Global tyre manufacturer Kumho Tyre has announced that it has launched a new tyre digital twin system at its global headquarters in Seoul, marking a major step in the company’s efforts to digitalise its tyre development process. Shifting from traditional physical testing to virtual tyre development, Kumho says the new system enables the automatic design of multiple tyre versions using digital data and big data-based performance predictions. Kumho says its Digital Twin system shifts tyre development from traditional physical methods to a dynamic virtual environment and comes in response to the growing demand for digital transformation among automakers along with stricter environmental regulations. This allows design engineers to generate tyre designs, predict performance, optimise designs, and simulate vehicle performance - all within a digital framework. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the system selects the optimal design, and follows this up with a virtual evaluation based on vehicle dynamics analysis to verify tyre performance. “Tyres must meet strict standards for rolling resistance, braking, wear, comfort and noise reduction,” said the head of Kumho Tyre’s Virtual Product Development Centre Kim Keewoon. “Emphasising the need to optimise key design factors like compounds, tread patterns, structure and shape for more efficient testing and improvement of these elements,” he added. Kumho Tyre expects to shorten development timelines, improve performance and reduce costs with this system.