt, Spain and Venezuela.

The main owner of the company's shares is the chairman of the board, Marco Tronchetti Provera. In our country, since March 2014 - 13.09% of the shares of the manufacturer of winter tires Pirelli under the control of the Russian company Rosneft.

Official website of the brand

https://www.pirelli.ru/tyres/ru-ru/legkovyye-shiny/glavnaya

. The corporation received a representative office in Russia after signing an agreement on the construction of a tire plant in Togliatti. The deal was concluded between Pirelli & C. SpA and the Russian company Rostekhnologii in July 2008.

About Pirelli

The company was founded in January 1872 as a manufacturer of elastic rubber. Founder: Giovanni Battista Pirelli Since 1894, the production of the first bicycle tires began, and from 1901 - automobile rubber. In 1905, the company was reorganized. Then they created a sector for the manufacture of car tires and the production of rubber for motorcycles.

Today, Pirelli Tire has become the representative of the tire sector. It accounts for one fifth of the world's sales in this area of ​​the consumer market.

Pirelli tire prices

Pirelli Ice Zero

These winter studded tires are among the latest developments of the Italian brand. They are focused on the purchase by owners of powerful passenger cars of various classes, including crossovers and heavy SUVs, operated in harsh winter conditions. According to the manufacturer, Ice Zero tires:

• excellent adhesion to ice throughout the entire service life, which is facilitated by manufacturing technology - Dual Stud;
• demonstrate no less high traction on snow, due to

many sharp edges formed due to numerous tread blocks and sipes located on the surface of their tread;

• are distinguished by stable characteristics of the rubber compound, which do not depend on the temperature range and are the result of the presence of new components in it and are explained by the peculiarities of the technology of its preparation.

Drivers do not find any flaws in the rubber, with the exception of the noise that passes after the break-in.

Pirelli Winter Sottozero 3

The country of origin of these non-studded winter tires is Italy. This is a special development for installation on powerful and high-speed premium cars. A number of innovative innovations allow the model to significantly enhance the sporting performance of the car. The manufacturer announces the following parameters of winter tires Winter Sottozero 3:

• excellent traction and grip properties, combined with directional stability and due to the presence of swept blocks in the central tread area;
• reliable grip on snowy and icy surfaces due to the many 3D sipes that compensate for the lack of spikes;
• a high degree of hydroplaning resistance, which is facilitated by two wide drainage grooves located longitudinally in the central tread zone;
• excellent grip in all weather conditions and long tire life thanks to an advanced rubber compound containing a wide range of components.

Car owners do not see any shortcomings in tires of this brand and note insecure behavior on bare ice and packed snow, which is natural for non-studded tires.

Model Pirelli Winter Cinturato

The manufacturer sees in these winter tires a replacement for the popular Snowcontrol Series 3 rubber. The superior performance of the tire over its predecessor is due to the fact that it was developed from scratch. Pros:

• improved traction with packed snow and ice, due to the use of sipe technology called Multiactive 4D Sipe;
• increased resistance to slashplanning with a simultaneously high level of acoustic comfort due to the optimized Z-shaped longitudinal grooves for drainage in the center of the tread;
• accelerated removal of water together with melted snow from the contact patch due to the presence of auxiliary drainage grooves in the shoulder areas.

Among the disadvantages of tires, car owners note:

• expensive balancing;
• lack of disk protection;
• weak braking;
• uncertain acceleration on a winter road.

Pirelli P Zero Rosso

This name belongs to summer passenger tires designed for installation on premium cars with 18 and 19 inch wheels. The manufacturer declares:

• excellent grip of such tires in both dry and rainy weather, due to the optimized V-shaped tread design of the symmetrical tire tread;
• excellent directional stability and instant response to steering actions due to the high rigidity of the design of the double central rib;
• exceptional resistance to aquaplaning, due to the high efficiency of the tire's drainage system, which consists of four longitudinal grooves and many transverse grooves.

Car owners point out the sensitivity of rubber to road bumps, rapid wear, some noise and stiffness, although within reasonable limits.

If we consider the inventor of the pneumatic tire John Dunlop, then the modern tire has almost 130 years of history: the Scot received a patent in 1888. However, Robert William Thompson patented a similar idea even earlier - in 1846. And although at that time no one was interested in the invention, I suggest that this article on the production of tires is dedicated to their 170th anniversary.

To follow all stages of the process, I visited the largest Italian plant of Pirelli, which is located in Turin, and then looked at the Russian production of Pirelli in Voronezh.

It all starts with the manufacture of the rubber compound. The characteristics of the future tire depend on its composition. Natural and synthetic rubber, polymers, oils, resins, sulfur, soot and other substances are mixed. Not a single tire manufacturer reveals the exact recipe - this is know-how and a mystery behind seven seals. Something like with Coca-Cola: the ingredients are indicated on the label, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to prepare the required product from them.

The lion's share of the components is obtained artificially, and they have an expiration date. If it has expired, the material is disposed of - substandard does not fall into production. In addition, all raw materials are checked in the laboratory of the plant for compliance with the recipe.

