ZC Rubber Wins China’s State Science and Technology Progress Award for Tire Innovation

BEIJING, China — ZC Rubber has received the Second Prize of China’s State Science and Technology Progress Award for the project “Key Technologies and Green Intelligent Manufacturing of High-Performance Tires,” jointly completed with Harbin Institute of Technology.

The award recognises the company’s work in integrating tire design, digital development and green intelligent manufacturing, as well as the industrial application of the technologies developed through the project.

ZC Rubber has established a forward-development process covering requirements definition, theoretical modelling, digital simulation and physical manufacturing. Based on real-world operating conditions, the system combines multidisciplinary engineering technologies with AI-assisted simulation to shorten development cycles and improve development accuracy.

For off-the-road (OTR) tires, the company has developed a performance evaluation and technology development framework focused on three major operating characteristics: unpaved terrain, extreme environments and heavy-load conditions.

Its OTR portfolio covers applications across mining and construction, ports and industrial operations, and agriculture and forestry, with product development focused on improving equipment uptime, reducing tire-related downtime and increasing resistance to damage in demanding working environments.

To address common causes of tire damage and wear — including rock cutting, punctures, high- and low-temperature ageing, and chemical corrosion — ZC Rubber has developed application-specific compound systems and tire structures.

Depending on the application, tread patterns, casing profiles and reinforcement structures are engineered around the specific terrain, load and duty-cycle requirements of the equipment.

For giant mining tires, ZC Rubber has built a comprehensive product portfolio for ultra-heavy-duty mining applications. Its large radial mining tires have been adopted by leading equipment manufacturers and deployed in major mining operations worldwide, where long-term field performance has supported sustained customer partnerships.

In mining applications, ZC Rubber’s 29-inch tires for wide-body mining trucks are designed for heavy-load operations, with an emphasis on durability, reduced failures and equipment uptime.

For port operations, the company has developed tires for a range of material-handling equipment and maintains a strong position in the Chinese port tire market.

Its industrial and solid tire portfolio focuses on characteristics including low deformation, even wear and wear resistance, supporting applications where operating stability and long service life are key requirements.

ZC Rubber also provides a broad range of agricultural and forestry tires for equipment including high-horsepower tractors, combine harvesters, inter-row cultivation machinery and crop-protection equipment.

For agricultural applications, compounds are developed to withstand seasonal and climatic variations, while flexible crack-resistant formulations and flotation-oriented structures are designed to reduce soil compaction and improve performance in soft ground conditions.

Looking ahead, ZC Rubber plans to continue developing OTR tire technologies for emerging applications including electric construction machinery, automated port equipment and intelligent agricultural machinery.

The company is also targeting specialised products for more demanding operating environments, including heat-resistant mining tires for high-temperature regions, cold-resistant agricultural tires, corrosion-resistant industrial tires for coastal ports, and tires for ultra-heavy mining trucks.

Through continued advances in materials, structural design, simulation and intelligent manufacturing, ZC Rubber will further develop OTR tire technologies and deliver more efficient, durable and sustainable solutions for demanding applications worldwide.