Hankook Tire Partners with KAIST to Accelerate Digital Technology Capability Development

Hankook Tire Technodome (Photo by Hankook Tire & Technology)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Hankook Tire & Technology is strengthening its future competitiveness based on technology-driven innovation. In particular, last year it signed an agreement with KAIST for joint research on future technologies and industry-academia cooperation, focusing on securing research and development and digital technology capabilities through digital transformation.

At the 'Hankook Technology Group-KAIST Digital Future Innovation Center' established through the agreement, projects spanning all areas including production, logistics, and research and development are underway. Projects that have achieved visible results are being introduced on-site.

One such achievement is the 'VCD system,' an artificial intelligence (AI)-based tire compound property prediction model. The VCD system is a technology that predicts compound characteristics through AI analysis based on accumulated data without conducting actual tests during tire compound development, creating the optimal formulation. Hankook Tire expects that the compound development period, which typically takes from as short as six months to as long as three years, will be reduced by about 50% by utilizing AI.

They have also succeeded in developing AI utilization technology applicable to tire production processes. By integrating AI technology with digital sensors, an automated inspection system has been introduced that maximizes consistency and efficiency in tire inspection. The system is applied to internal tire inspection using a laser interferometer, which is part of the final inspection process. Previously, highly skilled experts identified defects based on selection criteria learned through years of experience, but with the AI-based automated system, computers can now interpret these defects.

Recently, they developed 'CMS+,' an equipment anomaly detection and prediction system using AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. While typical equipment anomaly detection systems attach sensors to key components and rely on experts to analyze and judge the collected information, CMS+ enables data analysis with 3 to 4 times higher prediction accuracy based on a three-stage AI algorithm passing through a 'next-generation wireless IoT module-gateway-server.' This allows precise detection of abnormal signs and rapid response.

Hankook Tire is currently installing and operating the new system in domestic factory model equipment and plans to expand its application to all global factories. To advance the system, it has also integrated augmented reality (AR) technology to make data flow easier to understand.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.