Verified batches are sent for mixing. At the output, a semi-finished rubber band is obtained, rolled out by the rollers of the machine into a thin layer. Stamps and colored marks with information about the composition and date of production are put on the blanks.

The main material for the tire industry was and remains rubber. Summer tires use more artificial rubber, and winter tires, for which softness is important, use natural rubber. Natural rubber is mined mainly in Asia and Latin America. More than half of its volume goes to the production of tires. And the world's first plant for the production of synthetic rubber was launched in 1932 in Yaroslavl.

The tire consists of a carcass, several layers of breaker, tread and sidewalls. Each of these components has its own path. Textile and polymer cords are covered with a layer of rubber, and the parameters of the tapes emerging from the equipment are controlled by a laser. Each tire model and its standard size requires its own width, therefore, automated lines with a drum of variable sizes are used for manufacturing. This is the carcass of the future tire, its inner layer. True, it is not he who contacts the air pumped inside, but the so-called hermetic layer - a thin rubber sheet that ensures the tightness of modern tubeless tires. In fact, it replaces the camera and, accordingly, must have all its properties.

A rubberized steel cord - a breaker - is superimposed on the frame. Usually lay several layers at an angle to each other. They provide the tire's ability to withstand impact and help it retain its shape.

The top layer is a protector. It comes out of the machine again in the form of a rubber band of the required width, only much thicker than the frame and breaker. At the same stage, color stripes, well known to all motorists, are applied, by which you can find out the parameters of the tire by looking at its working surface, and not at the sidewall - this makes it easier to identify the wheels in the warehouse.

The tread must be wear-resistant and at the same time provide reliable traction on different surfaces and in a wide temperature range. Hence the special requirements for the rubber compound, and its composition in different parts of the tread is seriously changing. Soft rubber is in contact with asphalt, internal, more rigid, holds shocks, rubber of the third grade, on the shoulder, is needed to transition from the contact surface to the sidewall.

The lateral part of the tire takes on shock loads and plays an important role when cornering. In the area adjacent to the rim, a bead ring is hidden behind the thickening. These are several layers of strong wire, also rubberized.

When all the elements are ready, they are fed to the primary assembly machine. It connects the hermetic layer, carcass, breaker and tread, wraps the “wings” of the latter and connects them to the sidewalls. The result of the work is the so-called "green" tire. It has already taken the desired shape, but its sides are swollen, the tread is smooth, and the rubber itself is very pliable: it can be literally damaged by hand pressure. However, at this stage it is already possible to carry out the first visual quality control.

The last step is vulcanization. The "green" tire is treated with a composition that prevents rubber from sticking to the mold during heat treatment, and is fed to the machine platform in a horizontal position. Inside the future tire, a rubber chamber is inflated. First, a small pressure - about 0.3 bar, in order to ensure uniform pressure of the diaphragm to the workpiece, then it increases to 15 bar or more. Outside the tire is fitted with a mold with a tread pattern and inscriptions on the sidewalls.

"Baking" with the supply of water vapor at a temperature of about 170-200 ºС takes from 3 to 35-40 minutes, depending on the type of tire. At the Turin plant, it takes an average of about 17 minutes to create a tire blank and about 15 minutes to vulcanize.

At the exit, the bus is again waiting for control - visual and instrumental. Moreover, they check a still hot product: after cooling to room temperature, not all defects are visible, so a defective wheel can end up on sale or on a conveyor. The tire is weighed, checked by X-ray machine and laser scanner for internal uniformity. In addition, several copies from each batch are sent for life tests.

Finally, about one more curious fact from the world of tire production. A tire is not as specific a product as its carrier, a car. Therefore, despite the current crisis, Russian factories of world giants are not idle and do not reduce the number of employees. On the contrary, they are working in an enhanced mode, supplying Russian-made tires that have suddenly become very profitable at the current ruble exchange rate for export around the world.

IN THE DUNGEONS A special pride of the Pirelli company is the laboratory of the Turin plant. Some have been looked into. They are located, as befits secret objects, underground, on the basement floors. There are 85 facilities here, allowing up to five thousand different tests to be carried out. A significant staff is working on Formula 1 tires. As you know, Pirelli is the exclusive supplier of the "royal races". In one of the laboratories, they are applying a tread pattern to prototype tires. A high-precision laser is used only for preliminary marking - the beam burns out only the outlines of the pattern (the depth of these strokes is not more than 0.1 mm), which the master then “cuts through” manually. It is impossible to fully entrust this work to automation: due to exposure to high temperatures, the chemical composition of rubber and its properties will change. And to make a mold for each sample is expensive and troublesome. Noise measurement is carried out in an isolated anechoic chamber. The wheel mounted on the car turns an electric motor located outside the premises. This allows you to analyze the sound only from the tire, without filtering out the noise of the engine, transmission and other sources. Pirelli has a unique setup that can measure over a hundred different tire parameters. It occupies several floors and weighs 250 tons, but only a lever with a wheel attached to it and a drum under it are visible. Under the tread is a very aggressive "paper". Due to the moving elements, the rolling speed, clamping force change, slopes, turns, and braking are simulated. Characteristics are taken in real time. All this is needed to form a virtual bus model. It is transferred to the customer, who uses the data when fine-tuning a real car. After all, tires with special characteristics are used for many sports and premium cars. Their sidewalls may carry the designation of a standard model, but an additional letter or index will indicate to the connoisseur that this particular tire was commissioned by one of the automakers and differs from those sold on the secondary market. For such products, Pirelli has a separate small series workshop, where tires are made for Ferrari, Maserati and other brands of a comparable level.

Photo: Kirill Mileshkin and Pirelli

Pirelli tires are a product of the Italian concern, one of the most famous and oldest tire manufacturers in the world. Pirelli is an active sponsor and participant in many racing competitions, and its tires are recognized as high-tech and adapted to the most difficult conditions. The brand has repeatedly taken the lead in tests by professional rubber testers, the results of which are published in the most famous automotive magazines.

Technology in Pirelli rubber

Pirelli is a large corporation with dozens of factories scattered around the world. The country of manufacture of Pirelli tires of a particular model depends on the region of delivery and may change in accordance with the interests of the company. Traditionally, tires are produced in Italy, but today no one can guarantee the supply of European tires to the Russian market.

On its official website, the manufacturer notes that Pirelli tires are distinguished by excellent driving characteristics, durability and environmental friendliness.

The rubber uses RunFlat technology. Interestingly, Pirelli was one of the pioneer manufacturers who applied this system to their products. RunFlat is a technology that is applied to the possible operation of a tire after a puncture. Due to the rigid sidewall, the tires remain suitable for driving at low speeds for distances up to 100 km. In addition, Pirelli promises improved handling in emergency situations.

But the Italian concern did not stop at RunFlat. Pirelli, for the first time in the history of the tire industry, began to use Seal Inside technology without punctures. A dense but elastic sealing layer is placed on the inner surface of the tire. This layer securely covers the puncture site, preventing air from escaping from the tire. The material seals the puncture, even if the object that caused it remains in place.

The use of new technologies does not affect the driving performance of tires. The manufacturer claims that within the same model range, tires with or without new technology have the same grip, handling and comfort. Puncture-free technology is an absolute advantage of Pirelli tires. To date, it is the only manufacturer to use a proprietary tire sealing compound without driver input.

The best Pirelli tires

The Pirelli line includes tires for passenger cars and SUVs. Both are made for summer and winter operation. In the winter tire line, buyers singled out the Pirelli Ice Zero model. This studded tire is available in sizes from 16" to 21". The minimum price for tires is 2680 rubles. You can buy Pirelli tires of this model in the 21st radius at a maximum price of 16,710 rubles. In customer reviews, tires are called soft and manageable. Coupling properties on snow and in icy conditions received the highest rating. On asphalt, an increased braking distance was noticed due to the large number of spikes. The quality of the stitching is excellent. Users attributed noise to significant disadvantages of rubber.

The Pirelli Winter Sottozero II is produced without the possibility of studding in sizes from 15 to 20 inches. You can buy Pirelli tires from 3,100 rubles to 36,750 rubles. In the reviews, excellent grip properties on any winter surfaces, except for bare ice, are named as advantages of tires. Low noise level, softness, aquaplaning, directional stability are also recorded in the list of rubber advantages. The buyers attributed the high percentage of factory defects to the disadvantages, which makes balancing difficult. Buyers also noted the tire's loss of traction as the tread wears. The second season of driving on this rubber can be unsafe.

The Pirelli Cinturato P7 is the latest addition to the Italian brand's range of passenger summer tires. You can buy Pirelli tires of this model from 2940 rubles for the 16th radius. The maximum cost reaches 21,250 rubles for tires in the 18th diameter. As the advantages of Pirelli rubber in customer reviews, excellent grip on wet and dry surfaces is mentioned. The absence of aquaplaning, softness and acceptable noise levels are on the list of advantages of tires. Buyers attributed the weak sidewall of tires to significant shortcomings, on which hernias appear even without noticeable bumps. Some users were dissatisfied with the rubber's handling rate at speeds above 140 km / h. There are also problems with wheel balancing.

Pirelli Cinturato P1 is another popular representative of the passenger line. Tires are produced in sizes from 14 to 16 at prices from 1,680 to 11,450 rubles, respectively. Tire reviews are mostly positive. We can say that this is one of the most successful Pirelli models. Buyers noted the clarity of control, excellent traction, low noise, stability at high speed. The disadvantages of tires include stiffness and sensitivity to road irregularities. Recent reviews of this Pirelli model were not too flattering. Buyers noted a weak sidewall and a large number of side cuts. The number of such users is about 2%.

The Pirelli Scorpion Zero is a high speed model available in sizes 16 to 30. Summer tires are designed for use on any surface and have a rather aggressive tread pattern. The minimum price of a tire is 4350 rubles. You can buy tires in the 30th diameter for a maximum of 31,030 rubles. According to customer reviews, tires performed well on asphalt. Hydroplaning, rolling resistance, high speed stability received the highest marks. The noise level is higher than expected and users didn't like it. In a rut, tires behave not just uncertainly, but unsafely. Rubber is not suitable for non-asphalt surfaces. Tire stiffness is also attributed to their disadvantages.